https://www.wideopenspaces.com/world-record-smallmouth-bass/

I was just up there this past Friday and Saturday...and also at "the" spot.

 

Glad to see the Hayes SMB reinstated as the world record, as well as the Mabry Harper walleye 

I’ve posted this before.  It’s an interview that’s mentioned in the article.

 

  

That’s a heck of a story with a lot of twists and turns. 

The talk of how big that smallmouth would have been in the spawn boggles my mind. 13lbs! I think that record is even more magnificent than the largemouth record. Just insane. 

 

Thanks for sharing, good read

 

I wanna say the Billy Westmorland had two of three over 10.

One he had mounted and it was in (some place) in Celina.

The place closed and threw the mount away....a least the how the story goes.

Thanks for sharing, I’ve never heard about the story before.

thanks

Great story that sheds light on how difficult establishing a  world record can be. The video interview of mr Hayes shows what a class act he really was.

Somebody always has to be a naysayer when a record is caught. Incredible fish, we used to troll those plugs when we were kids. It would nearly break the rod they pulled so hard 

Wanna get in the middle of a fight? Go on a musky forum and start talking about records. There has been a lot of shenanigans going on with record muskies for decades. Just post a picture of a really big fish and claim the size. You will be called every kind of liar, poacher or child molester. Lots of jealousy when talking big fish.

Going there in three weeks to fish with Bobby Gentry. He's caught a few biguns! I'm just hoping to break a modest PB. Been there twice before and came away empty.

This story is a big part of what got me hooked on smallmouth at the time. One of the first writing assignments I ever had I wrote about my grandpA and i catching the state record and topping hayes world record smallie, all in the same evening. It clearly made quiet the impression on a young 9 or 10 year old boy that loved fishing with his grandpa in a little stream loaded with snallmouth.

On 4/18/2022 at 10:55 AM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Going there in three weeks to fish with Bobby Gentry. He's caught a few biguns! I'm just hoping to break a modest PB. Been there twice before and came away empty.

Came away empty again except for two short fish....durn.... sunny skies and 30 mph wind with 40 mph gusts. Three strikes for me at the " Holly Grail" of Smallmouth Lakes. Couldn't keep the boat on a spot and the wind would grab our line and take it elsewhere. Beautiful Lake and if you have never been there make it a bucket list! Mr. Gentry showed me the exact spot of the record. He also knows where Billy Westmorland caught his 10+ pounders.

2 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Came away empty again except for two short fish....durn.... sunny skies and 30 mph wind with 40 mph gusts. Three strikes for me at the " Holly Grail" of Smallmouth Lakes. Couldn't keep the boat on a spot and the wind would grab our line and take it elsewhere. Beautiful Lake and if you have never been there make it a bucket list! Mr. Gentry showed me the exact spot of the record. He also knows where Billy Westmorland caught his 10+ pounders.

Ouch. It was tough for me too, but the people in a tournament were catching a good many monster LM

4 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Came away empty again except for two short fish.

 

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Ouch. It was tough for me too, ...

A.K.A. "Dale Humble"...I was up there April 16 and did get a few...I watched a couple weigh ins at Star Point.

I been fishing my whole life and come to realize that I still have a lot to learn.

This is no secret but for those that may be interested....the record came off Trooper Island just where the power lines meet the shore. If you Google Dale Hollow and search Trooper Island you can zoom in. This was told to me last week by a lifelong guide on DH as we passed site. This guide also knew Billy Westmoreland well and was privy to locations of Mr. Westmorelands monsters. He honestly doesn't think the record will be broken at DH due to the tremendous pressure the lake now receives. He fishes up to 260 days a year and says he considers a 7 lb fish a trophy (so would I!). I was hoping to break my modest 3lb 10oz PB but it was not to be, although I did get what would have been my best to the top for a couple of jumps. The last jump did it and my heart was broken and she was gone! I crammed my rod as far in the water as I could and still she got airborne.....Durn!!!