How Often Have You...

[BooyahMan]

...come close to beating your PB? Do you constantly catch fish that you think may have bested your record but, upon closer inspection/measurement, was just a tad smaller? Or is your PB considered an anomaly (at least in your personal fishing experiences) and you haven't come close to it since?

I happen to fall in the latter category. How about you?

[Smokinal]

Well my pb in Maine (where I have lived for the last 31 yrs) is 6-1. I took a trip to Falcon a couple yrs back and caught a 7-9. So, no, I have not got one close to that yet....yet.

[A-Jay]

Depends where I'm fishing.

 

A-Jay

[slonezp]

Depends where I'm fishing.

 

A-Jay

Mexico doesn't count

[A-Jay]

Mexico doesn't count

 

Shut up and just come down with us -

 

You'll change your tune and 10 minutes . . .

 

And we can definitely put Lake Erie in there . . .  

 

A-Jay

[slonezp]

Shut up and just come down with us -

 

You'll change your tune and 10 minutes . . .

 

And we can definitely put Lake Erie in there . . .  

 

A-Jay

Maybe next year. I'm planning on another shoulder surgery this fall. With any luck after it's done, I'll be able to put in a full day of bass fishing. Jigging for walleye is getting boring

[EvanT123]

I don't think about a pb to much. I know both of mine small and large. Didn't weight them. funny thing they were both caught in about 2 feet of water. One early and one late in the season.

The biggest fish I ever caught is always a thrill but not my main focus when out there.

Sorry rambled to much in my own thoughts. Seeing fish that other people have caught around here I know my pb's aren't anomalies.

[Catt]

I've had her on more the once

[paul.]

closest i have come is within 10 oz. once.  after that it's 2 pounds away and then downhill from there.  kind of bittersweet fishing every trip knowing you've more than likely already caught the biggest bass you're ever going to catch in your lifetime.  but short of anything that involves God, family, close friends, or health, there ain't much in this world i would trade that 30 seconds for.

[RSM789]

6 weeks after catching my PB, I caught one just 8 ounces lighter.

What I liked was it was caught on a different lure, different technique, different location and different time of day than my PB. Nothing breeds confidence like knowing you are more than a one trick pony.

[Fisher-O-men]

closest i have come is within 10 oz. once.  after that it's 2 pounds away and then downhill from there.  kind of bittersweet fishing every trip knowing you've more than likely already caught the biggest bass you're ever going to catch in your lifetime.  but short of anything that involves God, family, close friends, or health, there ain't much in this world i would trade that 30 seconds for.

Talking about that one pounder in your avatar?

[Sam]

No. Nothing has come close to the two 8-pounders I caught so far.

 

But still hoping.

[SirSnookalot]

I don't think about a pb to much. I know both of mine small and large. Didn't weight them. funny thing they were both caught in about 2 feet of water. One early and one late in the season.

The biggest fish I ever caught is always a thrill but not my main focus when out there.

Sorry rambled to much in my own thoughts. Seeing fish that other people have caught around here I know my pb's aren't anomalies.

Feel exactly the same way.

Don't know what my PB is and really don't care, for me it's about enjoying fishing each time I go.  I'd hate to focus on that PB and keep missing it or even keeping track of numbers to compare one year to another, sounds like it's a set up for disappointment and depression.

[BassinLou]

...come close to beating your PB? Do you constantly catch fish that you think may have bested your record but, upon closer inspection/measurement, was just a tad smaller? Or is your PB considered an anomaly (at least in your personal fishing experiences) and you haven't come close to it since?

I happen to fall in the latter category. How about you?

 

I was within an oz of matching my PB, last yr. My fish was not an anomaly, its a common range for LMB. I am still on my hunt for my anomaly though. 

[BaitMonkey1984]

Well my pb in Maine (where I have lived for the last 31 yrs) is 6-1. I took a trip to Falcon a couple yrs back and caught a 7-9. So, no, I have not got one close to that yet....yet.

 

I am in the same boat. Here in the NE due to the article winters (shorter growing seasons) it is tough. My personal best since starting fishing for 10+ years is 6 lbs evens. I catch a dozen or so fish every year in the 5.0-5.5 lb range but getting into the upper 5.5 lbs is tough, even through the ice.

[roadwarrior]

This was a few years ago:

 

David Hayes caught the World Record smallmouth bass in 1955 on Dale Hollow Lake.
Some believe the next World Record will be found on the Tennessee River:
http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/smallmouth_record.html

Almost exactly four years ago, November 2004, my fishing partner and best friend,
Speedy Madewell, boated a 10 lb beauty. I netted the fish and weighed it, he released
the monster! Since that time we have had some luck with other big bass, including the
bronzebacks in my avatar (January, 2005).

Last Saturday Speedy and I fished the river with limited success: an assortment of species
including largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky bass, striper, cats and drum. We may have
caught forty fish or so, but no size and most importantly, no browns of note. Around 11:00
things changed.

With poor results off either bank and limited water release by the TVA, we moved to the
"middle of the river". Actually, we decided to fish along the river channel, defined by
navigational buoys. The drop is well defined, but relatively small, only 3-5' in 15-25' water.
Still,this represents significant structure for fish in open water.

After landing a few nondescript fish, I got a nice strike drifting along the ridge.
I set the hook hard and didn't budge the fish. However, there was very little fight
and I saw another drum in my future. After 10-15 yards of retrieve, the drum dove
and turned into a big catfish, just digging to the bottom, but no run. As I brought the
fish closer to the boat, Speedy asked, "Gonna need the net?" Without any emotion
I replied, "Yeah, it's big and ugly."

Speedy runs the trolling motor on the forward platform of a BayRanger 2180,
center console. So, with the net on the floor opposite me, it takes
a minute to get set up. With little current, we let the boat drift.

This time of year the water clarity on the Tennessee is about 3, maybe 4 feet.
As my partner came over to my side he asked, "What's ya got?" I replied, in a
steady voice and without inflection, "The biggest f***ing smallmouth I have ever seen."

The fish appeared to be a Trident submarine as it rose toward the surface so both of
us could get a good look at her, but then she bolted. She initially ran about 15 yards
forward, then after a 90 degree turn, another 20 yards toward the middle of the river.

My situation was precarious. I'm in the middle of the boat and have to hustle to get to
the front, around and over the trolling motor while at the same time maintaining rod
position with a sizzling drag. I was starting to have some fun!

The pig came up, but did not jump. I got her turned around, but she had already decided
she didn't like the Ranger. When she was halfway back, she bolted again, but this time
dove deep. It took a few minutes to get her a little closer.

Most smallmouth, especially biggun's, tend to fight the best on the first run after a close
encounter with the boat, but even later, they never give up. This fine lady staged at rod
length, tugged mightily and would not come up. I asked my buddy what he thought
I should do? He responded, "Doesn't matter. That fish ain't ready and she's going
to do anything she wants!"

Well, I've caught a few big fish and I was in no hurry. My rod appeared parabolic with the line
straight down into the river. I said to my friend, "This is when you have to believe in your equipment."
And then.......the line snapped.

stupid, Stupid, STUPID!

We weren't catching anything interesting, so although I noticed a burr on my line before
the last cast, I didn't do what I always preach: "If it ain't perfect, it ain't good enough."
When there is any doubt, retie your line, leader or hook.

So, could that smallmouth have been the New World Record? I don't know, but it wasn't boated,
so it doesn't count. You might ask, "Really now, how much do you think she weighed?"
I don't know the answer to that either, but what I can tell you is, she was...

HUGE!

[paul.]

Talking about that one pounder in your avatar?

lol.  nah, that's the one that came within 10 oz. of my pb (personal biggest).  personal best is another story.

 

lots of folks equate personal best with the biggest fish they've ever caught.  that's not necessarily true for me.  for me the best bass i ever caught was the first one, which i would most certainly dub a dink by the standards i use today.  still, it was the one that started this awesome addiction, so it was by far the best.  another memorable one for me was a big fish i discovered in a pond way back in 2005 because of all the memorable moments over the next few years trying to catch her.  she was by far the "smartest" fish i have ever encountered and she outsmarted me many more times than i outsmarted her.  so holding her on the rare occasions that i "won" was always special.  another very special one wasn't a bass at all but a big catfish that my youngest daughter caught when she was very small.  i still remember her thinking the fish was talking to her.  so every time she went to that particular body of water she started making catfish noises trying to get it's attention.  many other very special fish come to mind over the past 40 years as well.

 

for some folks their "best" might be a fish that won a tournament for them.  for others it might be a fish they caught while fishing with a good friend.  for others, it might not be a fish they caught at all, but a fish that was caught by someone special that they were sharing the boat with. 

 

though i cherish all the great fishing memories i've been blessed with over the years, i try very hard to measure myself by what i am doing on the current trip, not what i did years ago.  sometimes i am a good fisherman.  more times, i'm terrible.  reminding myself that i am only as good as my current outing helps with humility and a desire to continue learning - both of which i think are very important to enjoy this great sport to the fullest.

[Patrick Morrow]

For me it`s the second version. I haven`t come close to my PB what I caught in my youths. I sometimes feel like the waters are getting poorer and poorer in producing and keeping alive bigger size bass. When I was a young I heard stories about someone catching 8 pound beasts almost everyday. Good times back then!

[Dwight Hottle]

For smallmouth I have caught two other bass 7oz & 13oz short of my PB. Largemouth I just recently caught so it could be a while.

[Ratherbfishing]

Every fish I catch is my new personal best

[Rhino68W]

I seriously broke my PB 5 minutes after I broke my PB. Best day of fishing ever.

[Bluebasser86]

Since I caught my current PB in 2005 I haven't come within 2 pounds. 

[scaleface]

I really dont know what my PB is. Ive caught a lot of bass in that seven lb range and quite possibly a couple to hit 8. It seems that is about the upper  limit swimming in our public lakes  up here. Anything bigger is rare. Private waters is a different story. A friend caught a huge fish in a strip pit. I made him upset because I jokingly said that fish didnt count because he caught it where others cant fish . LOL

[Bluebasser86]

I really dont know what my PB is. Ive caught a lot of bass in that seven lb range and quite possibly a couple to hit 8. It seems that is about the upper  limit swimming in our public lakes  up here. Anything bigger is rare. Private waters is a different story. A friend caught a huge fish in a strip pit. I made him upset because I jokingly said that fish didnt count because he caught it where others cant fish . LOL

Biggest bass I've ever seen swimming in the wild was in a small, public lake in NE Missouri, bigger than anything I saw while I was in Mexico either time by a couple pounds for sure and maybe pushing state record size. The lakes in Missouri put the lakes in Kansas to shame. 

[scaleface]

Biggest bass I've ever seen swimming in the wild was in a small, public lake in NE Missouri, bigger than anything I saw while I was in Mexico either time by a couple pounds for sure and maybe pushing state record size. The lakes in Missouri put the lakes in Kansas to shame. 

I think I heard you mention this before. Was it at Hazel Creek ? Its managed for lunker bass {18 inch length limit] and Musky. Ive only fished there once and caught two muskies on french fry worms . I hope to get back there this season .