roadwarrior

An official for the International Game Fish Association said today that the 25 -pound 1-ounce bass caught by Mac Weakley will get consideration as The World Record!

Hey guys! Everyone's excited about this story, no matter how it works out. The details will be throughly reviewed over the next few days. There is nothing wrong with a spirited debate, but... Let's KEEP THE TONE FRIENDLY, please.

The "doubt" is why this PARTICULAR fisherman would NOT BE PREPARED to DOCUMENT a WORLD RECORD. Mac Weakley didn't "get lucky" while he was fishing for trout with corn on a treble hook! We will know much more over the next several days, but I don't doubt the bass is the same bass that has been caught before or that it is, in fact, the largest bass EVER caught. The controversy is "Why is there a controversy?" This was not Mac Weakley's first rodeo.

Welcome aboard Vermonster! Yes, you should take up bass fishing again. I hear there are some good bass in Southern California.

So there you have it. I don't think many would argue that there must be "something" to attract and hold bass, whether it's cover, structure or a concentration of baitfish. As we narrow the target, we improve our chances of finding bass. You can't catch them if the ain't there!

I'm all about structure in deep water, that's where the big girls live.

If the the scales used to weight the fish prove to be accurate (certified), that's the biggest bass ever caught whether IFGA certifies it or not. I would not have released it, but I have so much admiration for anyone that would. MacWeakley, You da MAN!

MacWeakley of Carlsbad, 25 lbs 1oz. on a hand-held scale. The bass was foul-hooked, the hook lodged below the dorsal fin. He released her! Full article: www.signonsandiego.com

RoLo, I corrected my previous posts. Although I do fish Mizmo 4" tubes for largemouth, my preference is the Micro Munch El Gordo which is 4 1/2".

The World Record is 22 lb 4 oz.

RoLo, I use 1/4 oz barrel or bullet weights for 4 1/2" tubes. I tried some bigger and fatter tubes and didn't have much luck with them. Now, "too big" doesn't usually come into play for me, but maybe the action of bigger tubes is just not as appealing as the 4 1/2" tubes, I don't really know, I don't have a good reason or explanation. BTW, I have gone back to the 6" Senko. I didn't catch more or bigger bass on the 7" version and frankly, it's a little too heavy for casting on a medium rod.

I rarely fish at night, but I generally fish for smallmouth before sunrise until black dark. Fishing ponds, which is where I do most of my largemouth fishing, is at least 80% early and late. So, if anything, my best largemouth should be caught early or late if "time spent on the water" was the determining factor.

Thank you...CJBasswacker Typo. #18 is Missouri, 13lbs., 14 oz., and has been corrected. MI is #26, 11.94 lbs

Well, mine was around sunrise, 9/04/05, but the rest of my 10+ and most of my biggest largemouth and smallmouth have been in the 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM timeframe.

What I thought was interesting about the list is that 43 states have produced 10 lb+ bass. So, a lot of you guys in northern states have the potential of catching one, too! And how 'bout Canada? I didn't know largemouth bass got that big up north.

djmaxwell22, Yep. That's the one that wasn't caught betweem 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, I caught her in September around sunrise on a Norman Fat Boy (bluegill pattern). That bass was caught in 4 - 5' of water along a ledge that drops into much deeper water. That is the perfect example of what I consider a lucky catch. The bass was feeding in low light in shallow water. That's how a lot of bass fishermen catch their "Bass of a Lifetime" early or late in shallow water. BTW, Fat Boys are on sale at BPS, I picked up a few myself!

(Pounds - Ounces, otherwise a decimal) 1. GA 22-4 2. CA 21-12 3. TX 18.18 4. MS 18.15 5. FL 17.27 6. AL 16.50 7. AZ 16-7.68 8. AR 16-4 9. VA 16-4 10. SC 16-2 11. LA 15.97 12. NC 15-14 13. NM 15-13 14. MA 15.5 15. IN 14-12 16. TN 14.5 17. OK 14.11 18. MO 13-14 19. KY 13-10.4 20. OH 13-2 21. IL 13-1 22. CT 12-14 23. WV 12.28 24. OR 12-1.6 25. NV 12 26. MI 11.94 27. KS 11-12 28. ME 11-10 29. WA 11.57 30. CO 11-6 31. NY 11-4 32. PA 11-3 33. WI 11-3 34. MD 11-2 35. ID 10-15 36. NJ 10-14 37. IA 10-12 38. NE 10-11 39. NH 10.5 40. RI 10-6 41. DE 10-5 42. VT 10-4 43. UT 10-2 44. HI 9-9.4 45. SD 9-3 46. MN 8-15 47. ND 8-7.5 48. MT 8.29 49. WY 7-14 50. AK No Record Canada 10.48 Mexico 19-10 Records according to state conservation agencies as of 1/01/06

I fish deep structure most of the time. All but one of my 10+ lb largemouth have been caught between 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. I tend to catch smaller fish (<5lbs) early and late, but the vast majority of my biggest bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, have been caught midday. The two smallmouth in my avatar were caught 1/15/05, an hour and a half apart, on either side of noon. Most bass fisherman fish shallow. Bass "visit" shallow feeding areas in low light, early and late, so it appears that this is the best time to catch bass. I fish where bass live most of their lives.

My formula for catching big bass: Fish for big bass only. Fish water that is known to hold big bass. Fish structure in deep water. Fish big lures. Fish slow, with deliberate presentations. 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM is prime time. Equipment matters, buy the best you can afford. Focus on quality, not quantity. If the knot is not perfect, it's not good enough. If you notice anything questionable about your line, it's NOT "probably all right." If you're checking your drag, it's probably too late. Catching big bass consistantly is not about luck, it's about a plan, being prepared and having the right tools for the job. Getting the bite is half the battle, but it's only half.

Smallmouth: 10 lbs., but I'm still dreaming about 12 lbs. Largemouth: 15 lbs. I have seen the bass at The Secret Pond and I'm fishing for that bass only when I'm there. Walley: 15 lbs. Brown Trout: 20 lbs Striper: 40 lbs

I fish tubes as a deep water lure. For smallmouth I throw 3 1/2" Mizmo, babydiaper yellow (Kent's Classic) on a traditional inserted jig head. For largemouth, 4 1/2" Micro Munch Tackle and Mizmo (black neon), T-rigged and weedless, with a bead, unpegged. Both methods are effective. Smallmouth I target structure in relatively open water, rocky main points, bluffs, drop-offs (ledges) and old creek beds. All of the bites come on the drop or retrieve, not resting on the bottom. I fish a traditional inserted jig head on a 3 1/2" tube. An exposed hook is still going to hang, but not as often as you might expect. The procedure is a long cast, letting the Gitzit free fall to the bottom on slack or semi-slack line. Once the lure reaches the bottom, I yo-yo the bait back to the boat. It's that simple. Smallmouth are very agressive and this is a method that will allow you to catch suspending fish. Largemouth The technique to fish for largemouth is significantly different. Although largemouth relate to structure, they prefer cover which in my opinion precludes using an exposed hook. I T-rig a 4 1/2" tube on a Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG hook. The procedure here can be a long cast, but more often a targeted cast or pitch. Again, I allow the bait to free fall, but in cover this is where the strike often occurs, so be prepared. If the lure reaches the bottom, I let it sit for at least thirty seconds and then move it like I fish a Senko: With a 6-12" horizontal sweep, move the lure like you might imagine a crawdad to move- short and slow. Allow the lure to then drop on slack line so that it falls without moving forward. I generally let the tube sit for a time between every movement. Largemouth bass will often pick the bait up off the bottom or even buried in weeds or rock. This is a much more deliberate presentation that you would use fishing for smallmouth. Tubes are one of my most productive baits. I'm sure they will work for you fished shallow, too, but I prefer weightless Fat Ika and Senkos shallow. Many fishermen rip them through weeds, for example, but I don't. T-rigged tubes are an excellent alternative for jigs in nasty cover. That's where the big girls live.

Do a little searching around the website, we have about 1,000 posts on T-rigging.

"Carolina Rig Tips" is in the top portion of this section, "General Bass Fishing". Go back to the top of the page.

Strength, speed, endurance, skill, discipline, training, practice, physical fitness...Well, if standing up to pee after drinking a dozen beers counts...Otherwise, none of the guys I fish with would claim to be atheletes. Red Necks? Maybe.

Although I understand the concept and theory behind "match the hatch," I don't follow that rule of thumb. With the massive amount of baitfish found in most of the big water I fish, I feel like I need something that distinguished itself from the crowd. I always like "big" and I usually like "fat", but not always fat. Natural or dark colors are my choice in every lure category, but there are always some exceptions: chartreuse and red come to mind, but never pink for me. When in doubt, silver, black and white or some combination of these colors is usually a good choice. I don't think a particular color is usually important, but sometimes it is critical.