What is a "big bass" in your neck of the woods.

[Mattlures]

I think CC nailed it. Even though we have giant bass an 8lber is still a big fish. You should see the trout guys look at me when I pull in an 8 in front of them they all think I just caught a 15lber. The bench mark is still 10. Thats where the counting starts. When your at the highest level 15lbs is where the counting starts. I am not at that level.

[Fish Chris]

Now this is an interesting question, because if you ask a whole lot of Nor Cal guys who fish tournies, or who fish with normal "numbers" techniques, they would probably tell you that an 8 lb'er is pretty darn big, and that a 10 lb'er was a hawg !

But you asked, "what was a big fish for the area"...... Well, hardly a trip goes by that I don't 'see' a 10 to 12 lb'er... or 2, or 3 of them (I tend to sight more big ones than most guys, because of my oddball positioning up in the shallows). Of course catching them can be quite a different story :-)

So I guess what I'm saying is, a 10 lb'er, or even a 12 is not really that big for this area, but it is "very big" for most of the guys that fish in this area.

The top end size in many / most of our best trophy bass lakes seems to be somewhere around 18 lbs.

Personaly speaking, I have caught several fish in the 8 to 9 1/2 lb range, that I did not even bother to photograph, in the last couple years..... then when I get a low 10, I might feel like, "Okay..... I guess I have to get a few shots, as I have a photo of every other 10 plus I have ever caught, so I can't ruin that record now"...... But for me to get all whacky, jittery, dry mouthed, and just generally freaked out, it needs to be a 15 plus.

As always, I have to reiterate, "anybody" who lives here, who fishes as much as I do, and who fishes specifically for big fish, would catch at least as many, and probably more double digit bass than I have. I have just been really fortunate / blessed... or whatever you want to call it.

Great fishing to you guys,

Peace,

Fish

[mudcatwilly]

Out here in California, I think something like 23 of the 25 largest bass on record have been caught here.  6 pounds and up is a big fish anywhere, but usually only fish greater than 12 pounds or so get mentioned in the California Bass magazines.

[Rattlinrogue]

A lot of 7,8,and 9 pouders are caught down here,but the magic number is 10!

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

You California guys need to come spend a summer with me. Reality check is free, I won't even charge you to see how we struggle in the cold! We got 5 lbrs that are probably 12 yrs old!

But on the other side of it, you won't catch a 1000+ Bluefin off Malibu so I guess we're even  

But then again,...you do have those roosterfish which are a blast in the surf,....oh,...I don't know,...

It's all relative and it's all fishing so,...it's all good!

[telecaster]

3+4 pound fish would be considered pretty big in Nh.5pounds real big.anything over that HOG. Biggest fish I ever caught was just over 5pounds according to one of those old Zebco springy scales ;D Ya know whats strange I've caught more fish this year in the 3to4 pound range than I can remember,even with this wacked-out weather we've been havin up here.Could be cuz I'm trying some differant things that I've learned,reading this forum 8-) catch a fish for pete's sake...

[Bankbeater]

Below 1 pound is a dink.

1 to 3 pounds is about average.

3 to 5 pounds is above average.

5 pounds and up is a hawg.

[deadeye32.]

id say here in indiana 6 pounds is braggin rights, but 7 and up is huge

[Jerkbate]

RR lives in south MS & I live in north MS. We also have a lot of 7-9 pounders caught with 10+ being the magic number.

[cart7t]

In Missouri?  5 - 6 1/2lbs is a nice run of the mill big bass. A fish from 6 1/2 to 8 is a braggin size bass and anything over 8 is mountable.  

[splat_baseball51]

bass standards for wnc, what bass?

[BassMaster_1]

Seems that no matter where you are everyone is about the same.  Except your chances are much better down south to get a monster.

[directlink]

11-15lbs is a big bass here in AZ.  State record is 17lbs.

[Guest ouachitabassangler]

The Arkansas record is 16-4, from Mallard lake, and the largest largemouth caught on Lake Ouachita in recent years is a little over 11 pounds. My personal best here is still 8-3, considered a big bass for some time after the LMBV struck, though now a 9#er is big. When growing up on this lake and fishing hard in the 60s nobody bragged over an 8 pound bass, a ten pounder something to tell about. We ate no telling how many bass 7-8 pounds in size back then, so catching one like that isn't really a big deal fo those of us who remember the good old days. Just as the largemouths were rebounding after the virus in the 90s a decision to stock stripers stopped trophy potential here for largemouths, the emphasis on catching a state & world record 15 striper. Many in the 40-50 pound range are hauled out frequently. They eat up a lot of forage needed by the black bass.

Jim

[.ghoti.]

Here, in the middle of Illinois, anything over 5 is worth talking about. An 8 is a giant.

[Other.]

You have a better chance of winning the lottery then catching a 5lb bass in the local lakes i fish in.

[roadwarrior]

To answer the specific question, "What is a big bass?", I think 5lbs is the answer here in the Mid South. As others have said, 10 lbs is the magic number, but a big bass is still anything over 5 lbs.

[what]

where I live, 8 lbs. is considered a quality fish, and 10 or more a biggun.

lemme guess SE florida

me too same standards.

[slappy]

man ....... i need to move ::)here in pa. i would say anything 2.5 and up you tell your buddies about but, of course if you don't have a picture they think it was only 1.5             i really need to move

[langs15]

here in North NJ for my lake(s) that I fish in, 6 lbs. in a monster! Our average is 2-3 which you almost always catch. I have seen a 8+ punder though, but I think I am the only one..

[jbass]

Living in California, near Clear Lake, I'd have to say 11 to 14 lbs. is really big.

[RoLo]

I feel that any bass over 6 lbs is Big.

You feel that any bass over 12 lbs is Big.

I'll bet I'm catching more Big Bass than you

Roger

[Troutfisher]

Here, a biggie is 5lbs or more.  The state record is 12 lbs and something, so you can see how a 5lber would be big.

Usually, a bass 10lbs or more makes the local papers.

[langs15]

rolo, that image is just wrong!

[Troutfisher]

I agree; weird.  ;D