Best Northern Place To Break The 10# Mark

[gobig]

"California hasn't certified a single bass over 18 lbs since Mar 2006"

This statement is not correct. Pyramid just kicked out an 18.80 and last year 18.11 was caught in a tournament at New Malones. Both of which were lake records and certified. If I am not mistaken the fish from New Malones is the largest fish ever caught in a tournament. I am not 100% on when the fish were caught or if they were certified but Butch Brown has two bass on film in the last 2 years. One was a 19.5 and the other was an 18 and change. The guys who are regularly hunting fish this size have pretty tight lips and by exposing a fish like this to the public jepordizes chances of beating the world record.

[RoLo]

This statement is not correct. Pyramid just kicked out an 18.80 and last year 18.11 was caught in a tournament at New Malones. Both of which were lake records and certified. If I am not mistaken the fish from New Malones is the largest fish ever caught in a tournament. I am not 100% on when the fish were caught or if they were certified but Butch Brown has two bass on film in the last 2 years. One was a 19.5 and the other was an 18 and change. The guys who are regularly hunting fish this size have pretty tight lips and by exposing a fish like this to the public jepordizes chances of beating the world record.

Thank you gobig.

Oddly, those bass were not listed in a recent register. But I realize that

up-to-date stats can be elusive, which is why I prefaced by saying: "To my knowledge".

If you could, I'd appreciate a URL documenting those catches so I can alter my files.

.

Roger

[gobig]

The Parris fish is still pending as far as I know and looks like the actual weight was 18.2.

http://www.sdfish.com/news/freshwater-fishing-news/1340-new-lake-record-pending-for-lake-perris

The New Malones fish was caught by Kyle Gentry in the Anglers choice western rookie league.

http://teamccmarine.com/c-and-c-marine-ranger-dealer-news/124-kyle-gentry-catches-fish-of-a-lifetime.html

[NBR]

I just have to chime in again. I have bass fished for over 65 years and I have never caught a 10 pounder. I have fished Big "O" , the everglades, Lake Tarpon (Where at least at one time the Florida record was caught), Eufala in AL & GA, Reelfoot & Dale Hollow in TN. I have fished for smallies in more lakes than I care to name but some are St. Claire, Michigan, Huron, Rainy and Lake of the Woods I've never caught a 6# smallie. Lots of 4 pounders some 5's but no true 6's.

I just don't worry about getting a big one anymore. If i catch one that's fine but the fishing is always good and some times the catching is also good. Both make for a good day. A few years ago I showed a guy some spots on my local lake. Not long after I heard him shouting about a 5# smallie. He had hooked it deep and by the time he brought it overto show me I was pretty gone. He was convinced it was a 5#+ fish. I didn't thnk so.

Since I have a scale in my boat, so I asked him if he wanted to weigh the fish. Yes was the answer so I put the fish on my scale and if I remenber correctly it was a bit under 4.25. I have regretted to this day in asking him if he wanted it weighed. Now regardless of what he says the fish weighed he knows it was about 4.25. I broke his bubble and I'm sorry for that.

I regret to this day that I told him I had a scale.

[RoLo]

The Parris fish is still pending as far as I know and looks like the actual weight was 18.2.

http://www.sdfish.co...for-lake-perris

The New Malones fish was caught by Kyle Gentry in the Anglers choice western rookie league.

http://teamccmarine....a-lifetime.html

Thanks again gobig for your follow through.

You will notice however that the list embedded in your first URL acquieses with my reference to year 2006

c/o Perris Lake

Perris Lake, CA has been the poster boy of declining genetic vigor. For many years, the world-record spotted bass belonged to Lewis Smith Reservoir, AL.

Spotted bass transplanted from the Smith Reservoir to Perris Lake ultimately upended the Alabama world-record from whence it came. It gets worse.

Sadly, due to chormosome degeneration the spotted bass population in Perris totally collapsed, where catching one spot is now newsworthy.

I find it intriguing to learn that the same lake (Perris Lake) is now the new theater for Florida bass (and so it goes).

Roger

[RoLo]

NBR, the clear majority of anglers never boated a double-digit bass,

In the same vein, never have regrets about weighing any fish.

I weigh EVERY good fish that comes in my boat with a certified scale.

It's called facing reality, and it also makes us a 'little' better at guesstimating weight.

I say a "little" better, because human optimisim springs eternal

Roger

[gobig]

I believe things in nature cycle and those big bass will be back again. One thing that hurt California is fish and game put a halt on planting trout in non native lakes for a few years. I am seeing certain lakes really change, some for better and some for worse. In fact I wouldnt be the least bit surprised to see a world record spot come out of California in the next few years.

[RoLo]

The Perris world-record spot has since been bested, and is now held by Pine Flat Lake, CA (10-4)

I agree with you that natural phenomena occur in cycles, but that would be a highly unusual event

outside the species native range.

Roger

[WRB]

The 18.8 lbs bass is the certified weight; 18.2 was the hand held scale weight.

Butch brown's 19.3 lb Castaic lagoon catch on video was May 2009.

George Coniglio's 19.8 lb Mission Vejio bass was over shadowed by Dottie in 2006

The Lagoon and Mission Vejio are tiny lakes under 500 acres, Perris is drawn way down and less than 1500 acres.

The lake only of any size producing giants is New Melones in NorCal and a 17.4 lb bass was caught April this year by John Liechty Most of these bass you don't read about, some make the news.

Spotted bass were introduced to CA in the 1930's, Friant Dam Merced river. The current world record came from that stock at Pine Flat lake; 10.27 lbs, April 2001.

The Perris spots also came from the Friant stock of Alabama spotted bass. The spotted bass demise at Perris was a combination of over harvesting and Redear sunfish raiding the spawning areas. There hasn't been a report of spots at Perris in over a decade.

DVL was supposed to be the new giant bass lake in CA and the striped bass may have ruined that potential fishery.

Tom

PS: Falcon lake record is 15.63 lbs, Amistad is 15.68 lbs, Texas state record is 18.18 lbs from lake Fork.

[avid]

Catching a double digit bass is pretty challenging no matter where you are.

I often fish Stickmarsh/farm13 in central Florida which is a famous destination for big bass hunters

and the biggest I have caught so far is 8 lbs.

Yes, I have been in the boat when a 10+ pounder was caught on two, maybe three occasions, and I do believe that I have

hooked into a double digit a couple of times, but still...my pb is 8

So as far as the 'best' northern lake for a 10 lber? I don't think such a place exits.

No doubt there are big bass in some northern lakes, but i think catching one is more a product of determination, fishing big bass baits

and sacrificing numbers for size, and some good ole fashioned luck.

Go for it.

[avid]

Oh, and another thing.

I have heard all kinds of stories about fish that supposedly weigh 10 or more pounds

then when you dig into the story many, many, MANY are totally bogus.

Many of these so called trophy bass are 'guestimates' at best. I'm talking where the guy had no scale at all,

and claimed a 12 pounder because he 'hauls 10 pound sacks every day and this was alot heavier' y'know, that kind of

crap. Other guys will measure the fish then claim it must weigh 11 pounds...which is also so unreliable as to be a joke.

of course, there's the guy who pulls out his scale and wieghs the fish a dozen times or more, each time getting a different weight because the scale is a piece of crap and then posts the heaviest wieght (plus a few ounces because after all, the scale is off right?}

The only weight that can be taken seriously is a bass weighed on a certified scale. the boga grip NOT boga 'type' scales....is the most common and is deadly accurate.

So if your so inclined you can go fishing, catch a nice size bass. admire it a little, proclaim it to be "a 10 pounder" and join the club.

hundreds of guys have done exactly that.

[J Francho]

Every pond I've ever fished has kicked out a ten, lol.

[KansasBASS9948]

There's a powerplant lake here in Kansas that kicks out a 10 pounder or two almost every winter, but that's out of thousands of fishermen spending tons of hours on the lake all year long to catch those couple of fish. My only DD fish was at Lake Comendero in Mexico. If you spend the money and make a couple trips to those lakes in Mexico or Falcon you will spend way less money than you will pursuing a northern DD bass. Plus the experience is something you'll never forget.

I know exactly which lake you are talking about....AND I have a 10 pounder to my credit that came from that lake!

[SoFlaBassAddict]

As much as I want to say Florida, I really don't know. I've caught one over ten, and several close to that mark. The one over 10 was just pure and unadulterated luck. I've been trying to beat it for a few years now, and just can't break my PB. I've fished in plenty of big fish spots. One of the private strip pits I fish in has had a few over 10 come from it and a 13. Biggest I've caught on that lake was an 7.1. I've seen fish in there that may have pushed the 10 pound range, I lost one last year flipping that was much larger than my PB. But you never know the size until you put him on the scale. When I go out by myself, I bring a certified Boga with me. Thankfully I can easily get mine calibrated locally at the IGFA.

I'm actually planning on only chasing big fish in my little pit lake from now on. Making a new TW order for some bigger baits as I type this....

I think you stand a chance of catching a 10+ almost anywhere. Actually getting that fish to bite, then landing it, well that's a different story entirely. I'd be willing to bet that there are many more double digit bass caught than most of us realize. Those big fish spots are generally well guarded secrets.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I also just had to add, man I love reading RoLo's posts....

If there is one person that posts here that I go out of my way to try and read its definitely Roger.

[Dwight Hottle]

I also just had to add, man I love reading RoLo's posts....

If there is one person that posts here that I go out of my way to try and read its definitely Roger.

X2. Roger has a wealth of knowledge to share.

[Nice_Bass]

I think the goal of catching a NLMB and a florida strain is vastly different- My goal is to catch a 10# northern strain- of course, i would still go crazy if I had boated one down south.

[Jig Meister]

Lake Erie was voted #4 for Bass Fishing by BASS.

I know of 10#'rs coming out of there.

I would try Lake Erie.

[J Francho]

I believe the Lake Erie record is 9-8, caught by Randy VanDam in the early 90s.

[Jig Meister]

I believe the Lake Erie record is 9-8, caught by Randy VanDam in the early 90s.

They I've been getting lied to, which doesn't surprise me lol. I was told by a older man I trust (pretty much) that he landed a 10-2 from Lake Erie. Possible, i guess.

[J Francho]

Fisherman lie? *SHOCK*

[Primus]

I live in Michigan, I have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than catching a 10 lber. I personally have set 7 lbs as the benchmark for a giant. I meet people who will call a bass a 5lber because " my fist fit in it's mouth "or other scientific methods of weighing fish That said I'm trying to break 6 lbs 6 oz which I've done twice, Lots of 5's with a personal best stringer of 24 lbs 10 oz. Last couple of seasons spending some of my on the water time throwing big swimbaits hoping to up my chance of catching a Michigan version of a giant.

[Michael DiNardo]

What about Champlaigne? Sorry if it is spelled wrong, but most should know the lake.

Mike

[Megastink]

Potomac River, Upper Chesapeake Bay in April or mid May. Someone recently weighed in a largie over 10lbs in a BFL, I believe. I saw pics.

I live in SE Pa, and read a report of a nearby lake where the F&G Commission boom shocked two over 12, and dozens between 5 and 9lbs.

[Megastink]

Oh, I almost forgot: Candlewood Lake in CT has giant bass. I fished a late April tourny a few years back. A guy weighed in a 9lber.

Also, don't forget Champlain in May and June.