Predict your 2024 biggest bass

[Boomstick]

This year I’m going to land a 8 pounder. I came real close to what may have very well been a 8 last year, knot broke as I got it to the side of my kayak. 2024 is gonna be the year!

[MN Fisher]

I'm just gonna shoot for 5+ and cross my fingers.

[Woody B]

So far for Largemouth 21 3/4" long at only 5.04 pounds.  Also a 3.66 pound Spot.  My PB Spot is 4 pounds, 15 ounces.  

 

I'd like to catch a 6 pound Spot but most of the time when I get into Spots they're small, so I go back to targeting Largemouth.   

 

I consider Largemouth to be "getting there" at 5 pounds, and really good at 6.  At least in the waters I fish.   I caught 2 over 6 pounds last year, and an additional 10 between 5 and 6.   My biggest since I got my current boat is 7 lbs 13 oz.   I think there's an 8 pounder swimming in the waters I fish with my name on it.   (My PB is 10 1/4 over 30 years ago.  Beating that would be cool but I don't think realistic where I fish)

 

A 6 pound Spot, or an 8 pound Largemouth and I'll take a bunch of pictures and measurements to have a replica made.  I have a replica of the 48 inch long 53 pound Flathead Cat I caught in 2022.   

[Blue Raider Bob]

19 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Smallmouth on the Tennessee River, 12 lbs.

 

Largemouth at Ray Roberts, Texas, 13 lbs

 

 

                                                     

I've seen you fish. Those goals are attainable!

 

[Swamp Girl]

I think I can break seven pounds in a LMB. Heck, I think I had a few fish hooked last year that might have topped eight pounds or more, but to land a bass that big, I'd need PERFECT conditions, i.e. no reeds within reach and few weeds in the water...and I rarely have that. I could take you back to each spot where I hooked a bass that overwhelmed me and tell you the exact conditions at the time and how those bass just took out line until they reached weeds and shucked the hooks. It's the price I pay for being a bog basser.

 

My smallies are all the same size, fat 15-16-inchers. I don't know why I don't catch bigger ones. I don't target them. I simply catch them when I drift over rock instead of weeds.

 

I agree that @roadwarrior could catch the next world record.

[king fisher]

I have changed my prediction.  My biggest bass will be a 25 pound largemouth.  I will catch it on a Diawa rod, Diawa reel, Sunline line, 6th. Sense lure, with VMC hooks, fishing from a Hobie Kayak.

      I am willing to accept any free gear or cash right now from any sponsors who want to get to the party early.

 

 

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

@king fisher: We've seen your bass. None of us would bet again' ya.

 

As far as sponsors, I bought a new, yellow Gore-Tex (well, used, but new to me) jacket to replace my 40-year old Gore-Tex jacket in puke pink. I would like to give you old "Puke Pinky" to become your first sponsor. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

I’m going to catch a 10# bass this year. I’ve been visualizing every day while I have a minute of free time. 

[T-Billy]

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

It's the price I pay for being a bog basser.

You'll be armed with some heavier artillery this year. Lock that drag down on your H stick and don't give em an inch.

[Swamp Girl]

37 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

You'll be armed with some heavier artillery this year. Lock that drag down on your H stick and don't give em an inch.

 

Tim, I was thinking I'd be vertical fishing when the mat of weeds formed and I'd drop my bait into the pockets in the weeds. Is this correct or can I also fish vertically before the weeds appear?

[gim]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

Lock that drag down on your H stick and don't give em an inch.

#straightbraidbrigade

Like fishing with rope lol

[PaulVE64]

4.5# smallie on spinning gear

4# smallie on fly gear

[T-Billy]

You'll want to fish more vertical once the weeds are up. Some days they'll be in the pockets, some days they'll be buried under the canopy. Fishing vertical doesn't necessarily mean straight down. Just think in terms of short pitches to where your line is at a 45 degree angle or less. That gets your bait in and out of cover cleaner, and makes it easier to move the fish up out of it.

 You'll have more control over those beasts of the bog this way. They can pull that light canoe of yours around horizontally on a longer cast, but they ain't gonna pull you under when you're over top of them. You have the leverage advantage in close.

4 hours ago, gimruis said:

#straightbraidbrigade

Like fishing with rope lol

Lol. Never take a knife to a gunfight.

[Dwight Hottle]

Predictions are the sweetest when they become reality. 8lb smallmouth & 12lb largemouth. 

[gim]

10 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Predictions are the sweetest when they become reality. 8lb smallmouth & 12lb largemouth. 

 

Well played.  Marked as solution.

[A-Jay]

31 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Predictions are the sweetest when they become reality. 8lb smallmouth & 12lb largemouth. 

Good Luck ~

A-Jay

[casts_by_fly]

I'm planning to get back to PA with my dad at prime time this year for both smallies and largemouth on his waters.  The lake we caugth so many 4-4.5 lb fish last year has had them growing at 1.5 lb per year.  They will slow down, but there are going to be a lot of 5's in that lake this summer.  I don't know the exact weight on my PB largemouth as it was 25 years ago before we truly weighed fish but it was a 5-something.  My recent PB (since 2020 when I restarted bass fishing) is a 4-15 and that's getting broken this year.  At minimum with a 5-08 with him.  I lost a 6+ last year locally with him in the boat, so... maybe I should just predict my PB will come in my dad's boat.  Its going to come on a texas rigged something, maybe a rage bug, maybe not.

 

Same for smallies.  My PB is a 4-03 on a local lake 2 Marches ago.  I plan to hit another 4+ from that lake this year which may or may not break that PB.  However my dad's lake is good for plenty of 5's a year for him.  Last year he got a 6-08.  Almost all on topwater (sexy dawgs).  I'm going to go out on a limb and say I catch a smallmouth bigger than my largemouth PB this year.  I'm going to say 5-03 on the smallie.  Almost certainly on a sexy dawg, maybe on a small keitech.

[TOXIC]

Not so much a guess as a hope….the same hope I have every year.  I’ll be gunning for my best largemouth soon because we leave Friday for headwaters in Florida for a week.  My goal is a double digit.  We’ll be heading to Michigan and lake St Clair at the end of May and my smallmouth goal is one over 6lbs.  If I get 7 or above, I’ll get a replica made.  For the majority of the year fishing here locally in Virginia, it’s more about the fun times and the variety of freshwater fish we catch.  

[Jmurphy87]

I will settle for anything over 5lbs, I know there here for sure. Just gotta find em, although I was talking to a buddy last year who does tournaments and he said that he didn’t see many fish over 5lbs. My goal is a 7lb largemouth, it’s been extremely difficult for me to break the 5lb barrier though. Although one of the lakes that I fish probably has them it’s a private lake with no boat access. The only access is from a park and wading the bank, I gotta finish sealing up my boat that my friend gave me a nice old beat up John boat 10 foot that he use to use on the river so I might pull it off. There’s always hope and a way just gotta persevere through it all.

[thediscochef]

2lb largemouth

Still searching for bite #1 of the year. Weather is finally improving but naturally I'm busy as heck

[roadwarrior]

8 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

2lb largemouth

Still searching for bite #1 of the year. Weather is finally improving but naturally I'm busy as heck

Hmm...

The current lake record (Ray Roberts) for largemouth bass is 15.18 pounds. I suggest hiring a guide.

[FryDog62]

Biggest so far in 2024 is 23 inches, not sure I can exceed that but the year is still young…

[MN Fisher]

40 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Biggest so far in 2024 is 23 inches, not sure I can exceed that but the year is still young…

But,..But....Chris - you're missing hard-water season 'back home'.

[thediscochef]

2 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Hmm...

The current lake record (Ray Roberts) for largemouth bass is 15.18 pounds. I suggest hiring a guide.

My usual roberts guide is responsible for the lake record lol he had Shannon on his boat that day

That was also during a long drought period eight years ago, the average size has decreased since removing the slot limit. They still catch plenty of DD out there but it's been some time since I heard of anyone getting close to a lake record. 

 

Realistically I'll probably cap out around 8lb this year just like the last two

I am notoriously hot garbage in the winter so

[Pat Brown]

Welp.  Look like I might have gotten it taken care of tonight 🥹🥹🥹