Weakley speaks out on 25 lber...

[Biglouie]

***.com has an article posted on an interview they did with Weakely, the gentleman who caught the big toad on Lake Dixon. It is pretty good. Answers most everybody's questions. Sounds like a good honest guy.

[Pond-Pro]

Great interview, thanks!

[roadwarrior]

WOW!

[Captain Cali]

Very good interview. Sounds like a stand up guy to me.

My favorite quote is:

"The thing that's really sad is, I feel this record's really tarnished by everybody looking at it for this big cash-in they're going to get. That's why I think the record is so popular."

[Valascus]

Heh. He sounds like a good enough dude to me. It seems to me that he came clean. I respect that. But this much is certain....at least everyone knows that Perry's Record isn't as untouchable as everyone once thought it to be. Tons and tons of dreamers wanting to catch the WR. Well now eveyone knows that it exists and can be done. Should be fun to watch for it to fall sometime soon...and it looks, to me anyway, that it will happen in CA. Although TX has it's fair share of beasts. Don't know if there are any as big as that CA toad...but who knows.

Weakley also makes a good point about the IGFA. I read through the rulebook over the last few days. He is right. There are some gray areas in the book that should be refined. And I am with him on the fact that the WR fish should come out of public waters. So EVERYONE has a shot...and a fair shot at that.

[Guest avid]

Very good interview. Sounds like a stand up guy to me.

My favorite quote is:

"The thing that's really sad is, I feel this record's really tarnished by everybody looking at it for this big cash-in they're going to get. That's why I think the record is so popular."

Who does this guy think he's kidding.

My favorite quote "He did offer to pay Kyle Malmstrom $1,000 on Sun., March 19 for a 30-minute chance at the fish.

Paying for exclusive fishing rights in public waters?   This opens a pretty big can of worms in my book.  Notice he was careful to not to say that Mr Malmstrom accepted the bribe, but this is outrageous, and if Dixon is public water and Mr. Malmstrom a public employee, then bribery or attempted bribery is a criminal act.  At the very least this guy should have his fishing license revoked.  

Not a standup guy at all.  I believe he would have submitted the bass for the world record, but after "conferencing" with his pals decided he wouldn't get away with it.

I hate to say this, I truly do, but I wish the fish had been killed.  Let the world record be caught in a fair chase manner, not repeatedly targeting this magnificent animal

[Captain Cali]

The $1,000 was not accepted by anyone. The guy they offered the cash to even said he didn't take any money. And so what if they offered him some cash and a few rods for a shot at the fish. If the guy accepted the offer then shame on him. But he didn't take the offer because he knew what was down there. Mac admitted to making the offer so that's pretty stand up to me.

That's the problem Mac was talking about with this record. Everyone, almost everyone, is in it more for the $$$$$$$$ than anything else.

[Guest avid]

He tries to bribe his way to a record fish and that's a stand up guy?????????

[Captain Cali]

I really don't think the offer is that big of a deal. They could have been joking with the guy just to see what he was going to say. It sounds like they were serious but maybe they knew the guy would never leave that fish so they started throwing numbers in his face. Big deal.

[Valascus]

He may not have been a stand up guy for trying to bribe the gentleman, but I think he is a stand up guy for at least admitting that he did it. He probably knows that a lot of people will see it the same way you do avid. It takes a man to step up in front of the entire world and say "Yes...I did this...I made a mistake." If he had really wanted to he could have continued on and submitted to the IGFA despite all the controversy swirling around it. Probably wouldn't have been approved, but he could have done it.  

[bobo]

It's called karma. I always say, you make your own luck. You're seeing a fine example of it with this catch...

The only standup guy i've seen from all this is the 18 year old kid. Hats off to him for his actions. I'll admit it, had I been that kid and mac used the loophole to already be out on the lake and I was first in line.... after I showed this guy the dang fish in the first place... It may have took more than his 2 friends to pull me off him Gotta kid the kid credit through all this...

[Valascus]

I don't think what Weakley did getting a camping permit in order to get to the fish first was wrong. He simply happened to know that he could do that. That was fair game. If the other kid would have known the same thing he too could have done it.

[Guest avid]

Well, I don't want to beat this to death, and apparantly I am in the minority, but I think that what he did was despicable, and the fact that he admitted it only tells me that too many other people knew about his actions for him to try and get away with it.  

His whining about how sad it is that people are pursuing the record for money is gross hypocrisy.  

a "stand up" guy in my book is the one out there fishing other parts of the lake because He believes "if the lake holds one record bass maybe it holds another".  I truly believe there are guys out there doing just that.  

[RoLo]

Kudos Avid, you made several valid points that I visited as well.

Remember the very first story, before it was reshaped? I do.

After he landed that fish, someone else had to SHOUT aloud that it was "foul-hooked",

before he ever acknowledged the fact. I'm not implying that he foul-hooked the bass on purpose.

I'm implying that Weakley wanted it so bad, he could taste it! That's why bribery would even enter

his mind. Would you have thought to offer another fisherman $1000 for the right to catch his fish.

I give him no credit for admitting anything, he was trapped and had no choice.

Hey, we've got "stand-up" guys right here in the forum, plenty of them. Don't go for the bait,

and don't put this guy in our category. I'm afraid there's no Boo-Hoo here,

and no room on my pedestal for Weakley. But of course, to each his own.

Roger

[Rattletrap]

Heh. He sounds like a good enough dude to me. It seems to me that he came clean. I respect that. But this much is certain....at least everyone knows that Perry's Record isn't as untouchable as everyone once thought it to be. Tons and tons of dreamers wanting to catch the WR. Well now eveyone knows that it exists and can be done. Should be fun to watch for it to fall sometime soon...and it looks, to me anyway, that it will happen in CA. Although TX has it's fair share of beasts. Don't know if there are any as big as that CA toad...but who knows.

Weakley also makes a good point about the IGFA. I read through the rulebook over the last few days. He is right. There are some gray areas in the book that should be refined. And I am with him on the fact that the WR fish should come out of public waters. So EVERYONE has a shot...and a fair shot at that.

We here in Georgia new that the WR was touchable as soon as Cali started producing 20lb plus bass in the 90's. I just hope the WR remains in the USA.

[Pond-Pro]

Intresting points. I feal that Weakley really wanted the fish, and 1k wasnt much to him. I think many other people would have donet things they normally wouldnt do when placed in a situation like Weakley was. At least credit him for caring for the bass and releasing it as quick as possible.

[KYbass1276]

And I am with him on the fact that the WR fish should come out of public waters. So EVERYONE has a shot...and a fair shot at that.

As long as the fish dosen't come from a private pond where the fish are fed for the purpose of growing bigger fish and it's left as natrural as public waters then I don't see a problem with it coming from a private water.    I really don't see why he would say that he has a more than fair chance at catching the WR than alot of other fisherman out there. The fact of the matter is we all have the oppurtunity to catch a world record it just a matter of how much effort that one puts in to it  A world record fish is a world record fish no matter if was caught in public waters or private as long as the criteria as stated above is met.

[Captain Cali]

I understand people not liking the fact that the offer was made. But Mac could easily deny that any offer was ever made. He should be given some credit for admitting that. The fact that he bought a camping permit doesn't bother me. Anyone could have done the same exact thing. As far as killing the bass, I don't see why anyone would want that. Especially at this time of year. She is loaded with eggs. I hope people give her a break and let her spawn. The next 25 could be one of those eggs.

[FL_fisher]

Im with avid on this. I also dont see how you foul hook a bass on a bed and not try to. If the fish takes your bait your not going to hook the fish in the side.

[FL_fisher]

Throw in the fact that the people on the dock said he missed the fish 4 times and things really get fishy.

[5bass]

Im with avid on this. I also dont see how you foul hook a bass on a bed and not try to. If the fish takes your bait your not going to hook the fish in the side.

If I remember the story right,he was fishing a 10-12 ft deep bed and the monster nosed down on his jig,he lost sight of the jig and set the hook.......I cant say that I wouldnt have done the same thing.........if I see a bass go nose down on my jig and then I lose sight of the jig,I'm setting the hook HARD!Whenever your bed fishing and you see the bass go pretty much vertical near your bait,9 times out of 10,you are about to get bit.And I'm sure at that point the dude was shaking like a leaf knowing he was about to battle with a real monster.

[JayDub]

The $1,000 was not accepted by anyone. The guy they offered the cash to even said he didn't take any money. And so what if they offered him some cash and a few rods for a shot at the fish. If the guy accepted the offer then shame on him. But he didn't take the offer because he knew what was down there. Mac admitted to making the offer so that's pretty stand up to me.

That's the problem Mac was talking about with this record. Everyone, almost everyone, is in it more for the $$$$$$$$ than anything else.

Exactly... almost everyone IS in it for the money when it comes to the world record INCLUDING these guys.  Why else would someone offer a grand to get off a fish so they could catch it instead?  SO HE COULD GET MILLIONS WHEN HE CATCHES IT!  The only reason they decided to let it go and not pursue the record:

1. They caught and retained it ILLEGALLY!.

2. They KNEW there was no way it would become certified as the world record.

Now they look like great guys because they released it and are not pursuing it because "they are not in it for the money"!?!? GIVE ME A BREAK!  They just want people on their side in case they catch the thing again legally and THEN they will go for the millions.  I CAN'T BELIEVE that people are praising this guy for not pursing it when he BROKE THE LAW and it was all captured on film!!!  THIS IS RIDICULOUS!  > (note that i am not directing this toward you Roger)

[Madhouse27]

Man, I don't know what to think of all this  

[flechero]

Im with avid on this. I also dont see how you foul hook a bass on a bed and not try to. If the fish takes your bait your not going to hook the fish in the side.

Throw in the fact that the people on the dock said he missed the fish 4 times and things really get fishy.

Spoken like someone without much sight fishing experience.

Hate to break it to you Fl, fish bump and sweep stuff off beds all the time... with the mouth closed. And at 15 feet, I don't care how clear the water is, visibility isn't great.

This also could be as simple as the fish's tail hit the line and it felt like a strike.

Either way, many of you guys seem pretty eager to trash someone... and I just don't see why. No one here has been through life without foul hooking or gut hooking or just flat missing fish. It happens to everyone, just this time it was with a giant. That's bad luck, and no reason to kick a guy who just landed a 25 lb. bass.

Anyone remember this quote: "let he who is without sin cast the first stone"  

[Biglouie]

I guess everyone has their own opinions, I'm sticking with my original. Sounds like the $1000 bribe really irks some folks here. What if the next WR buck comes from a hunter who paid a guide/outfitter $2500? Would you have a problem with that? What if the WR Bass comes from a guy who paid a guide $500 for a day of fishing? Would you have a problem with that too? I am really not trying to be sarcastic about this, I'm just curious. Or is it more than the money issue? I have a feeling it is.

Remember too, the other guy fished for this toad for several hours without any luck. Weakley wasn't paying $1000 to buy the fish, he simply wanted an opportunity (30 minutes) to fish for it. I don't think that's such a "bad thing". Him and his friends have been chasing a WR for years. I wouldn't have done it, but I'm not going to rip a guy apart over this one issue.

The first thing I thought of when I started reading the posts on this a couple days ago was the "Rompola Buck". Remember that controversy!

**on edit**

Amen Flechero!