Vermonster

Here's from one research site...... -------------------------------- Largemouth bass live much longer in the wild than they do in captivity. The longest known lifespan of a wild largemouth bass was 23 years. The expected lifespan in the wild, though, is around 15 years. In captivity the longest lifespan recorded was 11 years, while the average age of death in captivity is around 6 years. (Becker, 1983; Boschung, Mayden, and Tomelleri, 2004; Carlander, 1977; Hubbs, 1964) -------------------------------------- This seems to make the above statement very accurate.....

That's a very reasonable way to do it. About the weight, even though it wasn't a certified scale, it would have to be off by more than 3 pounds to put this below the record. Verey unlikely, therefore I believe the fish was a record fish, but won't count.

Hmmmm......Cheating the other fishermen out of a chance at a WR. That's sad. :-[ It's still a big fish though. Well, not really. It says right there that his camping permit ensures first access.

I did read the other thread, and as I responded there, if it's the case, it's bogus. that being said, I'd like to know who the "anonymous" source is. Why do we believe him and not the angler? In today's internet world, we can see anything made up with a few strokes on the keyboard. But my point is, everybody jumps on this guys back BEFORE any of this comes out. We all doubt people now before we believe them. Guilt before innocence.... Maybe it's how society has gone, but it's sad.......

I love the "anonymous" source. For all we know, it could be some disgruntled person calling in a tip from 3,000 miles away who just doesn't want the record broken. Everyone jumps to call the angler a liar, but what about this "anonymous" source. That being said, if it did go down like this, then that's pretty lame on his part, and it shouldn't be in the record books. However, the fact still remains, it WAS a 25 pound bass or there abouts, and even though it won't be in the official books, it's a world record fish, that is satill swimming........

What's ridiculous about it? they did keep it alive to have it weighed, and viedeo'd, and had 6 witnesses. They didn't take the extra time to look for a certified scale, because they were under the impression that it probably wouldn't qualify. They wanted to get the fish back into the water quickly, so that hopefully they or someone else may legally catch it in the future. I think they did OK. Now, fault them for not knowing the rules to a T, but not for doing the right thing. As for your release statement, I agree totally. Bass in this country are as thick as fleas. Taking some out of the food chain does NOTHING to the species. If they start becomming overfished and the numbers decline, then by all means, pople can advocate catch and release. I don't see too many Whitetail deer being caught and released, but there numbers still go up and up every year and are at near record numbers.....

Another serious question.... Where does it say he was using a treble or trailer hooks???? I have only seen one article saying "swimbait", and one saying "white jig". If you have a link to an article that tells what he caught it with, could you post it, por favor....

It's a method out here that has been used with success before......

Sorry Matt, but just because you don't do it that way, doesn't mean others can't. Here is an excerpt from the article above, a little later in the article, that I didn't post.... ------------------------------------------- It was what bass anglers call a "sight fish," in that Dickerson saw it and then fished for it. Some sight fishermen spend unbelievable amounts of time for one "sight" fish. Dickerson, whose previous best bass was a 151/2-pounder at Dixon, said he toyed with this one for 45 minutes before enticing it to bite the 8-inch Mission Fish, a plastic trout imitation swimbait. He horsed it to the boat in less than a minute, he said.

Good points, but I'm curious. If they caught it in the mouth, with a treble hook, is that illegal, or just "unsportsmanlike" and something you wouldn't personally do???? I'm not directing it at you, but in general. Serious question. In my opinion, if it's legal, it's their choice how they pursue it. Just like if they want to keep and eat a couple of fish a month. I personally love bass, and have eaten my fair share. I believe that it is good for the ecosystem, as long as they are not overfished. But it's legal, and my personal view. Other views may differ, but can we fault someone for doing something well within the law?????

Thanks for the welcome. Nice avatar, by the way. I used to fish the smaller mouth version in Vermont. Best was only a 3-pounder, but caught many, many small ones over my years.....

Okay. I know I am new here, so I don't know if anyone will really read this, but since I live 4 miles from the lake, and love to fish, I felt compelled to write about it........ First of all, some info. Dixon Lake holds 3 of the top 13 Bass EVER certified. San Diego holds a fourth, from Miramar lake. One of the reasons they grow so well here is that the lakes are stocked with trout for winter fishing, so alot of nice rainbows end up as bass bait.... ;D Also, the fishing pressure is relatively low. Not all, but most of the lakes here are only open 3 or 4 days a week, and some are closed for months at a time. Here is an article from a couple of years ago, it mentions some of the Dixon fish..... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21.70-pounder fourth-biggest in record book By Ed Zieralski UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER June 1, 2003 Link to the news article. ESCONDIDO Jed Dickerson of Carlsbad made bass-fishing history yesterday morning by catching a huge bass at tiny Dixon Lake. Dickerson, a 30-year-old fanatical big-bass fisherman, caught and released a 21.70-pound largemouth bass, the fourth-heaviest on record in the world, third-largest in the state and heaviest ever in San Diego County's rich bass-fishing history. It knocked off San Diegan Dave Zimmmerlee's 20.94-pounder that he caught at Miramar in June 1973, a record that endured nearly 30 years. And it was just over a half a pound from matching the heaviest bass ever caught, the famous 22.25-pounder caught by George Perry at Montgomery Lake (Ga.) on June 2, 1932, almost 71 years ago to the day of Dickerson's epic catch. Also, if approved by the International Game Fish Association, Dickerson's catch will set the IGFA's line-class world record for a largemouth caught on 20-pound test line, now a 19-pounder caught by Dan Kadota in 1989 at Castaic. "I'll tell you, it's just awesome, but to be honest, it all hasn't sunk in yet," Dickerson said. "I'm a laid-back guy, and the thing is, I know there are bigger bass in this lake. We're after a bigger one." It was typical for a big-bass fisherman to want more. Dickerson was surrounded by his big-bass-chasing buddies, all regulars at Dixon. There was Mac Weakley, who landed a 19-pound, 7-ounce bass nearly two weeks ago at Dixon. That bass now ranks 13th in the world. Weakley, who works with Dickerson as a banker for a corporation that funds card rooms, was fishing a couple of hundred yards away with another member of the group, Mike Winn. They witnessed Dickerson's catch. And, of course, there was Mike Long, the Poway angler who has caught more giant largemouth bass than any other angler in the country. "I've already gotten calls about this bass from fishermen at the Delta," Long said. "When there's a catch like this, it's like lightning striking in the bass world." Before yesterday, Long had held the Dixon Lake record with a 20.75-pounder he caught in April 2001. It's now ninth on the all-time, world-record bass list. ----------------------------------------------------------- All of this banter makes me want to ask this question..... Would any of you want to catch a world record if you are going to go through all this crap??????? It seems that everyone in this country has turned into a doubting thomas if it wasn't them catching it, or if they were not there to see it. That seems to go for everything. I remember a guy in Michigan shot what could be a World Recordx whitetail, but due to the fact he hunts alone and is a secluded person, everyone said it was a sham. Maybe sometimes things end up being a scam, but no-one gives it a chance. Everyone immediately gave this guy crap and seemed to believe they would have handled the situation differently. I know the record is 70+ years old, and it's the holy grail of records, but why can't it be broken???? It's sad to see those of us that consider ourselves true sportsman do nothing more than tear a guy down. "Oh, I'd have done this", or "Oh, I'd have done that". Heck, all I know is that I'd have soiled myself, then if I didn't die, probably spend an hour figuring out what in the world to do..... Yes, it's probably going to be DQ'd, but so what. The guy caught a friggen unbelievable bass that would probably eat most of our personal best bass. He's caught some very big ones in the past. I say, It's a hell of a fish, and I am in awe......... 8-) Also, I have no connection to this man in any way. Never met him, and to tell you the truth, in 10 years living out here, I haven't bass fished. I used to live in Vermont and fished for bass all the time, but not since moving here. Maybe I need to start..... ;D

Just curious..... On our local Salt water fishing board out here, we have a local IGFA representative that claims the foul-hooking does not necessarily disqualify a fish from being a record. He said if it wasn't intentional, it can still be submitted. Anyone know if it's true????? Also, I'll drive by Lake Dixon on Saturday to see how packed it is and take some photos. Should be pretty stacked with boats...... ;D

Howdy Guys!!!! I happen to live 4 miles from Lake Dixon. I heard about the story on one of my fishing boards out here, and decided to jump on some national boards and see if anyone was talking about it yet. Let me say this........ This is a very believable story. These guys are well known around the area as hard core fisherman, and do hold some of their own records. From what we have gathered, the fish was foul-hooked, and it WAS weighed, photo'd, videotaped, and released. They did not measure it. As someone said earlier, I believe that they know deep down that it wouldn't be certified due to the foul-hooking. Also, being avid bass fisherman, they have caught thousands of bass, they might have no need to keep a fish that big, unless they know it's a record. Why take that fish out of the ecosystem if you know that it most likely won't stand??? I think they'll take their chances on catching it again. I can't speak for sure, it's speculation on my part. However, i speak from someone who lives here and reads about their catches on a normal basis. And it's not like this lake has crept up on anyone, so it's not a huge suprise...... Here's a little blurb..... -------------------------------------- June 2003 Jed Dickerson of Carlsbad caught a 21 lb. 11.2 Oz. hawg. Dixon has proven to be an incubator for big bass as proven by local fishing celebrity Mike Long who caught a 20 lb. 12 oz. bass during April of 2001. Before this huge fish there were 5 other bass over 16 lbs. caught during spring 2001, 2 of which were over 17 lbs. This is not to mention many other 'teen' sized bass from previous years. Despite the sheer numbers of large bass, Dixon has kept a low-profile on its bass fishery as San Diego has at least 6 other lakes that are better known for their bass fishing. Dixon is better known for it's winter trout fishing and summer nighttime catfishing which can both be phenomenal at times. For a breakdown of species, catch limits and how to fish for them at Dixon click here. _-------------------------------------