The best trophy Bass angler you've likely never heard of.....1100 fish over 10lbs

[AlabamaSpothunter]

So I came across this fellow named Pat Cullen of Valdosta, GA.   This man caught over 1100 fish weighing 10lbs or more.    

The article is old, his equipment is archaic, but his life story, process in which he goes about fishing, and ultimately the results are nothing short of stunning to read about.  

 

His style is spartan and caught almost these fish on one of four models of tailor made black on black buzzbaits fished at night.   He fished upwards 320 nights a year while maintaining a full-time accountant job.

 

The man combines many of the things I love about members here......he exhibits @WRB tenacity and lifelong dedication to catching the next WR(in the 80s Pat believed he was truly going to break the record), and his fishing style reminds me of Katie @Ol' Crickety.

 

Give it a read, it should brighten up your morning.   

 

1,113 Giant Bass… And Counting – Georgia Outdoor News (gon.com)

[Swamp Girl]

This is a great article about a great, great bass fisher. Thanks for the link, Alex.

 

P.S. - When a man who's caught more than a thousand DD bass says he's hooked the new world record once or twice, I so believe him.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

6 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

This is a great article about a great, great bass fisher. Thanks for the link, Alex.

I knew you'd appreciate it, you and Pat have a ton in common.   Some of the same reasons why you guys are so successful is preparation, mindset, and stealth.  He talks about scouting for lakes like you do, and his whole setup is based around stealth and portability like you.   

 

eta:    yeah I'm inclined to believe him as well.  He spent his entire adult life catching monsters and not really telling anybody about it.    It was only when he stopped going full throttle that he told his story it seems.  

[Swamp Girl]

Oh, yeah, he's my big brother, for sure. He used a plane to scout. I use Google Earth, but when I was a kid, I'd take my bike to scout for farm ponds right after a heavy rain when the ponds would leak and I could follow the the rivulets to the ponds. About ten days ago, to access a lake surrounded by private land, I baked some cookies for the landowner, much like Pat would trade accounting for access. And they were great cookies, with giant dark chocolate chips and roasted, salted pecans and real vanilla, so I know that landowner will remember me next spring!

 

Pat is also sound conscious, like I am, and fishes the lesser fished water, like I do. He even used/uses 17 lb. mono like me!

 

I'm only 1,113 ten-pound bass behind him, but my 19 and 20-inch bass thrill me like his ten-pound bass thrill him. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

5 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Oh, yeah, he's my big brother, for sure. He used a plane to scout. I use Google Earth, but when I was a kid, I'd take my bike to scout for farm ponds right after a heavy rain when the ponds would leak and I could follow the the rivulets to the ponds. About ten days ago, to access a lake surrounded by private land, I baked some cookies for the landowner, much like Pat would trade accounting for access. And they were great cookies, with giant dark chocolate chips and roasted, salted pecans and real vanilla, so I know that landowner will remember me next spring!

 

Pat is also sound conscious, like I am, and fishes the lesser fished water, like I do. He even used/uses 17 lb. mono like me!

 

I'm only 1,113 ten-pound bass behind him, but my 19 and 20-inch bass thrill me like his ten-pound bass thrill him. 

That awesome, and I knew you'd see yourself in this story.

 

If you combined WRB and yourself, you'd have Pat ?

[Aaron_H]

Thank you for sharing, that was a great read. I noticed his criteria aligns fairly closely with mine for narrowing down potential trophy bass ponds (age, forage, etc), though I lean towards smaller 5-15 acre ponds versus his 20 acre minimum since, being bank-bound for freshwater, I can cover more water proportionally on a smaller body of water.

 

One thing that surprised me is that he's using a medium rod paired with mono for a buzzbait, not really a conventional pairing these days (but it's clearly working for him). I would have assumed there was too much sponginess (especially with the more parabolic action of the Ugly Sticks) to get a really solid hookup with what are generally pretty heavy gauge hooks. His trailer hook and sharpening technique are probably offsetting that, and I assume he uses the lighter rod to load up easier with his casting technique.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

5 minutes ago, Aaron_H said:

Thank you for sharing, that was a great read. I noticed his criteria aligns fairly closely with mine for narrowing down potential trophy bass ponds (age, forage, etc), though I lean towards smaller 5-15 acre ponds versus his 20 acre minimum since, being bank-bound for freshwater, I can cover more water proportionally on a smaller body of water.

 

One thing that surprised me is that he's using a medium rod paired with mono for a buzzbait, not really a conventional pairing these days (but it's clearly working for him). I would have assumed there was too much sponginess (especially with the more parabolic action of the Ugly Sticks) to get a really solid hookup with what are generally pretty heavy gauge hooks. His trailer hook and sharpening technique are probably offsetting that, and I assume he uses the lighter rod to load up easier with his casting technique.

Yeah his rod setup blew my mind, but then again this was decades and decades ago.   

 

One thing I've noticed about all these trophy Bass legends, they are truly OCD.    They are extremely methodical about their approach, and more importantly they spend every waking free hour on the water.  

 

I still can't wrap my head around a 1000+ 10lb fish 

[TnRiver46]

Everybody knows you can’t catch big ones with cheap poles and no live scope 

 

It wouldn’t surprise me if Cullen did catch a record but just didn’t tell anyone since the guy that actually got the record from Georgia was dragged across the coals for it 

[Aaron_H]

6 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Yeah his rod setup blew my mind, but then again this was decades and decades ago.   

 

One thing I've noticed about all these trophy Bass legends, they are truly OCD.    They are extremely methodical about their approach, and more importantly they spend every waking free hour on the water.  

 

I still can't wrap my head around a 1000+ 10lb fish 

 

Yeah, I thought I was pretty hardcore fishing on average 110-125 days out of the year, but good lord.

[1984isNOW]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Everybody knows you can’t catch big ones with cheap poles and no live scope 

 

It wouldn’t surprise me if Cullen did catch a record but just didn’t tell anyone since the guy that actually got the record from Georgia was dragged across the coals for it 

Dragged across the coals? When and what!?!

 

I bumped into the Pat Cullen story a couple of years ago and reread the article a number of times, he and the Professor are the kind of fisherman I wish I could be. If only I had known about all this before I was married with kids I might have moved to CA or GA to catch a PB (&J) or at least spent more time alone on the water. Hopefully when the kids are grown enough I can sneak off more and do some late night excursions. 

 

I do also wonder what his equipment actually fished like - as we all know one manufacturer's medium is another's medium heavy.

[Captain Phil]

Back in the seventies I fished a national tournament out of Taylor Creek in Okeechobee.  I drew an angler who claimed to have caught 100 bass over ten pounds.  I spent all day fishing with this fellow and asked him to give me some advice.    He told me the secret to catching big bass consistently was to fish where they live.   Doug Hannon, The Bass Professor, was also known for locating special Ocala Forest lakes with giant bass.  The largest bass are not caught out of well publicized fishing holes.  Some of the largest bass I have seen came out of orange grove ponds of just a few acres.  There are private lakes in my area with gigantic bass swimming around.  No one ever fishes them, so they grow to enormous size.   The guy in this article is dedicated no doubt.  He is also probably single, although the article talks about his wife.  If I fished every night like he does, I know I would be.  ☺️

[AlabamaSpothunter]

5 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Back in the seventies I fished a national tournament out of Taylor Creek in Okeechobee.  I drew an angler who claimed to have caught 100 bass over ten pounds.  I spent all day fishing with this fellow and asked him to give me some advice.    He told me the secret to catching big bass consistently was to fish where they live.   Doug Hannon, The Bass Professor, was also known for locating special Ocala Forest lakes with big bass.  The largest bass are not caught out of well publicized fishing holes.  Some of the largest bass I have seen came out of orange grove ponds of just a few acres.  There are private lakes in my area with gigantic bass swimming around.  No one ever fishes them, so they grow to enormous size.   The guy in this article is dedicated no doubt.  He is also probably single. ☺️

That's the crazy thing he was married with kids.   He worked all day, went home spent time with family and slept for a couple of hours, then woke up and fished until he had to go to work again in the morning.

 

It's that level of compulsion that makes greatness I think.  

 

22 minutes ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

Dragged across the coals? When and what!?!

 

I bumped into the Pat Cullen story a couple of years ago and reread the article a number of times, he and the Professor are the kind of fisherman I wish I could be. If only I had known about all this before I was married with kids I might have moved to CA or GA to catch a PB (&J) or at least spent more time alone on the water. Hopefully when the kids are grown enough I can sneak off more and do some late night excursions. 

 

I do also wonder what his equipment actually fished like - as we all know one manufacturer's medium is another's medium heavy.

He might have been referring to the current Smallmouth Bass record holder.    He was certainly drug through the coals.

[TnRiver46]

On 11/8/2022 at 1:34 PM, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

Dragged across the coals? When and what!?!

 

I bumped into the Pat Cullen story a couple of years ago and reread the article a number of times, he and the Professor are the kind of fisherman I wish I could be. If only I had known about all this before I was married with kids I might have moved to CA or GA to catch a PB (&J) or at least spent more time alone on the water. Hopefully when the kids are grown enough I can sneak off more and do some late night excursions. 

 

I do also wonder what his equipment actually fished like - as we all know one manufacturer's medium is another's medium heavy.

People that weren’t alive still say that perry didn’t catch the record and people also drag him across the coals for eating it . Happens every time. The guy that caught the world record smallmouth says he wishes he never caught it 

 

It’s like clockwork, break a bass record and haters come out the woodwork 

[WRB]

Bassmaster magazine did a article on Pat Cullen after he caught his 18 lb bass about 20 years ago as I recall?

Tom

[Drew03cmc]

Pat passed away not long ago. I may or may not have wistfully shed a tear.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 hour ago, Drew03cmc said:

Pat passed away not long ago. I may or may not have wistfully shed a tear.

Hate to hear that, however unlike 99% of humans, his life will remain an inspiration to others long after he's gone.

 

He inspired me to throw a buzzbait for the first time in a long time today and I caught a ton of fish on it.....all because of Pat.  True story

[txchaser]

 

“You just want to use your wrist to snap a cast. I believe if you make a big, animated arm motion, you can spook a trophy bass,” he said.
 

I find something new every time I read this article. 

[Swamp Girl]

10 hours ago, txchaser said:

 

“You just want to use your wrist to snap a cast. I believe if you make a big, animated arm motion, you can spook a trophy bass,” he said.
 

I find something new every time I read this article. 

I also try to drop a lure as lightly as possible onto the water. 

[Zcoker]

Pat was certainly on to something fishing at night, sometimes all night every night. I can relate very well to that kind of lifestyle because I more or less do the same thing down here in the S. Florida Everglades. It's a tough life requiring extreme dedication to fight off the natural impulses of sleep and rest, very demanding on all the senses, and can way heavily on the family life. Not to mention out right dangerous! Yet fishing at night does indeed get the bigger fish. Pat took it one step further by going after bodies of water that no one fished. He made friends with the landowners and they gave him full reign to fish their ponds at night. Yet even on a body of water that may be fished heavily during the daytime, it's still very possible to to get monsters at night. Only much more probable in places that are never fished and are stocked well and managed well. Giants roam in places like that and guys like Pat figured that out and caught them, hundreds of them! Favorable odds stacked on the side of the fisherman, that's what it's all about, folks.

 

[Fishin Dad]

On 11/8/2022 at 9:32 AM, AlabamaSpothunter said:

So I came across this fellow named Pat Cullen of Valdosta, GA.   This man caught over 1100 fish weighing 10lbs or more.    

The article is old, his equipment is archaic, but his life story, process in which he goes about fishing, and ultimately the results are nothing short of stunning to read about.  

 

His style is spartan and caught almost these fish on one of four models of tailor made black on black buzzbaits fished at night.   He fished upwards 320 nights a year while maintaining a full-time accountant job.

 

The man combines many of the things I love about members here......he exhibits @WRB tenacity and lifelong dedication to catching the next WR(in the 80s Pat believed he was truly going to break the record), and his fishing style reminds me of Katie @Ol' Crickety.

 

Give it a read, it should brighten up your morning.   

 

1,113 Giant Bass… And Counting – Georgia Outdoor News (gon.com)

That article was amazing!   Now that is dedication to detail.   I am excited about trying this for sure.  I took some notes from the article.   Thanks for sharing that.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 hour ago, Fishin Dad said:

That article was amazing!   Now that is dedication to detail.   I am excited about trying this for sure.  I took some notes from the article.   Thanks for sharing that.  

Absolutely, I've made it a goal to fish 60 nights throwing a buzzbait after reading that article.  

 

Really inspiring stuff for sure. 

[Kyle S]

I've read about Pat on this site before but never got to read the attached article. Very interesting and a great read! Thanks for sharing!!! NIghtime fishing takes some serious dedication. The first thing that comes to mind is how much my family life would suffer. It's inspiring to see how Pat managed to balance his life throughout the years!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 minutes ago, Kyle S said:

I've read about Pat on this site before but never got to read the attached article. Very interesting and a great read! Thanks for sharing!!! NIghtime fishing takes some serious dedication. The first thing that comes to mind is how much my family life would suffer. It's inspiring to see how Pat managed to balance his life throughout the years!

Very true, and his level of dedication to a full time job, being a full time father, and then to be a full time night angler is incredible......that ole saying "I'll sleep when I'm dead" must have applied to this legend ?

 

His story, and Josh Jones recent interview where the world got to learn his humble cable guy backstory got me full of inspiration.   I love reading stories of the big Bass savants, it defies logic in my brain to catch even 10 fish over 10lbs, let alone 1000.   

[813basstard]

Awesome story..

Its always ALOT of heart and minimal stuff that owns these types of records.

 

He gets it..

[Bird]

Incredible dedication to trophy Bass fishing, unbelievable.

My wife wouldn't have stood for it.