Captain Cali

You're right, they don't actively stock bass but those Florida strain bass didn't walk there. : They didn't walk to Japan or Texas either. I see your point but it's not news to anyone that LMB are not native to California.

There are too many reasons to get into why Castaic fell off the map. Part of it was all the pressure it received and part of it is Stripers. A lot of trophies were kept and mishandled when thousands flocked to the lake in hopes of catching the next WR. Then came the stripers. I know some don't agree that stripers put a hurtin' on the LMB but when those stripers eat the same trout the bass could be eating I don't see how it can be good for LMB.

Matt, I don't know where he got his info. All I know is what the article states. I think average and maximum are 2 different things though. Again, I'm no expert on this.

I don't understand. Why wouldn't his scale prove worthy? There are plenty of handheld scales that can be IGFA certified (heck, I own one). The question is, was it certified before the weighing.

From the California Fish & Game article: "When I caught her they aged her at 11 years," said Long. "When Jed caught her she was 13. A bass will peak weight-wise at 15 years old and live to be up to 25 years old. It is proof catch-and-release works." Mike Long caught the fish in 2001 and Jed Dickerson in 2003. That would make the bass about 16 years old right now. Far from kicking the bucket. Just thought everyone might want to consider that. A lot of people seem to think this bass was on it's way out either way but if the original scale sample proved correct age estimates, this bass is in it's prime (size wise) as we speak. Catch & Release baby!

Sight fishing with swimbaits = Mattlures Bluegill Why does this seem so far fetched? I'm not saying the fish was caught on a swimbait or jig. I don't know what it was caught on. I know as much as everyone here. It could be that he was throwing a swimbait and a jig. Someone happened to see him throwing a swimbait 10 minutes before the catch so they say it was caught on a swimbait. But in reality he switched to the jig 5 minutes before the catch. Again, I don't know how the whole thing went down. But this seems like a very possible senerio to me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?page=f_fea_bass_world-record_Weakley_25.1 Not sure if they are actually going to submit an application or just thinking about it. It seems like they are going ahead with the application process. Should be interesting how this thing plays out. Mac Weakley quote from the article regarding it being accepted as the WR: "Would I be disappointed? Not at all," said Weakley, who is a supervisor at a casino in Oceanside. "I feel I'm very blessed; everything I care about is family and friends. I really don't care about money. "To tell you the truth, I have a good job and I do all right, and I really don't give a (second thought) about it at all. We're more happy just to see that there is a 25-pound bass still living and in this lake."

flechero, great post!

Word!!

I wish!! I'm a bank fishermen and have never seen Dixon. With the amount of fishermen this place will start seeing my chances are pretty shot unless I get on a boat somehow. What I meant was I had to go to the bathroom!! That thing made my stomach start to turn! ;) LMAO

Thanks for the input everyone. I'll keep fishing it to see what I can come up with. It's not like the fish eat whatever you throw at them, although at times it seems like it. I've had to work pretty hard some nights to figure them out.

That thing is a truck!!

Avid, I don't mean any disrespect but you don't understand the mindset of these guys. 100% Catch & Release. It does not matter.

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o I have to go now...

I've been fishing a private lake for the past 2 months in hopes of catching the bigger bass in there and learning new techniques. The problem is I can't seem to break the 3 pound mark. I've caught some up to 3-1 and seen a 4 but nothing bigger. Most of the bass I catch are 1-8 to 2-8. Not many smaller or bigger. The place is great for numbers but not size. I've tried everything from cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, all sorts of soft plastics, and even swimbaits. All the same. These fish all seem like clones!! I'm getting to the point that I don't think there are many, if any, 5+ pound bass in there. Is that possible? I have to research the age of this lake because I don't know how old it is or when it was filled with bass. The good part is I'm learning a lot and gaining huge amounts of confidence in soft plastics. Over the past 2 weeks I haven't really thrown anything else!

These guys would not have done something like that. Sure it might get approved but they know the rules and deep down they would not be able to accept it. Of course I'm speculating but I don't think they would do that. There is too much pride with these guys and rightfully so.

This is from the site RW provided: SAN DIEGO, 12:51 p.m. March 20 (UNION-TRIBUNE) Mac Weakley of Carlsbad caught what could be the world-record largemouth bass early today at Dixon Lake in Escondido. The bass weighed 25 pounds, 1 ounce on a hand-held scale, which if approved would shatter the world record, the 22-pound, 4-ounce bass caught by George W. Perry at Montgomery Lake in Georgia in 1932. If it's true...it will be nuts! I can just see that little lake getting pounded this weekend.

I saw it and it made me sad. But if it's legal there is nothing anyone can do about it. I don't think it would hurt to keep some bass. I took my friend fishing and when he caught his first LMB he wanted to take it home to eat it. I didn't argue because he caught the fish, it was legal, and the lake has a very healthy LMB poplulation. Now if it happened around this time of year I would do everything I can to have him release the fish so he or she could get through the spawn.

Thanks for clearing that up.

This has confused me also. The only thing I can think of is the 22-1 Bob Crupi caught was not certified.

PB: 11/30/2005 @ 10:30 PM Second: 9/24/2005 @ 5:30am Both times were dark out. 75% of my fishing is done during the dark hours of the day.

10lbs. I'm going out on a limb on this one, sorta. If I hit my main lake hard, which I'm gearing up to do real soon, there is a lot of potential for some monsters.

LMAO...That's good. ;D

Matt, Thanks for the read. Keeps me confident that I should still make some effort to "match the hatch".

I match the hatch as much as I can. Especially in clear water. That's not to say other colors/patterns wont work.