This got me excited as a native Montanan living only 100 miles from this giant glacial lake.

The locals however are furious because decisions about where to have the fish weighed lead to it's death while she was full of eggs.

Flathead has the potential to turn into a world class smallmouth fishery. It's full of Lake Trout and mountain whitefish.

http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2016/05/reports-of-a-record-smallmouth-on-flathead/

Wow, that's quite a big smallie!

Too bad she couldn't be released 
unharmed so her genetics could be
passed on...

She has already passed on her genetics plenty of times. Her offspring are out there now! 

awfully close to my birthplace of Libby.  May have to arrange a trip to stay at my dad's place out there in Troy and spend as much time on Flathead as i can!!

Wow

Never been out that way but I imagine the lakes up there are gorgeous.

10 hours ago, buzzed bait said:

awfully close to my birthplace of Libby.  May have to arrange a trip to stay at my dad's place out there in Troy and spend as much time on Flathead as i can!!

How long have you been out of Montana? One of my friends on the B.A.S.S. state team still lives in Libby and so do my god parents.

5 hours ago, BigSkyBasser said:

How long have you been out of Montana? One of my friends on the B.A.S.S. state team still lives in Libby and so do my god parents.

Too long!  25+ years since i lived there and haven't been out there in the last 10 years so i'm due a trip!  my dad has a nice spread out in Troy, just next to Libby.  I need to plan a trip out there and do some fishing!  it's absolutely beautiful up there.

16 hours ago, riverbasser said:

Wow

Never been out that way but I imagine the lakes up there are gorgeous.

you bet they are!  this is the lake my parents lived on when i was born, Bull Lake.

11 minutes ago, buzzed bait said:

Too long!  25+ years since i lived there and haven't been out there in the last 10 years so i'm due a trip!  my dad has a nice spread out in Troy, just next to Libby.  I need to plan a trip out there and do some fishing!  it's absolutely beautiful up there.

you bet they are!  this is the lake my parents lived on when i was born, Bull Lake.

WOW!

That's awesome

On 6/6/2016 at 6:02 PM, BigSkyBasser said:

 

sent the pic to my pops and his response "What a belly on that thang!  Looks like it swallered a squirrel..."

As a MT smallmouth bass addict, I'm envious. Heck of a fish! I expected the new state record to be caught in Fort Peck. She swims there. The Flathead has been a sleeper spot for a few years now so It doesn't surprise me. This will put the Flathead on the map.

It's a shame she had to die just so someone could get their 5 minutes of fame. 

Amazing fish and scenery!

8 hours ago, 1simplemann said:

As a MT smallmouth bass addict, I'm envious. Heck of a fish! I expected the new state record to be caught in Fort Peck. She swims there. The Flathead has been a sleeper spot for a few years now so It doesn't surprise me. This will put the Flathead on the map.

I have a friend who swears the same. He's caught a fish that weighed over 8 on an unofficial scale. The tough thing on Fort Peck is the lack of resources for weighing and recording those fish. I'm sure there's limits of state record smallies in that lake.

This guy is one of my mentors in our bass club. This is a typical "slow day" on Fort Peck

 

I just came back from there. Had my best 5 fish limit. 19 lbs. I've talked to several people who know the lake well.Most believe there are 8-9lb'rs in the lake. I also heard from a reliable angler, that one was released back last year that was over 7 along w/ a 6.5 in the same day. I don't think this new record will hold up. The food source is too good. On my recent trip, 3-4lb'rs were spitting up 4-6" cisco. All the northern states around us are breaking state records and I think the trend will continue. Still a great fish though so congrats to the angler.

That's an incredible catch!

 

I have family tha's vacationed there.  I had no idea that Flathead was that strong a smallmouth fishery.  It seems like an incredible place to fish for lake trout and rainbows. 

I caught one on the clark fork river that was pratty big