
While spring-loaded fishing scales are the least expensive and most ubiquitous type, there are also digital versions that operate by that fancy transducer mentioned above. By simply hanging the fish on the scale you get a pretty accurate reading. At the other end of the spring is a small indicator that moves along lines marked with certain weights and calibrated in the scale's factory before release. As gravity pulls the fish down toward the earth, that force stretches the spring. Essentially, spring loaded fishing scales connect their central spring to a hook or a clamp that holds the fish. The spring probably sounds more familiar to you. One type operates by a spring, and the other by a piezoelectric transducer. A fishing scale works in one of two ways, depending on its mechanism for reading weight. Some of these will give you an incredibly accurate reading in the field, while others are more for general classification and safeguarding against fraud from a tender who might buy your catch. To that end, you want to employ a simple fishing scale. A simple ruler would be enough to share the length, but in most scenarios weight is just as important, if not a more important bragging point. The problem there, if you're going to brag with specificity, would be giving the details of the catch. If you have a signal you might even post that picture to social media. When you're out on the water and you snag a particularly enviable fish, you might take a quick picture of yourself holding it. There's a robust lip clamp on this style of scale that is ideal for catch and release fishing, as it is gentler to the fish than a sharp hook. It's accurate enough to be used in competitions. The Eastaboga Tackle Boga Grip is a favorite amongst fishing enthusiasts, because of its robust construction and simple accuracy that doesn't require batteries. While they don't provide as much detail, our choices are still designed for accuracy to the half or quarter pound increment. Users don't need to worry about batteries and buttons. We've also included the best options for those who simply want to weigh and display their catches. It's great for anyone who needs to use a simple to navigate touch screen.

The Rapala Touch Screen Tourney takes the top spot for its versatile ability to track the weights of up to eight different fish for the day, and additionally provides numbered clips so that you know which one is which.


We evaluated the top digital choices for anglers who need the detailed measurements to the decimal point, and some, including the Rapala Touch Screen Tourney and the Kast King Mad Bite provide a memory function for keeping track of multiple catches. To find the best fish scale we considered models that fit a variety of fishing styles and objectives. Meanwhile, the Eastaboga Tackle Boga Grip might really be the most high-end, but its high cost makes it a non-starter for many fishermen. For budget-friendly options, consider the Reel Sonar Digital or the analog Weston Scale Spring & Hook. The Rapala High Contrast is a touch nicer, but it's meant for hanging from a bracket or pole and not ideal for handheld use. The only change we made was upgrading to the 50lb version of the Rapala Touch Screen Tourney.
