Another how big is this bass topic.

[king fisher]

While I was away in Alaska, a big bass was caught by another kayak anger, at my local lake.  I have seen him there before, but don't have any contact information for him.  A friend sent me this picture he saw on social media.  I instantly recognized the lake, and angler.  Hopefully I will eventually find a way to contact him and find out how big the bass was.   Until then its all estimates.  I'm interested to find out what members here think.

[the reel ess]

I'm going to throw out 9. Could really be 10. That gut is big and so is the mouth, but the eyes are not "buggy" and he's long-arming it. I'm still jealous though. Could really be 10.

[A-Jay]

Big fish for sure ~

First glance I thought DD anyway.

But there's no way to really know with some type of perspective.

Is the angler 7' 4" or 4' 7" ?

Could make a difference . . . 

Either way, bet it did a good job of filling up that net !

?

A-Jay

[king fisher]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Either way, bet it did a good job of filling up that net !

I noticed the net too.  I never use a net in a kayak, but if I did, I would have a bigger one than that for this lake.

[JustJames]

Look like 30lb Goliath to me lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

serious thoughts that is a giant fish might as well be well over 10lb but why long hand?  You should long hand just to make it look realistic not to be doubtful.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bubba 460]

 

Now that's a big slab-sided bass. I'd say north of 13#. Hope you can find out.

[king fisher]

1 minute ago, Bubba 460 said:

Now that's a big slab-sided bass. I'd say north of 13#. Hope you can find out.

I'm sure I will eventually find out.  I would bet he kept the fish, so I'm sure he measured and weighed it.  The place the picture was taken is at the launch. Only place where there would have been someone to take a picture.  The locals swim and wash there cars there.  I doubt he caught it any where near the launch.   Probably drug the fish a long way to get to the launch for a picture.  Even if the bass was alive when he got to the launch, the local that took the picture would not let him release the fish.  I learned this the hard way, the guy that took the picture of my bass I am holding, almost had a heart attack when I went to release it.  I ended up giving it to him, which in the long run did help my relations with the commercial fisherman.   They strongly encourage all bass anglers to kill the bass.  I now make sure I don't land any bass where some one can see me let it go and take my own pictures.  I want to help the bass population, but do not want to be denied access to the lake for releasing bass.                                                                                                              I hope to not only find out how big it was, but also what was in its stomach.  Very interested to know what the big girls are eating, now that the rainy season is here.    

[ironbjorn]

4 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I'm sure I will eventually find out.  I would bet he kept the fish, so I'm sure he measured and weighed it.  The place the picture was taken is at the launch. Only place where there would have been someone to take a picture.  The locals swim and wash there cars there.  I doubt he caught it any where near the launch.   Probably drug the fish a long way to get to the launch for a picture.  Even if the bass was alive when he got to the launch, the local that took the picture would not let him release the fish.  I learned this the hard way, the guy that took the picture of my bass I am holding, almost had a heart attack when I went to release it.  I ended up giving it to him, which in the long run did help my relations with the commercial fisherman.   They strongly encourage all bass anglers to kill the bass.  I now make sure I don't land any bass where some one can see me let it go and take my own pictures.  I want to help the bass population, but do not want to be denied access to the lake for releasing bass.                                                                                                              I hope to not only find out how big it was, but also what was in its stomach.  Very interested to know what the big girls are eating, now that the rainy season is here.    

Where do you live that you're scared of releasing bass around people? Surely can't be America? In America it's common practice and most prefer it, and if someone has a problem with it and wants to be confrontational, it could lead to something they wish it didn't. Almost nobody but PETA freaks do that here. And absolutely nobody else will have access taken from them for being a conservationalist. Sport fishermen are protected.

[WRB]

Judging from the anglers hand/fingers holding the bass is somewhere between 25” to 26” long, about 11 lbs as a WAG.

Tom

[king fisher]

3 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

Where do you live that you're scared of releasing bass around people? Surely can't be America? In America it's common practice and most prefer it, and if someone has a problem with it and wants to be confrontational, it could lead to something they wish it didn't. Almost nobody but PETA freaks do that here. And absolutely nobody else will have access taken from them for being a conservationalist. Sport fishermen are protected.

I live in Mexico.  There are two reasons that people where I fish don't want me to release bass.  One is many people in this area make their meager living commercial fishing for tilapia.  They believe the illegally planted bass eat the fish they depend on for a living.  No different than bounties on bald eagles, and grizzly bears, that were once paid in Alaska because they eat salmon. 

    The other reason, is a big bass would feed a whole family for a day.  It would be very disrespectful for me to flaunt my wealth by releasing a fish in front of a poor farmer trying to survive.  There are very few people on the lake, so it is easy for me to release bass without anyone seeing me.

     I know the manager of the lake, and he likes me but would not hesitate from banning me if people complain to him.  There are signs all over the lake that state only those in possession, of one of the limited commercial fishing permits are allowed to fish.  The manager makes exceptions to a few sport fisherman as long as he gets no complaints. 

[Bubba 460]

27 minutes ago, WRB said:

Judging from the anglers hand/fingers holding the bass is somewhere between 25” to 26” long, about 11 lbs as a WAG.

Tom

 

I had "best guessed" 27" to be on the safe side but 28" could squeak in there. Small head, big long body, fat too. Guy has a body lean just holding it.

Would like to know...

[12poundbass]

Monster bass for sure! 
 

As far as a guesstimate, I’d say bigger than a pound but less than 20. ?

[WRB]

Catch & Release Bass has been a like a religious cult for the majority of bass anglers. 

Back in 1969 I wrote a letter to the editor the practice of releasing big bass should be mandatory during the spawn cycle. The hate mailI received was incredible for suggesting recreational bass fishing anglers can’t over harvest any fishery. Big bass eat too many fish harming the lake and should be removed. Amazing how time has changed minds.

Bass are a renewable resource and fishery biologist manage the population to that end, a recreational food source.

Catch & Release healthy bass, keep and eat those that are will die from injury caused by catching them. 

I still believe killing big female bass full of eggs is harmful to propagating the species. I don't believe the subject bass was caught during the spawn cycle from the photo. Definitely a DD bass.

Tom

[Dwight Hottle]

Looks like a 12lber to me. 

[king fisher]

I realize keeping double digit bass is poor management if you are managing a lake for bass.  My problem is, where I live they don't manage the lake for bass.  The bass were not even planted legally.  They attempt to manage the lake for Tilapia.

    I used to complain to a friend of mine, about the poor management of the lake.  I thought it was ridiculous  to manage a lake for Tilapia, when it has such DD potential.  He laughed and said I should keep quiet.  He, couldn't think of any lake where every time a person goes fishing he can expect to get a bass over 8 pounds, a half dozen over 10 pounds in a year, and not see another sport fisherman on the whole lake.  Even though the management system seems backward, to me.   By complete accident, They are successfully managing the lake for trophy bass.  The numbers of bass are very low, letting the few bass that survive the nets have plenty to eat and get big.  If there were more sport fishermen, I'm sure the few bass would become educated, and fishing would not be good.  Fortunately the few bass that are there are big, and dumb.  I don't want to change a thing.  I do wish the guy in the picture would have released that bass, so I could have a chance at it during pre spawn next year.

[Deleted account]

I get 27.25"x18.5", 13 lbs give or take 1/2 lb, the guy is 5'6".

He is holding the fish into the camera for sure, but he is fairly square to the frame, and there is enough things in plane for scale. I'm gonna be in Norfolk next week, I'll have the ISs go over it and get a better estimate.

[soflabasser]

Tell your friend that bass is most likely over 10 pounds, she is a beauty!

[CrankFate]

The hand size makes it 26-29” - I would guess 12-15lbs if my hand size estimate is accurate.

[David 7]

Not sure but pretty confident that would easily beat John Higbie’s NYS LMB record which is 11.4lbs. I don’t think bass can even get as big in my state as the one in this picture! 

[TnRiver46]

5 hours ago, king fisher said:

I realize keeping double digit bass is poor management if you are managing a lake for bass.  My problem is, where I live they don't manage the lake for bass.  The bass were not even planted legally.  They attempt to manage the lake for Tilapia.

    I used to complain to a friend of mine, about the poor management of the lake.  I thought it was ridiculous  to manage a lake for Tilapia, when it has such DD potential.  He laughed and said I should keep quiet.  He, couldn't think of any lake where every time a person goes fishing he can expect to get a bass over 8 pounds, a half dozen over 10 pounds in a year, and not see another sport fisherman on the whole lake.  Even though the management system seems backward, to me.   By complete accident, They are successfully managing the lake for trophy bass.  The numbers of bass are very low, letting the few bass that survive the nets have plenty to eat and get big.  If there were more sport fishermen, I'm sure the few bass would become educated, and fishing would not be good.  Fortunately the few bass that are there are big, and dumb.  I don't want to change a thing.  I do wish the guy in the picture would have released that bass, so I could have a chance at it during pre spawn next year.

You complained about poor management at a lake with lots of 8-12 lbs bass?????????!?? Haha I see where you were coming from, but we as humans have a way of thinking we know what’s best when nobody every tries different methods. Accidental  management is pretty effective!!! It probably works better than intentional management most of the time 
 

people should eat more bass, they get pretty smart being released all the time! 
 

the fish in the picture is monstrous, way bigger than anything I’ve caught! I would say at least ten pounds 

[Bluebasser86]

It's bigger than any bass I catch, so I've got no real way to give an accurate guess. My first thought was 11/12 pound range.