Fish Chris

Hey John, if you haven't already, you can read the full "Whooo Hooo" thread below, with all the details..... But to answer your question specifically, she weighed 8.50 lbs on a certified digital scale. Peace, Fish

Here's a post copied and pasted from a Nor Cal Bass forum: >> Oh and about the whole "hybrid" issue; I'm really curious about this myself. Most of us have seen and / or caught, some of these weird "intermediate looking" bass, at one place or another. But several things come to mind. First, taken from one of the articles that NaCl posted the link to (thank you Dean) > An "odd" looking smallmouth or spotted bass may not necessarily be a hybrid. < And some of the biologists that I have discussed this with, stress the very same thing. Second, you have to figure that any lake which is producing giant Smallies like Pardee has been, has obviously got to have some very special stuff going on. I mean, lets face it, Smallmouths of this size are just flat out "not normal". So, why should anyone be so surprised if the coloration of some of these fish was not exactly normal either ? Third, Smallmouths and Spotted bass will interbreed quite a bit more readily than Smallmouths and Largemouths, however the fact is, Spotted bass are unheard of from Pardee. How could it be that nearly everyone who fishes Pardee with any regularity has caught a Spotted Bass X Smallie hybrid, while no one has caught a straight up Spotted Bass ? So what, do they come over from Camanche just to spawn, then go back home when their finished ? {what happens in Pardee, stays in Pardee :-} All of this said, I'm am slowly beginning to believe that "even" the ones that look like straight up hybrids, might in fact be pure, but rather unusual, Smallmouths, with booming, but unnatural food supplies, in the form of Kokanee trout. << So anyway..... Oh, and just to reiterate; While most people will compare one fish to another, judging by coloration first, most trained fisheries biologists will quickly tell you that color is often so changeable / variable, that this is usually the "last" criteria for which a species determination will be judged upon. So, yes, I'm curious, but strongly leaning towards pure Smallmouth. Peace, Fish

Hey buddy, sorry I almost missed your post. Those are some sweet fish you guys caught there ! Yea' buddies :-) Don't you just love it when your reeling a swimbait nice and steady..... and everything is just so quiet and peaceful.... and THUNK ! Fish on !!!!! :-) You can't imagine how many times during my workday that I replay these events over, and over ! Then, when I'm actually on the water, I feel like this is going to happen on nearly every cast ! .......even if I have been casting for 10 hours without a hit ! I still imagine its going to happen before its over. Then, often after pulling the boat off of the water, and packing up all the gear, I still have to go back to the ramp and chuck a swimbait around a few more times :-) Never give up ! Congrats again to you guys on the great trip. Peace, Fish PS, There are a lot of ways to hide your location, without using photo shop. 1) Have the back ground SOOO far away (preferably, the other side of the lake) that one still cannot pinpoint where you are at "on this side of the lake". 2) Have a steep bank SOOO close behind you, that they are seeing such a small area of shoreline to study, then fill up most of the frame with the fish and yourself anyway. 3) have the camera man, or tripod higher, and yourself and the fish lower, so that the back ground is all water. 4) Have the camera man, or tripod lower, and the fish and yourself higher, so that the back ground is all sky. I prefer options 1 and 2. Anyway, people just don't get so goofy, if it doesn't look like your trying to conceal the background..... Even though I often am ;-)

Thank you Bucketmouth. As I have said, one of my specialties is in being able to compare bass (ususally Largemouths) side by side. In some cases it can be much more difficult, with the fish being "washed out" in one photo or the other.... or bad lighting, or simply, a bad photo. But in any case, on a scale of 1 to 10.... 1 being the easiest to identify as the same fish, and 10 being the toughest, I'd consider this compairison to be about a 1 or a 2. Apparently some people can see that the blotches are in fact, the same on both fish, but don't have enough experience to know that these markings are unique among every individual fish. This is the only thing that would explain why some people will look at photos like these, and still not be 110% sure. Peace, Fish PS, There are several other ways to confirm a match though, such as pigmentation (birth) marks, old scars or injuries, irregularities in the fins, etc.

I catch little ones too :-) But more often than I catch little ones, I just don't catch any at all ! Just to remind you guys; The 2 bass trips I made, before these last 3 awesome trips, I got the BIG skunk ! But it didn't even start to bother me. Heck, I even posted about it :-) Every angler gets skunked from time to time. Successful trophy hunters get skunked even more ! It's all about how one handles it. I just consider it "paying the dues" :-) ....and either way, it beats the heck out of work ;-) Peace, Fish BTW, I'll be there again in about 12 hours :-) Yea' buddies :-)

Now believe me, had not caught the 8.5 the week before, I'd be flat flipping out over here ! But caught in this order, this one doesn't seem like quite as big a deal. Oh well. This is still the second biggest Smallmouth of my life. She had a really large frame.... probably as big as the 8.5, she just didn;t have that totally bloated belly (still not exactly skinny, either). Anyway, she ended up going 7.3 lbs :-) Can't wait to go back ! :-) Peace, Fish Oh BTW, I sight fished her on the Huddlebug, in mudbug color.

I love fat girls with bulging eyes :-) Fish

The article on the home page here, "Are we overdoing Catch and Release" by Debra Dean. I mean, yes, I agree with most of this article, and I tell people all the time that it can be helpful to "selectively harvest a few small to medium sized fish". Heck, I sure would...... If I liked the taste of bass. I prefer Halibut, and Salmon myself. But anyway, my problem with this article, is that it is human nature, for people to read something like this, and "to take away 'only the parts' that will help themselves". So now they are thinking, "Yea'.... this person is a proffessional fisheries biologist, and she says it's a good thing to take a few fish...... So, it won't hurt anything if I kill this one giant Largemouth.... or this "lake record smallie"....... Thank God that young guy, Ryan L. did not read, or at least follow the advice of this article, or else I wouldn't have caught the fish of a lifetime ! And lucky for the next guy who catches that giant Smallie, that I didn't follow the advice of that article either. So anyway, IMPO, "selective harvest" can be a great thing ! But their is NEVER a good reason to kill a giant, of ANY species of sportfish. If only Mrs. Dean would stress this one important aspect, it would otherwise be a great article. Fish

If I were a bass, you asked ??? Probably like a spinnerbait, or a crankbait, because I'd never be caught on one ;-) My most hated lure would be a Huddleston trout, because that would get me stuck in no time ! Peace, Fish

You better stop before I can't get my head through the door :-) LOL Seriously though, I really appreciate all the flattery, but as I'm constantly reminding people, the simple fact of the matter is, I've just been totally blessed with being able to fish as much as I do, in the places I do. It also helps that since I don't guide, I'm never under any pressure to catch "big numbers" of fish. Add in the fact that I don't fish tournies, so I can just totally forget the clock, and fish however, and wherever I want to....... And its really just no wonder that I catch some good ones from time to time. I'm telling you guys, any one of you, given all of the same opportunities that I have, would do "at least as well, if not better". The only thing I was born with, is a really strong passion to fish..... or in a purer sense, "to be part of nature", and I think most everybody here has that in them, anyway :-) So, nothing special in me, amongst this crowd. Peace, Fish

Hey guys, please stay tuned in on this one. I talked briefly (I was at work) with Ryan L. and he is supposed to call me back this evening. There is going to be some cool stuff that happens over "our" double C/R of this fish. Like a front / full page story in one or two Nor Cal fishing newspapers. And also, I am trying to find a really good {really big} Smallmouth replica..... Then, I'm going to work on a good deal for two of them, so that I can "give" Ryan one of them. I just can't think of a better way to repay this great young angler for releasing that fish ! I owe my catch to this kid 100% !!! Will keep ya'll updated :-) Peace, Fish

Thanks again guys. I really appreciate all the kind words. And I really hope that all of you will get to experience the same kind of rush...... regardless of the actual size of the fish, or even the species. Let's face it, that 4" Bluegill that many of us caught as our first fish, was probably as exciting as anything we could ever catch thereafter, huh ? I know it sure had one heck of an effect on me ! ;-) Peace, Fish

Okay granted, she had lost .44 lbs since the young man caught her..... But now check this out; One of my specialties is in being able to compare fish to fish. Bass pattern markings sometimes get darker or lighter, but the shape, size and placement of these markings are like fingerprints. They are totally unique, and they DO NOT CHANGE throughout a fishes life. This comparison was originally posted on the main thread, by green_monster, but was so striking, I didn't want anyone to miss it Absolutely, positively, no doubt in my mind, this is the same fish...... and unless your are not comparing every single, individual marking on this fishes body, there shouldn't be any doubt in your minds either ! Now I have got to meet this kid, and thank him profusely for releasing that fish...... and I think I am even going to have to like buy him a sweet new rod and reel or something ! I owe my catch 100% to this well informed young angler ! Hats off to him ! Very cool ! :-) Fish PS, Now, tell me again, "Why should release trophy sized fish, that are old, and probably at the end of their life spans anyway" ?!?! C/R OF TROPHY SIZED FISH WORKS !!!!!!!

Needless to say, this was certainly a memory that I will never forget :-) I'm still kind of in disbelief. This morning when I woke up, I was almost afraid to get up and look for the photos on my dresser..... (in case I was just dreaming :-) ....but I was relieved to see they were still there ! :-) But I sure needed 12 hours of sleep last night, but instead I only got 4 1/2..... which makes for only 13 hours for the last 3 nights total. Today is going to be the longest day of work EVER ! And I bet you guys don't even feel sorry for me, do you ? ;-) Thanks again, Great fishing to all of you guys, Peace, Fish

Hello Justfishin. I have to agree with RW..... to some degree. But then again, we have lots of lakes with planter trout, and Smallmouths which are not too awefully hammered on, that still do not produce monster Smallmouths. Why this particular lake is just going freaking crazy is somewhat of a mystery. One thing is for sure; Never in the history of Cali, has their been a lake which just went crazy (for whatever species) many years ago, then just continued to go crazy to this day. This just "never" happens. Lakes have natural cycles. Sometimes these cycles are somewhat predictable, sometimes they are not. As far as this lake is concerned, I don't think anybody saw this coming even 5 years ago. Peace, Fish

Buddies, I don't even know what to say ?!?! I mean I could sit here and go into details all night long..... but I got up at 3 am yesterday morning, then a 200 mile round trip, along with 12 hours on the water..... then got up at 3:30 am this morning to do it all over again ! It's darn near midnight now, and I am a complete zombie....... But somehow, I don't think anyone is going to feel sorry for me :-) Okay, first fish (in the first 15 minutes on the water) was a 5.8 lb Smallie..... caught it sight fishing a Huddlebug..... and it was my new PB Smallie by .1 lb :-) Weighed it twice to be sure. Next fish was not sight fished. In fact, it was nowhere near a bed that I knew of, but rather, just meandering around on a long tapering point. Stuck it with a Huddlebug too. It was very fat, and just beautiful. Went 5.0 lbs :-) Needless to say, this was feeling like a pretty good trip by now :-) Next I found a couple beds about 10 feet apart. One of them had a "brown" colored, bass shaped fish on it, that I swear was long enough to be 12 lbs ! But it was really skiddish.... plus my boat kept swinging around and spooking it also. I really needed two anchors. But anyway, after working on the smaller one (mostly, but the big brown torpedo whenever it came in and I could see it) for close to 3 hours straight, I finally stick the "little one", and she went 5.2 lbs ! Yea' buddies ! 3 Smallies for 16 lbs ! :-) After that, the wind came up and blew me off of my spot, plus made it impossible to see the fish, so I left, figuring I would come back later if the wind stopped.... and it did. But when I came back, that big, long, dark brown one was gone :-( Instead, there was another fish (obviously a different one) that looked a full 4 inches shorter, but was noticeably fat, even in 12 feet of water. Right away, she acted interested. Threw the Huddlebug at her for a bit, then went to a Basstrix Bluegill (but in chartreuse color). I kept seeing her tilt down towards my lure, and flare up at it, and I honestly think she did some of those super quick, "in-and-out" types of bites. I set the hook twice on nothing but water. But now I had my trigger finger tuned :-) I started keeping the rod tip low, and was ready to swing on the tiniest tick ! Finally, one time she tilted down, I saw a flash of her gill plates, and I know I'm not a quarter mile racer, but I know that was swing was within 1/10 of a second :-) .....and ZZZZZZZ ! When I first stuck her, it was almost like it took her a second to figure it out. She kind of set in one place, and shook her head back and forth, then when she rolled.... Holy #@%$ did she look "fatter" yet ! After that, I swear I had her to the boat litterally 5 times, before she would rip off 20 or 25 feet again ! Yes, I know time gets all whacked out under these circumstances, but I swear to you guys, this fish had to have fought for 5 to 7 minutes straight, on my medium spinning gear with 30 lb braid, and 20 lb fluorocarbon leader ! She ended up being hooked really solidly, but you never know this when your fighting them. When I finally put the scoop on her, and lifted her from the net, she just looked unreal ! I knew she was going to go over 7 lbs..... but 8 ? I mean, how big should an 8 lb'er look ? I sure wouldn't know.... I just caught my PB this morning, and it was only 5.8 lbs ! So, of course I do the self photo thing...... then I hang her on the scale (my Berkeley digital) It bounces a bit, then settles on 8.5 lbs !!!!! Whooo Hoooo !!!! But then I'm thinking, this is within ounces of the lake record that kid just caught ! And only about 1 lb from the Ca. state record ! So ya' know what ? I had to break out my certified digital scale :-) It went straight to 8.50 and stayed solid. Geeez guys, if I'm dreaming all of this, please don't wake me :-) Just beside myself...... Fish

Thanks so much for all the kind words guys :-) That was a great trip..... .......and so, what would I have had to do today, to have just flat out made this trip look ho hum ??? Check my post in the Smallie section :-) Whooooo Hooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) Wishin you all even more, and even bigger :-) Peace, Fish

Now for starters, I have to apoligize.... My first fish of the day was certainly worthy of a quick photo.... but I had guys in bass boats about 100 yards in both directions from me, and didn't want to advertise the spot, by setting up the tripod, and taking pictures. Anyway, it was a very fat, healthy, 5.2 lb Smallmouth. I really felt like I would get a bigger Smallie anyway, before the day was over, but that was not to be. I saw several to at least 7 lbs, and ended up catching 4 more from 3 to 4 1/2 lbs. The Smallies by themselves made it a pretty good trip, but the icing was, when I stuck this 10.3 lb Northern Strainer on a swimbait ! Yea' buddies, my first DD Northern :-) And the kicker is, when I got her up beside the boat, she spit out a large, half digested trout ! I was thinking, watch it go 9.9 lbs now :-) But anyway, before she spit out that trout, she might have been closer to 11 lbs..... which is a darn good one for this lake. The lake record is 13 and change. About an hour after that, I came up to an area that I like to fish, but there were two old guys fishing it already. I hung back to see which direction they were moving, then followed behind, giving lots of space. After a few casts in their "used water" I stuck a beautiful, fat 8.6 lb Northern bass :-) Anyway, all in all it was a great trip. Betcha' can't guess where I'm going today ??? Doh ! It's already 4:57 am ! I'm late ! ;-) Peace, Fish

Okay c312, I understand exactly what you are saying now..... but on my PC monitor (a pretty sweet, new, 19" high resolution LCD too) I just can't see any difference in pixel size. And one other thing comes to mind; I'm not sure how good this kid, or his connections are with photo shop, but if I caught a fish like this, then told everybody that I released it to go spawn, I'd be VERY tempted to give that photo a different back ground myself. I'm not saying thats what was done here (and if it was, somebody did a great job) I'm just saying I could certainly understand, if not totally excuse an action such as this. So anyway, I'll tell everyone this "before" I stick the next lake record ;-)..... You should totally expect my photos to be backed up closely against a steep bank, or brush. No time for photo shopping :-) Peace, Fish

One more thing C312, okay, I still hear what your saying, about "not just the color, but the color pattern".... and believe it or not, there have even been some big ones from this lake that had more of a solid, lateral line stripe too, just like that of a Spotted bass, and all variations in between. I appreciate the compliment on the sharpness of my photo, but even I have take a few that were not quite in focus, at times. Depth of field can also play a role with some stuff being in focus, and other stuff being out of focus. Hey Matt, my old fisheries biologist buddy, Dennis Lee, retired a little while ago (total bummer :-( Does your biologists buddy have access (and better yet, funding) for DNA testing ? I'd love to get this question answered once and for all. I'd donate a 3 or 4 lb "weird colored Smallie" to find out. BTW, is your biologist buddy, also my buddy Mountain Bass ? Hey Madhouse, I'd love to put up an 8 plus Smallie for my avatar...... unfortunately, that one I put the photo of is 'only' a 5.5 lb'er (and my PB is only a 'normal colored' 5.7 lb'er). I know, I know.... a 5.5 is a nice Smallie, but (and for the moment, Supermatt is in the same boat with me on this) from this lake, a 5.5 is hardly worth an honorable mention. I won't even feel like I can brag a little until I get my 7 plus :-) Peace, Fish

Hello C312. I hear what your saying, and I also have lots of photo / photo shop experience. Something else for you to consider though.... Sometimes, some people will photo shop out something like the lure hanging from a fishes mouth, the back ground, blood on the fish, etc. This tends to make some other people skeptical about the catch (if they notice it) but often, it wasn't photoshopped "because they didn't actually catch the fish", but to hide other facts about the catch. As for that weird coloration, check this one out that I caught from the same lake: Look at the green in this things face ! Believe me, I'm as curious as anyone to whats really going on with these fish ! Peace, Fish

Okay, well let me clue you guys in..... This lake has kicked out numerous 8 plus Smallies in the last two years, with strong evidence for two over 9 lbs. Several of them, maybe 30% or so, have very strange, almost hybrid or "mule" colors. I have even caught one very green looking Smallmouth from here myself. In fact, the lake record before the last one, was also one of these strange, greenish looking ones. This has been a subject of much debate, with local anglers and biologists. I'd bet you my boat, my truck, and my next 10 paychecks that this catch was as straight up as it gets ! Nothing fake about that photo, or that fish. I'll post some photos of my toad Smallies from here in the next little bit. Again, I'm guessing that if I get 3 or 4 good ones, at least one will be very greenish, and strange looking. Peace, Fish

I am going to be fishing in this exact lake at least 12 to 15, of the next 30 days !!! Yeeee Haaa ! I'd be pretty happy with a 6 plus PB, but in this place, that might be "too easy" ! A 7 would be Bombastic ! And an 8...... well come on, is their anybody here who wouldn't just flip the heck out over an 8 lb Smallie ? And this place has 9's ! Just unreal ! Hoping to be there two of the next three days :-) Peace, Fish

Well ya' know, I am naturally very light skinned, yet I tan really dark ! Therefore, I end up with some serious racoon eyes..... But what's the problem ??? I think it's cool ! It's like my badge of honor ! :-) I know their are a bunch of in-door sissy's that might stare and think.... "Wow ! That guy looks funny". Meanwhile, I think to myself, "If they don't have the racoon tan lines going on like I do, they obviously have not been outside playing as much as I have, and geez, it must suck to be them" ! :-) BTW, I do cake on sun screen, at the start of every trip. I'm not even a little bit afraid of dying..... But I don't want to do it by way of cancer ! Instantly vaporized by a meteor would be my choice..... right after sticking the WRB, of course :-) Peace, Fish

Okay, I hear you Matt. Here's a thought though, guys in thier shoes can too easily have a scale certified by the Dept. of Weights and Measures, right there with them in their tackle bag. I do. And I'll tell you one thing, if I ever caught a WRB, I'd get every possible witness in the area right there, right now, to witness the weighing on my certified scale. And I don't care if it did, or didn't spit anything up. I'd only weigh it one darn time ! Unless it was like 1 ounce shy...... then I might weigh it like 19 more times ;-) Just kidding. Anyway, those guys seem like good guys. And that fish has grown to be an honest 25 lbs ! Peace, Fish