2 hours ago, Boomstick said:

Interesting. Someone didn't want to give up their fishing spot?

That's my guess but again, I've only heard rumors and the catch happened way before my time so who knows. I wouldn't blame him either way. Most lakes in MA are small, Sampson is only 300 acres and the other rumored place is about half that. I know if I personally caught a record I wouldn't disclose the spot. Too easy for places to get mobbed after rumors spread. 

32 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

Most lakes in MA are small, Sampson is only 300 acres and the other rumored place is about half that.

While it was before my time, I have read how Sampson was swamped after that catch.

If I broke the state record in NY on a small lake, I'd probably never go back, and be happy to have everyone loaded up somewhere I wasn't.

18 hours ago, Bass Junke said:

Without a doubt Dottie was the greatest fish ever caught, but it isn't a record, sorry. 

 

No need to be sorry. 

 

Dottie was the only Largemouth bass over 22 1/2 lbs ever caught by rod and reel.  That is accepted by everyone in the fishing community, no one doubts that.  That makes it a record. 

 

The fact that the catch was disallowed by a governing body because she was hooked outside of the mouth is arbitrary.  Kuritas bass was caught using a live bluegill, something not allowed in some places, yet it is listed as a recognized catch.

 

Just because a governing body doesn't recognize a catch doesn't mean it isn't a record.

6 hours ago, OCdockskipper said:

 

No need to be sorry. 

 

Dottie was the only Largemouth bass over 22 1/2 lbs ever caught by rod and reel.  That is accepted by everyone in the fishing community, no one doubts that.  That makes it a record. 

 

The fact that the catch was disallowed by a governing body because she was hooked outside of the mouth is arbitrary.  Kuritas bass was caught using a live bluegill, something not allowed in some places, yet it is listed as a recognized catch.

 

Just because a governing body doesn't recognize a catch doesn't mean it isn't a record.

The bass accepted the live bluegill but Dottie didn’t accept the jig in her head 

On 3/31/2021 at 4:18 AM, TnRiver46 said:

The bass accepted the live bluegill but Dottie didn’t accept the jig in her head 

Yes, when Dottie was boated, she was foul hooked, but it is unknown whether or not she inhaled & then expelled the jig and Weakley was late on the hookset.

 

The point was that there are varying regulations as to what makes a catch "official".  Using a bluegill as bait is one of those that is legal some places and illegal in others.

 

I know if I caught a bass the size of one of Tom's top 10 and it turned out she was unintentionally foul hooked, I would still consider it my PB.

4 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

Yes, when Dottie was boated, she was foul hooked, but it is unknown whether or not she inhaled & then expelled the jig and Weakley was late on the hookset.

 

The point was that there are varying regulations as to what makes a catch "official".  Using a bluegill as bait is one of those that is legal some places and illegal in others.

 

I know if I caught a bass the size of one of Tom's top 10 and it turned out she was unintentionally foul hooked, I would still consider it my PB.

Kind of depends on the situation to me. I’m sure being in a tiny socal lake they were messing with Dottie while sight fishing. Foul hooking with a crankbait in muddy water is one thing, sight fishing for the same bedding female a couple days in a row and foul hooking is a little different 

I understand, that is why I described it as unintentional foul hooking.

 

If Weakley was the kind of guy that would intentionally foul hook a bass while sight fishing, 1) he never would have admitted she was foul hooked (see Mike Long) and 2) he would have done it immediately instead of trying to catch her for a couple of days and then doing it.

7 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

I understand, that is why I described it as unintentional foul hooking.

 

If Weakley was the kind of guy that would intentionally foul hook a bass while sight fishing, 1) he never would have admitted she was foul hooked (see Mike Long) and 2) he would have done it immediately instead of trying to catch her for a couple of days and then doing it.

I thought the story I read is that they tried to catch Dottie for at least 2 days, trying to be the first on the lake 

 

it’s been many years since I read it though and I’ll admit I understand nothing about those pay lakes that are closed at night and you can see all the fish 

52 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

I know if I caught a bass the size of one of Tom's top 10 and it turned out she was unintentionally foul hooked, I would still consider it my PB

So would I. 

22 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

...I’ll admit I understand nothing about those pay lakes that are closed at night and you can see all the fish 

 

Yeah, bass fishing in Southern California is very different than the rest of the country.  I mean, the bass are the same and the basics that work in the south to catch them work here, but the environment is very different.    

 

For example, I can't tell you the last time I fished a laydown here.  I visit family in Georgia & Texas, they are in every lake.  Here, it is like fishing in a swimming pool.

The greatest records in bass fishing is the 22 pound, 4 ounce bass caught by George Perry in 1932 followed by the 22 pound, 5 ounce bass caught by Manabu Kurita in 2009. 

12 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

The greatest records in bass fishing is the 22 pound, 4 ounce bass caught by George Perry in 1932 followed by the 22 pound, 5 ounce bass caught by Manabu Kurita in 2009. 

Agreed. If you read my original post the article that mirrored my thoughts was called "Bass Fishing's Greatest Record". So I ended up using that as the title. I can no longer find this article, too bad. Originally I was going to name the post " The Mass State Record Brings hope" or something to that effect.