World Record Bass (maybe)

[Seth]

That is an absolute toad.

As for you fishing bass baits for big browns, couldn't you put like a stinger treble hook or something at the end of the bait?

One day I am going to head down there to taney and fish big bass plugs the whole time I am there and hope for one of those mega browns to make the mistake of chomping on my lure.

[Champ]

I hope they don't give him the record.

Pretty easy to snag a large female bass off her bed in those So. California lakes.

If they caught it once before, he can catch it again legally and in a sporting way.

[CaptainJoe]

Bleeding Shiner,

I agree. They will find her again. I fished most of those lakes (Cachuma, Castaic, Casitas) and with the clear water (16-20' sight), they can be caught. I once sat on a 20#+ for over four hours trying to get her to bite. I finally gave up. When they are that big, they are also very smart. During the other times of the year, it was common to throw 9" trout colored swim baits on salt water tackle since the State stocks the lakes with 9" trout as forage for the bass. There is not enough shad and other forage to feed the bass.

Those bass hunters are obsessed with catching the world record. If you heard the ESPN story, they said that after "talking to their lawyer", they decided to release the fish. California law does not recognize a fowl hooked fish. The only option they had was to not submit it for the record and try to find her later. Lake Dixon is a very small lake and the big bass hunters are there every weekend.

[jscheetz]

It is interesting that in every article you read about that big bass or any other in CA waters - Almost to a person they all agree that why there is so many big ones is because of all the catch and release. Guys know that if they let that 15 pounder go he will reach 20 a lot faster than a 2 pounder will. Seems like commone sense to me - you can't argue with it, although some here on this board always try. Just think if all the goofballs would stop hauling all the big browns out of Taney in the fall, how incredible of a fishery we would have here. Ah.... we can dream......

JS

[Brian K. Shaffer]

This very fish was found dead, floating belly up on in that CA lake on Wednesday.

Brian

[Rick F]

I saw a fishing show on TV about 3 years ago and the guide on Lake Castic said it isn't uncommon to find 1-2 pound trout in there mouths when a big one is caught. He also stated that big on this lake isn't until you catch 14 pounds or bigger. I was amazed when he said 10 pounders are a dime a dozen. Too bad this fish didn't make it. Could have given another person the time of their life.

[Quillback]

They probably handled that fish a little too much while they were deciding whether it would be considered for the world record causing injury that led to it's eventual death. You gotta handle a big old fat fish like that carefully if you intend to release it.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Yup, I often wish that people on Taney taking multiple pictures of fish would, well hold their breath during the whole ordeal.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

So did the lack of quickly enough catch and release inadvertandly kill this fish ? It certainly caused stress.. in and out.. a picture here.. but without being there and seeing it happen in front of me.. I would say it did play a role in this fishes death (although not a premature death in any way).

What a tangled web was woven.. or better yet, the guy caught a HUGE bass took a bunch of pics.. talked on his cell after some of the pics.. went to the dock.. raised her up.. set her down.. raised her up again.. set her down.

Death would ensuy on a fish handled this even in a good way - Brian

[Brian Sloss]

There is no way what so ever to know that the way the fish was handled caused his death. The fish was released over a month ago and judging by its size, was plenty old. Fish can die of old age too and I think this was the case. If that fish was to die of poor handling, I doubt it would have taken 1-2 months.