10 lb Erie smallmouth

[12poundbass]

I’d like to know how old that thing is.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I'm sure a WR is swimming in Pickwick......Imagine if Alabama gets the next WR ?

Just now, 12poundbass said:

I’d like to know how old that thing is.

I'd like to know if it ever broke somebody off, or shook a hook 

[roadwarrior]

54 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

 

You have history on your side no doubt about it Kent. But & it's a really big but, the great lakes have finally kicked out a verified 10 lb smallmouth and it has opened the doors for future records. The vast expanse of waters contained by the great lakes system dwarfs the Tennessee river system. The great lakes future looks very bright for the sight predator's like the smallmouth. 

I am rooting for you, I would love to see a new World Record and if it comes from one

of the Great Lakes, that's fine by me.  Better yet, maybe you will be the one to catch

her.  I wish you the best and good luck!

[roadwarrior]

SPECIES	WEIGHT	LOCATION
Bass, Smallmouth (c)	l0 lbs 8 oz	Wheeler Dam tailwater
Bass, Spotted (b)	8 lbs 15 oz	Smith Lake
Bass,Striped (landlocked) (a)	69 lbs, 9 oz	Bankhead Reservoir

[Chris Catignani]

2 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

GREAT fish, but not close to a New World Record. The next World Record will come from 

reservoirs on the Tennessee River. Several 10+ have been caught over the years, but they

don't get much publicity. To have a State Record in Tennessee or Kentucky requires a New

World Record.

There have been a bunch of 10's from below the tailrace at Wheeler (technically Wilson). You can definitely see a HUGE transition in many northern fisheries. Glad to see it.

[Scott F]

On 11/4/2022 at 7:47 AM, gimruis said:

Not if its a Terminator with a titanium arm!

EVERY Titanium Terminator spinner bait I ever had had the arms snap off. It’s true they don’t get bent up, but they are brittle and break off if bent too far. 

[Dwight Hottle]

Here is some additional info from the In-Fisherman

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/10-Plus-Pound-Lake-Erie-Smallmouth-Smashes-68-Year-Record/466177?fbclid=IwAR1wliGDqYcOpohksy9iWXo9ZGx5l_RpREfD7FIJEg0D39EZd59AKmwPl54

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I'm sure a WR is swimming in Pickwick......Imagine if Alabama gets the next WR ?

I'd like to know if it ever broke somebody off, or shook a hook 

There’s 60 million people a week fishing pickwick………… I think it jumped off road warriors hook once 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

There’s 60 million people a week fishing pickwick………… I think it jumped off road warriors hook once 

According to our B.A.I.T. program that uses tourney data to compare the state fisheries.    

 

Pickwick IIrc was at the top right besides Wheeler and ahead of Guntersville and Eufala at under 100 hours fished per 5lb Bass.       Some places like Lake Martin IIrc were like 5,000+ hours to catch a 5lb fish lol.  

 

I'd say Wheeler is the hottest lake in the state, and perhaps hottest in the country at the moment.   Once it became a dynamite lake for LGMs too, it seems it took the lake into that elite class of fisheries.    Apparently, it's because they've allowed grass to come back in places.   

[Scott F]

3 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Here is some additional info from the In-Fisherman

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/10-Plus-Pound-Lake-Erie-Smallmouth-Smashes-68-Year-Record/466177?fbclid=IwAR1wliGDqYcOpohksy9iWXo9ZGx5l_RpREfD7FIJEg0D39EZd59AKmwPl54

I love how that it’s one of the biggest smallmouth ever caught, he still has to long arm it toward the camera. 

[gim]

6 hours ago, Scott F said:

EVERY Titanium Terminator spinner bait I ever had had the arms snap off. It’s true they don’t get bent up, but they are brittle and break off if bent too far. 

Yep, eventually they will snap.  But the durability certainly lasts a lot longer than one outing after a dozen slime darts have assaulted a steel framed one.  Once they are bent, they're toast.

 

Some of my terminators have lasted 10 years.

[Dwight Hottle]

Well here is the angler interview & video of the catch as well as the Ohio DNR chief official. I think it was prepared & presented by Fish USA.

 

[A-Jay]

Very cool and such a great smallmouth.

My take away from this interesting interview is that in the unlikely event that a fish like that ended up in my net, after some pics, video, a weight & measurements, I will also be filming the safe release. 

A-Jay

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 hour ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Well here is the angler interview & video of the catch as well as the Ohio DNR chief official. I think it was prepared & presented by Fish USA.

 

15 minutes in.....not a huge smallmouth guy, and I can already tell this is one of the best fishing tales, and two of the humblest likable Bass anglers I could imagine.

 

Beyond that my takeaway is obviously FFS will no doubt be the driving factor in WRs being broken.   By all practical purposes this is a fish that was targeted through FFS.   They saw the fish on sonar before she bit.    FFS will lead to the Smallmouth WR being broken......the others prehaps, but Smallmouths are so vulnerable to FFS.   

 

FFS is as cool as the current NV/FLIR tech.......wizard cool stuff.    

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

40 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Very cool and such a great smallmouth.

My take away from this interesting interview is that in the unlikely event that a fish like that ended up in my net, after some pics, video, a weight & measurements, I will also be filming the safe release. 

A-Jay

 

Wow, just got to that part of the video.

 

Changes my thinking on this whole story and catch.   What an absolute SHAME that fish was killed for a record in a book.   

 

Man that angers me, call me a tree hugger I don't care.   

 

I know for a fact you'd release that fish A-Jay, it's what I always compliment and appreciate about your big brown Bass videos.

 

Those two anglers would have wanted it released but they got swept up in the mania.   Ridiculous outcome, shameful.  

 

eta:   If you try your best to keep a fish alive during certification in order to release afterwards, and the fish dies, I have no problem with that.   But for the process from jumpstreet to call for the fish to be killed is again ludicrous.    

[T-Billy]

1 minute ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Ridiculous outcome, shameful.  

Legally caught. Legally kept. If I'd caught it, same thing would have happened. It's a bass, not a sacred cow. My hilljack taxidermist would have ate it and made me a beautiful mount.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 minute ago, T-Billy said:

Legally caught. Legally kept. If I'd caught it, same thing would have happened. It's a bass, not a sacred cow. My hilljack taxidermist would have ate it and made me a beautiful mount.

I never said it was illegal.

 

I guess I'm just selfish and want a once in a generation genetically unique fish to create as many offspring during her natural life as possible.  

 

We could debate this all day long, I'm a firm believer in every Bass over 5lbs should be released....Spot, LGM, or Smallmouth.   Genetics are a huge part of our fisheries success.   

 

Just my 2cents.....I expect to be the contrarian here so no hurt feelings.  

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

Very cool and such a great smallmouth.

My take away from this interesting interview is that in the unlikely event that a fish like that ended up in my net, after some pics, video, a weight & measurements, I will also be filming the safe release. 

A-Jay

 

Have you decided to take the trip to the local Walmart scales out of the equation, or is that still the plan in hopes it survives the trip? 

[Scott F]

10 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I never said it was illegal.

 

I guess I'm just selfish and want a once in a generation genetically unique fish to create as many offspring during her natural life as possible.  

 

We could debate this all day long, I'm a firm believer in every Bass over 5lbs should be released....Spot, LGM, or Smallmouth.   Genetics are a huge part of our fisheries success.   

 

Just my 2cents.....I expect to be the contrarian here so no hurt feelings.  

More than likely, that fish was pretty old and probably past its prime for producing more smallies. My local DNR releases older, usually the biggest smallmouth from their breeding program when they stop spawning. Because of this, I don’t have any problem with keeping a fish that is likely near the end of its life anyway. 

[Dwight Hottle]

If you listen to the chief of DNR later in the interview he said it is possible that the fish caught is a male. Contrary to all we know about the biggest of the species being female. Notice that this smallie was not gutted out indicating egg development or recent feeding. Also the province of Ontario required killing the fish to aid in the record process. This also allows a reproduction mold to be made and proper aging of the fish by examining the ear stones. I believe in catch & release but one dead record smallie will not hurt the fishery. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

He also said if he had to guess it was a younger fish, and then said it was a 16 or 17 year old fish.

 

He again said if he had to guess it was a female.    What I gathered is he doesn't really have a clue until they dissect the fish.

 

You could tell they were aware of the fact that people like me exist and would be critical of them killing one of the most amazing fishes of a generation.   

[T-Billy]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I guess I'm just selfish and want a once in a generation genetically unique fish to create as many offspring during her natural life as possible.  

Do you think that's the case? I'd bet there's hundreds if not thousands of SM that size swimming in the great lakes. Plus that fish has passed it's genetics on multiple times already.

[A-Jay]

47 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Have you decided to take the trip to the local Walmart scales out of the equation, or is that still the plan in hopes it survives the trip? 

First off, I did not intend on making this about what it’s become. 

But, Yes.

Nothing lasts forever and right now I've got a pretty good thing going.

The videos I do have plenty of potential to undermind that.

No need to ramp that up to an infinite level for any reason.

#hideinplainsight

A-Jay

 

 

[gim]

4 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Changes my thinking on this whole story and catch.   What an absolute SHAME that fish was killed for a record in a book. 

It would be the same here too in order to receive credit for a state record fish.  So essentially, if you want a state record, you have to be willing to kill a fish.  That's just how the rules are written here.  You have to decide if it's more important to get your name in the record book or safely release a large fish.

 

However, the MN DNR has recently added a length "catch and release" category for 4 species of larger fish here: flathead catfish, lake sturgeon, northern pike, and pure strain muskie.  In June, someone caught a new pure strain muskie for this category that was certified at 58 1/4 inches.  That fish was released fully alive.  Muskie anglers are very devoted to releasing fish safely though, perhaps more than any other demographic.  It is my hope that eventually, there will be a catch and release length category for every fish in the state record book here too.

 

As of right now, there is no catch and release length category for tiger muskies, which is very odd, since there is one for pike and pure strains.  I have contacted the MN DNR for them to add that species to their list.  I target these fish several times/season.

[Swamp Girl]

A fisher at Minnesota's Mille Lacs recently broke the state length record for muskies. He released her and speaking of the catch, he thanked all who had caught and gently released her over the years and said he looked forward to her being caught again and again. I love that guy. 

 

I also love how respectfully you guys disagree. For the record, I side with Alex. Protect the exceptional genes.