Bassin' Brad Posted August 14, 2018 Posted August 14, 2018 I just read a couple articles about Pat Cullen, a man from GA that between 1980 and 2009 caught 1,100 bass over 10 lbs. Does anyone else know much about the guy? It's really interesting because from what I read he has mostly used a black buzzbait at night in a canoe using ugly stik rods on lakes less than 200 acres. I done the math on it and it says in the article that he fishes up to 320 days per year. So let's assume on avg he spends between 200 and 300 days per year on the water. That's 6,000-9,000 times in 30 years. So on avg he caught a DD bass every 5-8 trips out. Which seems insane to me. Something else very interesting is that he has a caught most of those DD bass within 1 hour of his home in Valdosta GA, which by the way is only 93 miles from where the world record LMB was caught in Montgomery Lake GA. I know there has been a lot of speculation about that bass even being the real deal. Pat has caught 1 bass weighing over 18 lb and 6 bass weighing over 15 lb, and he believed that he was going to catch the world record and even believes he had her hooked a couple times. So that means Pat was only 4 lbs away from catching the world record. There is lots of interesting things to read in his articles. I will post a couple links. http://www.gon.com/fishing/1113-giant-bass-and-counting https://m.bassmaster.com/node/39506 5
Super User Team9nine Posted August 15, 2018 Super User Posted August 15, 2018 Neat guy who unfortunately passed away 4 years ago this month at the age of 70. Kept everything very simple and straight forward, and caught a ton of big fish doing it. Reminded me a lot of Bill Plummer in ways. 3
Super User Darren. Posted August 15, 2018 Super User Posted August 15, 2018 I posted about him a few times over the years here. ESPN used to have an article on him when they had the rights to B.A.S.S. events, if I am correct. A great reminder to us all that you don't have to break the bank on gear to catch a bass of a lifetime. Or hundreds upon hundreds of them.... 4
Super User soflabasser Posted August 15, 2018 Super User Posted August 15, 2018 I have known about Mr.Cullen for 3 years now and I see him as one of the best largemouth bass fishermen that has lived. Its very impressive that he has caught over +1100 double digit bass with a Ugly Stik rod,Ambassador reel, and a buzzbait to fish with. I would follow his advice before I listen to some pro bass fisherman that hasn't caught a double digit bass or somebody that hasn't caught a double digit bass in over a decade. 3
greentrout Posted August 15, 2018 Posted August 15, 2018 One of the most impressive aspects is the simplicity of his approach. His tackle (for the last three decades!) is a collection of 6-foot Ugly Stik and Ugly Stik Lite Rods and Ambassador 5500C reels spooled with monofilament, In recent years, he has switched to Vicious line. His favorite lure is a black custom-made buzzbait, and recently he added a 4-bladed version to his selection so that he can really slow down his presentation when needed. https://www.bassmaster.com/node/39506 http://unionsportsmen.org/the-real-bass-master/ His gear is just as straightforward, as he uses only a Shakespeare Ugly Stik rod. He opts for the 6-foot trigger handle model in the medium-heavy action. 1
Bassin' Brad Posted August 15, 2018 Author Posted August 15, 2018 4 hours ago, Team9nine said: Neat guy who unfortunately passed away 4 years ago this month at the age of 70. Kept everything very simple and straight forward, and caught a ton of big fish doing it. Reminded me a lot of Bill Plummer in ways. I didn't realize he had passed away. I just found out about him today. 40 minutes ago, soflabasser said: I have known about Mr.Cullen for 3 years now and I see him as one of the best largemouth bass fishermen that has lived. Its very impressive that he has caught over +1000 double digit bass with a Ugly Stik rod,Ambassador reel, and a buzzbait to fish with. I would follow his advice before I listen to some pro bass fisherman that hasn't caught a double digit bass or somebody that hasn't caught a double digit bass in over a decade. 2 hours ago, Darren. said: I posted about him a few times over the years here. ESPN used to have an article on him when they had the rights to B.A.S.S. events, if I am correct. A great reminder to us all that you don't have to break the bank on gear to catch a bass of a lifetime. Or hundreds upon hundreds of them.... I'm going to try to find out more about him. I enjoyed reading those articles and was very impressed with his simple, detailed, yet highly effective method. 20 minutes ago, greentrout said: One of the most impressive aspects is the simplicity of his approach. His tackle (for the last three decades!) is a collection of 6-foot Ugly Stik and Ugly Stik Lite Rods and Ambassador 5500C reels spooled with monofilament, In recent years, he has switched to Vicious line. His favorite lure is a black custom-made buzzbait, and recently he added a 4-bladed version to his selection so that he can really slow down his presentation when needed. https://www.bassmaster.com/node/39506 http://unionsportsmen.org/the-real-bass-master/ His gear is just as straightforward, as he uses only a Shakespeare Ugly Stik rod. He opts for the 6-foot trigger handle model in the medium-heavy action. thanks for the links! 1
Super User Mobasser Posted August 15, 2018 Super User Posted August 15, 2018 Thanks for sharing this. I've heard of most of the guys like this, but never him.Its always great to hear about these guys. We can all learn from this 2
kenmitch Posted August 15, 2018 Posted August 15, 2018 I'll have to read the articles when I get home. I figured the Ugly Stik has caught more big bass than any other rod line. Guess now there's proof to back it up. Probably holds true for most species of fish at least in freshwater. 2
Super User Mobasser Posted August 16, 2018 Super User Posted August 16, 2018 On 8/14/2018 at 7:08 PM, Team9nine said: Neat guy who unfortunately passed away 4 years ago this month at the age of 70. Kept everything very simple and straight forward, and caught a ton of big fish doing it. Reminded me a lot of Bill Plummer in ways. Yes. When I read this I thought of Bill Plummer also.Guys like this have it down.They simplify their fishing, and learn what works for them, not worrying about what everyone else's hot baits are. Very good bass fisherman 1
GReb Posted August 16, 2018 Posted August 16, 2018 1,100??? I have a hard time buying that. That’s is a flat out absurd number if verified
Bassin' Brad Posted August 16, 2018 Author Posted August 16, 2018 6 minutes ago, GReb said: 1,100??? I have a hard time buying that. That’s is a flat out absurd number if verified He's not the only angler that's done it. Butch Brown has caught over 1,500, but he's from California and fishes big swim baits. I know what you mean about being hard to believe. Bassmaster and other places have articles about him. He was strictly a trophy fisherman that fished up to 320 days a year for over 30 years. 3
Super User MassYak85 Posted August 16, 2018 Super User Posted August 16, 2018 These guys always intrigue me. But I think the combination of simplifying your gear, fishing so frequently, and in the same lakes probably allowed him to really hone in on the behavior of the fish and accrue these absurd numbers of giants. Living in Georgia obviously helps ?and I'm obviously oversimplifying what it takes to have this kind of success but I think we can all take some notes and focus more on what we're going after and not what we're using to do that. 2
Super User Team9nine Posted August 16, 2018 Super User Posted August 16, 2018 From what I can tell, Pat was just like most every other big bass chaser we tend to hear about. That is, he had VERY specific ideas and thoughts in regards to how he went about his trophy bass fishing. Some might use the word "eccentric" to describe these individuals, but they are very driven and absolutely let no detail go overlooked. Pat was no different in that regard. Interestingly on the numbers side, he once stated his hookup/landing ratio averaged around 50%. No telling obviously how many of those missed or lost fish might have been 10-pounders, but he certainly could have added a lot to his overall total had he had better efficiency in that regard. 2
Super User soflabasser Posted August 16, 2018 Super User Posted August 16, 2018 1 hour ago, Bassin' Brad said: He's not the only angler that's done it. Butch Brown has caught over 1,500, but he's from California and fishes big swim baits. I know what you mean about being hard to believe. Bassmaster and other places have articles about him. He was strictly a trophy fisherman that fished up to 320 days a year for over 30 years. Well said @Bassin' Brad. Mr. Cullen was a extremely dedicated trophy bass fishermen that fished at the right places,at the right time,with the right lures. His achievements are real and it doesn't surprise me he has haters since any decent fisherman has a couple haters behind him. 50 minutes ago, MassYak85 said: These guys always intrigue me. But I think the combination of simplifying your gear, fishing so frequently, and in the same lakes probably allowed him to really hone in on the behavior of the fish and accrue these absurd numbers of giants. Living in Georgia obviously helps ?and I'm obviously oversimplifying what it takes to have this kind of success but I think we can all take some notes and focus more on what we're going after and not what we're using to do that. Georgia is well known for trophy bass and there are many little lakes that produce +10 pound bass every week of the year.Northern/Central Florida is another great place for trophy bass.And yes it's best to master a few lures known for big bass in the areas you fish than to fish dozens of types of lures but not really fish them well. 2
Super User ATA Posted February 2, 2020 Super User Posted February 2, 2020 is there any place that we can buy those buzz baits?
Basswhippa Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 I've read about this guy. Thanks for sharing. 1
Super User Team9nine Posted February 6, 2020 Super User Posted February 6, 2020 On 2/2/2020 at 1:24 AM, ATA said: is there any place that we can buy those buzz baits? Before he passed away, they were available from his website. Believe he had 3 different types that each made a different sound. 1
Super User WRB Posted February 6, 2020 Super User Posted February 6, 2020 You shouldn't believe the number are indicative to catching individual DD bass. If you catch the same bass 10 times it's 1 bass caught multiple times. Dottie is a good example that lake Dixon didn't produce 4, 20 lb class bass, it produced 1 caught 4 times when she weight over 20 lbs. I logged 100 DD bass between 1968 to 1973 a 5 year period on 5 different lakes and know I caught the same bass several times during that time period. Since I haven't caugh 15 lb+ bass in over 10 years then my record must be questioned? Rediculous statement the giant bass populations where I fish no longer exist! Tom 2
frogflogger Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Realistically we are talking about a creature with a small brain and simple habits - Almost any human can with dedication and singleness of purpose accomplish such feats in the proper locale. The guys that have the discipline, dedication and thought processes to accomplish these feats impress me - my hat is off to them. It is no surprise that their approaches and equipment are simple. I have a bunch of stuff because I like messing with different techniques and approaches. Being a chronic tackle tinkerer I like to catch fish "my way" even though I know,lots of times, that it is not the most effective method - but then I have a lot of fun fishing with crazy topwaters. 2
Super User ATA Posted February 12, 2020 Super User Posted February 12, 2020 On 2/5/2020 at 4:45 PM, Team9nine said: Before he passed away, they were available from his website. Believe he had 3 different types that each made a different sound. I wish we could find them and use them today, anyways in one of his interviews he point to bunker bazzbaits, thats why I got couple of them and try to modify them for the best.
DThomson Posted April 3, 2020 Posted April 3, 2020 Just watched Pats video again “Trophy Bass Fishing“ and always enjoy the insight everytime I listen to him. I’ve been using a whopper plopper at night instead of a buzz bait and getting great success as well (can cast it 2/3 times the distance). Do you guys think he would have given the whopper plopper a try or only stick to his buzzbaits?
Super User roadwarrior Posted April 3, 2020 Super User Posted April 3, 2020 I'm sure he would at least try the "New Big Thing".
Super User Paul Roberts Posted April 3, 2020 Super User Posted April 3, 2020 What's been portrayed in articles I've read is drive: energy and dedication; The sheer number of hours he's spent on the water, usually at night after work, every night! 1
NittyGrittyBoy Posted April 5, 2020 Posted April 5, 2020 On 4/3/2020 at 1:02 AM, DThomson said: Just watched Pats video again “Trophy Do you guys think he would have given the whopper plopper a try or only stick to his buzzbaits? He had numerous baits to choose from and chose to only fish with and master the buzzbait. I'm sure he would've tried it, but would have undoubtedly reverted back to his confidence bait, the buzzbait.
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted April 6, 2020 Global Moderator Posted April 6, 2020 On 4/3/2020 at 1:02 AM, DThomson said: Just watched Pats video again “Trophy Bass Fishing“ and always enjoy the insight everytime I listen to him. I’ve been using a whopper plopper at night instead of a buzz bait and getting great success as well (can cast it 2/3 times the distance). Do you guys think he would have given the whopper plopper a try or only stick to his buzzbaits? A whopper plopper around timber in the dark? No thanks
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