Gafftopsail Catfish - Weight and Length

Weight and Length

The largest recorded weight for a gafftopsail catfish is 4.5 kg (10 lb). A more common weight and length of gafftopsails caught is 1-2 lb and 12-16 inches.

As gafftopsail catfish grow longer, they increase in weight, but the relationship is not linear. The relationship between total length (L, in inches) and total weight (W, in pounds) for nearly all species of fish can be expressed by an equation of the form:

Invariably, b is close to 3.0 for all species, and the constant ct varies between species. Data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission indicate, for the gafftopsail catfish, c = 0.000493 and b = 3.075 The relationship described in this section suggests a 12-inch gafftopsail catfish will weigh about one pound, while a 20-inch fish will likely weigh about five pounds.