Could this have been a defensive move?

[flechero]

Flechero. Yes, it's true that this has been said before, but not by me. I really think this is the last we will see of this particular bass. Time will tell.

Avid,

I wasn't calling you out on it, many people have said it.  And many people say something similar whenever a BIG fish gets caught and released.  But this fish has proved that they can live on for a long time to come.  This may have been her last time but she has lived way longer than people thought she could which only proves we are not as smart as we think, or that much of our research is flawed, on the lifespan of Bass.

Even if this particular fish is a freak of nature that lived longer than any others, it shows me that we have been wrong about these big and old bass.

There are enough people watching her now that if she goes belly up, we will probably hear about it.

[bobo]

Of course, she may be planted to the bottom with that 3lb weight they tossed in her and we'll never see her

[RoLo]

she may be planted to the bottom with that 3lb weight they tossed in her

That's not the way I got it.

I heard that they took her out to the middle of the lake, buried a hook solidly in her mouth,

tied a line to the hook, then buoy-marked the jumbo spool of 50-lb mono, and then released her.

JUST KIDD'N.....JUST KIDD'N ;D ;D > > ;D ;D

Roger

[earthworm77]

The reason why I asked this question was this:

On March 14th of this year, I learned of this fish being caught by someone out in California who is in the big bass circle. The weight, the person and the facts, pretty much dead on par with what was reported on March 20th. Now, the story broke a full six days before this catch was made public but the report said that the fish was caught on the 20th. Initially I thought it was just another April Fools joke come a little early but then I got some calls from my Staffers out there and it seemed to be legit.

Was it a smokescreen and did it really happen at Dixon. These guys are notorious for giving false info. After all Mike Long claimed this fish was dead several years ago and that he saw it floating on the surface.....I guess not.

I think there is more to this than a simply lone gunman theory.

[flechero]

I think there is more to this than a simply lone gunman theory.

If that is true, why add to the B.S.?

At this point, why claim info from a source? At least lend some credibility to your story and make up a name or something. Instead of another week of "I heard this" and "no but I heard this" etc., etc., etc. why not just come out with it, if this "source" is in fact real. If you have any real interest in finding out the truth, why the secrecy?

That sounds more "fishy" than everyone claims the story itself to be. But if, however, your story is correct... what then do we think (or believe) of all the witnesses on the scene... maybe ALL the witnesses have lied, and lied big.

Your "source" probably heard that this fish was spotted and not caught...

Besides, I think that anyone that knows dixon could look at the video and see where they are.

You are a week late with "new" speculation and conspiracy theory.

*Edited for decency. KN.  Apoligies to anyone that saw the original.

[Guest DavidGreen]

Could this have been a defensive move?

You bet they were in posession of an illegal fish.... It was no better than if they had jumped the fence and poached that fish after hours.

What I want to know is how in the world did anyone of those guys in that click know for sure that, that bass was one that they had caught before.

Did they tag and track that fish?, did they tatoo it with an identifying mark (beside the snag hole)?.  You can bet it isn't the only big bass in that 80 acre puddle.

I know that Mike Long stated he took scale samples for age verification (when he supposedly caught it) but how does he know it was the same bass he took the samples from.

How do they know for sure?

Tight Lines!  

[Captain Cali]

What I want to know is how in the world did anyone of those guys in that click know for sure that, that bass was one that they had caught before.

Did they tag and track that fish?, did they tatoo it with an identifying mark (beside the snag hole)?.  You can bet it isn't the only big bass in that 80 acre puddle.

I know that Mike Long stated he took scale samples for age verification (when he supposedly caught it) but how does he know it was the same bass he took the samples from.

How do they know for sure?

Tight Lines!  

Even better. Then that means there are more of them in the lake!!  

[Mattlures]

Earthworm I know who Photoman is and even though it was close to being right, it was an april fools joke. Just one heck of a coincidence.   But Photoman is in the know and hei recent posta are acurrate. I am in the know sometimes too  

[cart7t]

Cart7,

Happens all the time... fishing worms and lizards.  They pick up the tail, begin to swim off and I set hook- I have probably done it 20 or more times on lizards over the past 20 years.  If he was using a jig and it had a trailer of any length, it could happen just as easily.

Like I said, I've been fishing over 30 years and I can count the number of fish I've foul hooked using a single hook lure on one hand.  I don't know how you're fishing but most of those scenarios wind up with me reeling back in half a worm or none at all.  As for this fish, it was snagged up by the dorsal fin.  I'm still trying to figure the physics out on the chance of snagging a fish that high up on the body with any lure.  The line was clearly over the top of the fish if it was snagged that high.  If I pull on the line the jig will ride up the side of the fish with the hook point in a position not possible to hook into the side of the fish.  The only way I could see a jig snagging a fish in the location where this fish was, is if it wasn't a single hook jig but had a treble hook.  If the jig had a treble hook, which I have heard initial reports that it did have, then I'm more suspicious of the intent of these guys.  If your pitching a treble hooked jig into a bed and proceeding to blindly set the hook, like this guy did on numerous occasions, then I'd say he's intentionally trying to snag the fish and as far as I'm concerned this guy has no intergrity with me at all.  Cheap fishing.  

[Mattlures]

The Jig had no trailer, meaning NO TREBLE. I foul hook about 20 percent of my bed fish. Usualy its on the outside of the mouth but a few times it has been in the cheek and I have caught a couple by the dorsal. What happens is you see the fish inhale and you swing as the fish is exhailing the bait. The dorsal type snagg happens when the fish is facing away from youand your line is over its shoulder. You see the the fish go twards your bait. You see it flair its gill as it inhales. You might see your line tick but usualy at this point you are reasonaly sure the fish sucked it in. So you swing and you swing hard. Now sometimes the fish may not have even sucked it in but usualy it has. most foul hooking occures when yoou set the hook as the fish is spitting the bait. A jig will roll over and stick if swung hard and the dorsal is definatly a spot ware the hook will stick.

Again look at the facts. They were using a jig, no trailer. They caught the fish at around 8 in the morning witch means they had only bee on it for an hour or two. They knew what that fish was. Those are the facts. by their actions of releasing the fish so quickly and not waiting for certification it is reasonable to assume they knew it wouldnt count. They knew it was their shot. I think it is absolutyabsurd to think Mac tried to snagg it.  His best friend caught it before and Mike Long caught it before him. the fish would bite and probably did. He just misjudged nd the rest is history. Maybe if these guys were rookies then they might throw in the towel after an hour but be reasonable. Two of the three guys in that boat have caught bed fish that are listed in the top 25 of all time. They would not purposly blow their chance especialy with wittnesses watching them fish for her.

[Glenn]

I think it was a publicity stunt by Ike!  

[K_Mac]

I think it was a publicity stunt by Ike!

Troublemaker

[earthworm77]

Felch, next time, I'll run it by you first to make sure you approve. :

Whether the information I got was right or wrong, I certainly wouldn't post that persons name, that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. That would pretty much kill any privleged info coming my way in the future. If I told you Mr. Brown gave me that info, does it really matter. I too want to know what really happened.

Matt, that guy was really close with just about everything he said. I know you are in the know, you just never answer your emails. lol Any truth to a 21.5 caught yesterday at ?Shasta?

[Mattlures]

Yes A freind of mine caught it. 21.5 but I wont say wich lake. I will say it when he does. I dont know wich emails i havent answered but I believe you. Send them to my website. i am usualy pretty good about answering them.

there are more big bass over 20lbs and a few over the WR that a few of us know about. Its only a matter of time.

Also for the doubters, look at the picture of Mike Winn holding Macs bass. Look just under his hand and see the black spot. That is how we know its the same fish. Its name is Pokadot

[flechero]

Flech, next time, I'll run it by you first to make sure you approve. :

Whether the information I got was right or wrong, I certainly wouldn't post that persons name, that is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. That would pretty much kill any privleged info coming my way in the future. If I told you Mr. Brown gave me that info, does it really matter. I too want to know what really happened.

When you post info a week after the catch and 2 weeks after you got it, from some anonymous source... it comes across like a made up "lets keep the story alive" kind of talk. I would have been more inclined to belive it at this late stage if you had said "a friend of mine, john doe said....."

Earthworm I know who Photoman is and even though it was close to being right, it was an april fools joke.

Looks like "Mr. Brown" had a little fun with you after all.

[earthworm77]

If photoman was my source you would be correct. ;D

Perhaps the person who told me heard it from him. Doesn't matter. This thread is surely better than another Ike thread.