Certfied scale is less than 100 yds from dock.

[Matt Fly]

Can any of the Cali boys tell me why that fish wasn't weighed on the certified scales.

The funny side of this story is, Dixon has certified scales 100yds from dock.  

These guys are amoung the best in the country for hunting big bass.   We've seen these guys landing big fish with video recorders in the boat, and yet they didn't use certified scales that are available.    

I don't call putting a rope through the mouth as the best handling scenerio considered these guys are "supposedly prepared every trip".   After all he had all night to get prepared.

I just thought they were the best in the situations.

[Raul]

Maybe because under CA law the possesion of the fish is illegal if it is not caught by the mouth ?

[Matt Fly]

Raul, you and I know Mexico and Cuba are potential waters to produce a WR bass.

Ever think of the rucuss it will cause when Cuba lands the record?

They call this the largest ever, maybe the largest illegal ever, but no body mention the 26 lber found dead in Mexico with the 3lb Tilapia stuck in her throat.

There one out there, they didn't get that big by being easy.

And on the illegal note, it should have never went to the dock in that case.   I to would taken pictures and weighed in the boat, the same thing could have been done on the water as it was on the dock.  Then released it.   By taking it to the dock, you just woke up all the other big bass chasers.    They could have down played the weight in the boat as not to alert everyone, but once someone else got to see the scales, the hysteria is on.

[Captain Cali]

How does a dead 26 pound fish compare to a live 25 pound fish? I don't hear anyone deny that Cuba or Mexico hold HUGE bass, possible records.

I don't know why the fish wasn't weighed on the certified scale but I can only assume that since they knew it probably wouldn't stand as the WR, why even bother taking that fish 100 yards out of the water. Let me guess, the bass would have been placed on it's side to be weighed, correct? All that weight could have killed her right then and there.

[Pond-Pro]

     According to what Weakley said, he just wanted to get the fish back in the water as soon as possible. As soon as he realized that he couldnt get away with foul hooking the fish, he just wanted to make sure it lives. I would want the scale he used to be tested to see if ii was accurate.

[Matt Fly]

Don't really care what he said, but what he did.    Cali law was first to consider, and it doesn't take that long, a hook in the back by the dorsal to know the law said no.   So it took over 20 minutes to release.  After you stick a hole in its mouth before releasing, they call it a stringer, it looked like the boat rope that comes with those boats IMO.    Pretty large diameter of a stringer.

The 26 pounder is to show there are other fish out there beside Cali that has a shot.    Mattlures has said on other threads largest ever, and its not.

[Captain Cali]

Come on dude. So they held the fish for 20 minutes. The law was technically broken but a DFG warden is on record saying he probably wouldn't have sited them even if he saw it. Now everyone is a law enforcement officer and would have sited them on the spot. Give me a break. :

The fact is this is the biggest bass we have evidence of that was caught with a rod, reel, and line. Not some dead floater or a fish that was caught in a net.

[Matt Fly]

How does a dead . Let me guess, the bass would have been placed on it's side to be weighed, correct? All that weight could have killed her right then and there.

Do you have any thing to back that up, laying a bass on their side could kill them.   Because biologist do that alot, and I'd think they would know best how to handle a fish.   Plus, the sharelunker web site would state what not to do.

Never heard that before.

[Matt Fly]

Come on dude. So they held the fish for 20 minutes. The law was technically broken but a DFG warden is on record saying he probably wouldn't have sited them even if he saw it. Now everyone is a law enforcement officer and would have sited them on the spot. Give me a break. :

The fact is this is the biggest bass we have evidence of that was caught with a rod, reel, and line. Not some dead floater or a fish that was caught in a net.

As per california law, this does not constitute a catch.   On your theory, 310, they won't take her an extra 100 yds, but will put a hole through its mouth, take her to the dock and dilly dally in the middle of the lake with the fish in tow.

[Raul]

Well if a WR is ever caught in Mexico you can be shure of one thing, it 's going to be presented to the certified scale pretty much DEAD, refigerated and stiff as a rock, the closest certified scale is not 100 yards away, 100 miles sound just about right. Don 't know if in EL Salto or Bacurato there 's IGFA certified scale, I do know that there 's one in Mazatlán ........too far to take the fish alive.

According to what Weakley said, he just wanted to get the fish back in the water as soon as possible. As soon as he realized that he couldnt get away with foul hooking the fish, he just wanted to make sure it lives.

Put yourself into the position of a trophy hunter, specifically a WR trophy hunter, don 't you think that if you are in pursue of it you know the IGFA rule book as well as you know the palm of your hand ? foul hooking a fish if done unintentionally does not disqualify the catch, I 'm no record hunter and I know that. He knew that we wasn 't going to get away because there were witnesses and even a video of the catch.

I would want the scale he used to be tested to see if ii was accurate.

Yes sir indeed, 25.1 doesn 't necessarily mean it is really 25.1 until your scale is proven accurate.

Let me guess, the bass would have been placed on it's side to be weighed, correct? All that weight could have killed her right then and there

No sir it wouldn 't, I 've worked at the fish hatcheries here in Mexico and handled bigger fish of many species and it never happened anything to them.

[blanked]

all this talk about cali law.  if a wr was caught  foul hooked in a place that does not have the same law would the record stand, technically speaking?      

[Vermonster]

Matt,

I'd like to see the video again, because as far as I can tell, they didn't put a hole through it's mouth.  They just slipped the rope under the gill plate and through the mouth.  You're making it seem like they damaged her.  Are you just assuming this????

[Matt Fly]

Are you just assuming they pulled the rope through the gill plates, either is bad, specially the gills.

I believe if you go to bassmasters and watch the video, you see the rope through the bottom lip.

I'm really glad to see big fish.   Those guys work their arses off all the time.   Its the other people defending what they did or didn't do that riles the story.

I just knew that it was against Cali law, they did to, yet 20 minutes could be under estimated, as the dock worker said they spent 20 minutes out in the middle of the lake talking about it.    Some give Kudos for releasing it.   I just think of all the times on this forum and others, we get force fed how great and passionate they are about these large fish, and its not the first time to have one not get credited.    Simple pictures and video and weigh it, doesn't take however long it took.     The meeting in the middle of the lake appears to be how to get around the foul hook.    Correct me if I'm wrong, and ya'll will, but does it take a private meeting in the middle of the lake to know right from wrong and when to release it.

What else could they be discussing, IGFA doesn't even enter the picture until state laws are met.   And when I lived there, I knew of the rules.

We had our greatest angler debates, swimbaits, and trout debates before, and the last chapter should be ethics.   Cause the passion that has been said about these guys didn't show.    I said I would have taken pictures and weighed it myself also, but you guys haven't had a steady diet of someone else tooting my horn all those months prior.     They didn't seem to be prepared for a WR in my honest opinion, and I think their actions, not mine attest to that.

[earthworm77]

Roger, 100% agree with you, this is THE largest living bass anyone has ever seen. Case closed!

[Vermonster]

Not through the gills Matt, but the gill plate.  No damage will be done.....

[0119]

I think the 26lb dead bass is just as interesting.  Just how big can a bass get.  Better yet, how big can a bass get in a "normal" environment.  Can you call the california lakes that produce those huge bass, a "normal" environment.  A sub species, transplanted across the country.  Able to benefit from a artificially or at least man provided food source.  I'd very much like to know what a "normal" bass living and feeding as it does everywhere else in its range can get.

[roadwarrior]

How 'bout 22 lbs. 4 oz.?

That might be a little bit above average, I think that only comes around about once every 75 years or so.

[Vermonster]

I think the 26lb dead bass is just as interesting. Just how big can a bass get. Better yet, how big can a bass get in a "normal" environment. Can you call the california lakes that produce those huge bass, a "normal" environment. A sub species, transplanted across the country. Able to benefit from a artificially or at least man provided food source. I'd very much like to know what a "normal" bass living and feeding as it does everywhere else in its range can get.

The transplanting idea won't hold water. Elk, Deer, Turkey's, Pheasants, fish, etc., have all been transplanted at one time or another throughout the country. Do we not let in any of those animals to their respective record books?  The food idea is interesting, but I still think you could call it sorta normal.

As for the "normal bass" with "normal food", you know what I find interesting. The research I've seen shows that lifespan and size are shorter/smaller in captive bass. I find it suprising, since you could feed them what you want, no predators, etc. Kinda cool......

[NJ_Stump_Grinder]

Does any of it really matter?

It's not a new world record.

But that fish's days are now surely numbered.

Every yahoo in the US is out there throwing rigs at it.

Lets face it, even if it were left alone..... how much time does it have left?

I'd rather think of it gliding away into the "deep" and living another few years never to be seen again.

[tennsopher]

California has been producing some giants lately on super nutrition.Barry Bonds comes to mind for instance.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

LOL  

[Landinlunkers]

This is from the another site interview of Mac Weakley

There was a certified scale at Dixon when Jed weighed his fish, but it's no longer there, right?

Before, back when Jed weighed his fish, there was a certified digital scale up on the dock. What happened was, the man that owned the dock and concession stand his name was Lyle he got rid of the dock, and apparently the city owns the rights to the concession stand.

Lyle took his certified scale. But after the fact, (lake superintendent) Tony Smock told us they have a digital scale in the ranger station.  

First of all, I didn't know they had that scale. Second, I was not about to go toting that fish all over the place. It's not right when there's a whole circus around with a bunch of people poking at it and lifting it out of the water.

When Jed weighed his fish, at the end of the day, at least a hundred people had to pick up Jed's fish just to see it. That's what people aren't looking at here. People want to bring up a bunch of negative crap because it sells, and people are jealous.

The thing they shouldn't discount is the fact the fish weighed 25 pounds. There's no doubt it was foul-hooked, and no doubt it shouldn't qualify, but it weighed 25 pounds.

[hendrix190]

Maybe because under CA law the possesion of the fish is illegal if it is not caught by the mouth ?

what a ridicioulous law.... how does the game warden prove the fish was not caught in the mouth, other than eye witnesses and the honesty of the fishermen, if theres some wound on the bass , that could be caused by anything, i wonder how much they actually enforce this law

and whats this about a 26 lber dead? i googled it and i didnt find anything , anyone have a link to it? sounds very enteresting.