Your chance to top Fish Chris!

[Daniel My Brother]

Do you live in Peoria and dream of catching a 10 pound bass? According to Jeff Lampe of the Journal Star, you'll need a good bit of luck...

...even the guys using electric current and nets seldom see them Ken Russell, who has sampled lakes and reservoirs in west-central Illinois since 1962 said "I have never handled a 10-pound bass Out of all the thousands of bass I've seen, the biggest was about 9 1/2 pounds out of Argyle Lake."

So what then should you consider a trophy? If I catch a fish that's 50% as big as the state record, I feel like I've landed a real trophy. In Illinois that's a 6.5 pound bass. In California that translates to just under 11 pounds (or 12.5 pounds for you Mac Weakley fans).

Coincidentally, my PB is only 50% of the state record in Illinois where it was caught.

While Fish Chris' 18.4 pounder is an impressive 85% of the California record (He's good no matter how you do the math).

So, what's your percentage? Take your biggest bass and divide by the state record where you caught it and you'll have your number.

Now the question remains, can anybody top Fish Chris?

[senko_77]

I'm at a fat disadvantage because my state holds the WR.  lol.  But I am still incredibly grateful for my p.b.

My 14.7 comes out to be 66% of the state record.  

I think that LBH can top him.  His PB is like 9 something and R.I.'s record I beleive is 10 something.  

Cool idea D.M.B.

[-badhabit-]

Now the question remains, can anybody top Fish Chris?

If I spent some time in CA fishing for those farm bred exotics I would say I'd have a better than average chance. Those bass are not a wild native species from anywhere, they are like transplanted lab rats.

The real ? should be if he could catch a trophy fish anywhere else other than CA.

I'll invite him down here to FL anytime to try his skill at real wild FL strain bass and take him to any lake in FL for free to do it.

He may tear them up or he may not.

[Raul]

LMB is an "exotic" in 90% of the US.  :

[surfer]

I like this scale.  Im at 18% of Floridas record.

And it only took me 6 months of learning. If i keep up that rate i could have the new record in 3 years.

[-badhabit-]

LMB is an "exotic" in 90% of the US. :

Therefore should be classified as an exotic the same as the African animals on the Texas ranches.

The only real LMB record was caught by Mr. Perry in GA (period).

[Daniel My Brother]

If I spent some time in CA fishing for those farm bred exotics I would say I'd have a better than average chance.

Just for the purposes of this discussion it doesn't really matter if the bass is an exotic, native, green or purple. The strain of the fish, and even the weight of the fish doesn't matter. All that matters is how close (by percentage) you've come to your own state's record bass.

[NEBassMan]

My PB is 4lbs-9oz....about 39% of the state record.

Jason

[flechero]

Now the question remains, can anybody top Fish Chris?

If I spent some time in CA fishing for those farm bred exotics I would say I'd have a better than average chance. Those bass are not a wild native species from anywhere, they are like transplanted lab rats.

The real ? should be if he could catch a trophy fish anywhere else other than CA.

I'll invite him down here to FL anytime to try his skill at real wild FL strain bass and take him to any lake in FL for free to do it.

He may tear them up or he may not.

Surely you are kidding!! If it were as easy as you suggest, there would be a lot of people in Ca. catching fish that big, and the FACT is that there is not. He is an accomplished trophy hunter in many different species...

In a head to head compitition he would drop you like a badhabit. I'll put $100 on Chris.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

WooHoo

PB 9.2, record is 10.6

87%

Nothing personal here but Flechero is right.  FishChris has spent years finding and studying the habits of trophy class fish ONLY.  He has applied science and skill and then luck was nearby (at first)  But with each strike of luck, he learned.  Now he has double digits of double digit bass and they aren't all the same 3.  It is what it is.

[Fish Chris]

You got me LBH :-)

Hey Daniel, I think this is a fun thread, which helps to put everybody on level grounds. I'm pretty happy with 85%, but you have to remember that Cali is "the tallest" state in the continental US. {I think it's taller than Texas, ain't it ?} Up here in Nor Cal, we have never had a bass over 19 lbs. All the 20 plus fish you here of are from So Cal (but I'm working hard on this ;-)

I'd feel even more satisfied if we could split Cali into North and South. From that standpoint, the biggest bass ever caught up here was an 18.7 lb'er (out of the same lake I got the 15.60 from yesterday, BTW) and that would give me 98.3 % :-)

But what I really want, is 109% of our biggest Nor Cal Bass (a 20 plus lb'er :-)

Wishing you all 100 plus % of your state records :-)

Fish

[Fish Chris]

Just out of curiosity, the Florida state record is 20 lbs, correct ? How big is your PB / what percentage of your state record ? Got a picture ?

Peace,

Fish

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Now you're getting a little greedy Fish,...109%????  Keep it real and shoot for 105

I'll be in Cali in Sept to visit redlinerobert and plan to hook up with Fish and SuperMatt. Now, I'm certainly no trophy hunter, but I do Ok with the big fish in RI.  What do I think my chances are of getting a 10+??  Not great, by any means.  Would I do a dance for a 9?  You betchyer britches!

[RoLo]

Just out of curiosity, the Florida state record is 20 lbs, correct ?

The "certified" Florida Record Largemouth Bass is only 17-lb 4-oz (17.27 lbs),

taken in an unnamed lake in Polk County, Florida

Roger

[wagn]

I'm doing alright with my PB being 78% of the NH state record and I caught it last year on first year of fishing.

[-badhabit-]

Just out of curiosity, the Florida state record is 20 lbs, correct ? How big is your PB / what percentage of your state record ? Got a picture ?

Peace,

Fish

Truthfuly my pb is a little over 14 lbs (4 times) and best morning was 3 bass in 45 minutes that weighed 36.8 lbs total. I quit logging fish over 10 lbs in 1985 @ 134 and a non-exagerated guess would be a total between 400 - 500 bass I've caught that have weighed over 10 lbs in my life. I'm averaging over 2 bass over 8 lbs a week this year so far and that's fairly good in a state where half the lakes you can't even fish because of the low water levels. I've never claimed to be the best at anything but I do fairly well at finding big bass.

Chris - I'm not trying to say that you don't have a great skill at all. It's just all of the hype over CA bass is that the fish are not natural and yes I have been to most of the Southern CA lakes looking around, but didn't try fishing them.

I do welcome you to come to FL anytime and fish (not as a challenge - just an adventure). It's a different world here and would be just like me going up north to do the same (hint: your arm would be very sore throwing swimbaits baits before you caught a trophy here if ever).

I do wish you well

[.dsaavedra.]

my biggest was 7 and state record was 11-2 so i got about 63%.

[Fish Chris]

No offense taken badhabit. Sounds like you have done really well yourself. I've really only heard of two guys to have caught over 400 double digit "true Florida bass", and that would be yourself, and Doug Hannon. You might know of more Florida anglers who have done this.

Actually, now that I think about it, I have an e-quaintence from Florida, who has sent me several photos of true Florida bass up to 14 and change, and I think he said he caught more than 200, himself.

So anyway, I'm not doubting you, but photos always help.

Up here in Nor Cal, I've never really seen. nor heard of solid proof, of anyone ever catching 100 bass over 10 lbs. I'm sitting at 78, but hope to hit the 100 mark within the next few years.

BTW, I find it interesting that even with our artificially fed bass, the top trophy bass anglers in Nor Cal are getting close to 100 double digit bass (I have some trophy bass buddies who are total STICKS, better than me, IMPO, but who don't get to fish as much as I do), while in Florida (no hatchery trout) the top anglers are catching 400 or more double digit bass ? This would seem to indicate double digit bass are 4 X's as easy to catch in Florida....... although we certainly have the maximum top end size. Hmmmm.

Florida and Cali are certainly like night and day. But yes, I would love to fish in Florida sometime. Heck, I will cast a line anywhere fish swim :-)

Hey Rolo, only 17-4 ? What about Fritz Friebels fish ? Not certified ?

Peace,

Fish

[Mattlures]

Yeah badhabit swimbaits dont work in florida! OK umm what ever. They sure seem to work great in Georgia. HMM come to think of it I sell a lot to florida and many are repeat customers. I guess they just got lucky when they caught there big bass on swimbaits. Randall must be the luckiest guy ever as he CONSISTANTLY catches them on swimbaits. He just recently got a 15+

BUT YOU OBVIOUSLY MUST BE RIGHT after all you have caught hundreds yourself :

Live bait? Shinners?

I dont think any bass out of Florida should count, after all the lakes are only a few feet deep. Its like hunting a lion in a cage! way to easy to be any kind of challenge!!

REAL bass come from lakes that are at least 50ft deep.

To all the non jealous(hater) Floridians I am sure you realize my coments were sarcastic.  

[George Welcome]

Chris,

Largemouth bass  *20.13 Big Fish Lake       Pasco County, Florida    05/00/23       Frederick Friebel

As with so much of our history skeptics and naysayers chose to disregard the above record and go with a certified one. The above record has stood until this: of course back in 23 a person's word was good until proved otherwise.

Largemouth bass 17.27 unnamed lake       Polk County, Florida       07/06/86        Billy O'Berry

Personally I think the first record to be correct and question the validity of the second for as you notice no one knows where the fish came from.

[-badhabit-]

Chris - I know several people that have caught way more than I have over the years. My total is coming from close to 30 years of only fishing for bass. Which if you break it down is not that many from someone that fishes 150 - 200 days a year.

I was a guide on Lake Toho for several years and also wrote weekly columns for area newspapers. I have been around the sport since way before it became a "cool" thing to do. Also there are a bunch of pics floating around here all from just April - now.

Yeah badhabit swimbaits dont work in florida! OK umm what ever. They sure seem to work great in Georgia. HMM come to think of it I sell a lot to florida and many are repeat customers. I guess they just got lucky when they caught there big bass on swimbaits. Randall must be the luckiest guy ever as he CONSISTANTLY catches them on swimbaits. He just recently got a 15+

BUT YOU OBVIOUSLY MUST BE RIGHT after all you have caught hundreds yourself :

Live bait? Shinners?

I dont think any bass out of Florida should count, after all the lakes are only a few feet deep. Its like hunting a lion in a cage! way to easy to be any kind of challenge!!

REAL bass come from lakes that are at least 50ft deep.

To all the non jealous(hater) Floridians I am sure you realize my coments were sarcastic.

I have several of your lures and the only thing I've caught here on them is one gar and a truck load of weeds so far. The cover is way too thick in Central Florida for that big of bait to be effective in all but a few places. I will say that your baits are the prettiest I've ever seen. I haven't totally given up on them yet and when someone makes a golden shiner swimbait that looks as good I want on the waiting list.

Up until around 10 years ago I used live and artificial baits. For the last 10 yrs just artificials.

Also Bass don't live beyond 20' deep because the oxygen level is not sufficient for them for more than a few minutes.

I also don't hate anything or anybody. But exotic bass are exotic and deserve to be labeled as such....... if you want to catch real big bass then head to Cuba where you can catch 10 x 10+ lb'ers a day.

I guess I'm being a little sarcastic also, but the truth is the truth

Also a Big Congrats to Randall then. He must have found the spot to use the swimbaits effectively and knows how to locate big bass (a skill that takes people a lifetime to learn and most people never will). Locating big bass is 90% and the bait is 10% of the equation to catching big bass.

I wish you only the best

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I have an interesting one .....

My overall PB is a 10-8 caught in Texas which puts it at 57.75%

By the numbers, my home state PB in Kansas of 8-3 is more "impressive" at a shade under 70%

[Catt]

Since my PB came off of Toledo Bend I looked at it 3 ways

Texas record is 18.18 divided by 12.8 = 70%

Toledo Bend record is 15.32 divided by 12.8 = 84%

Louisiana record is 15.97 divided by 12.8 = 80%

Not to bad for a dumb Ole Cajun  

[T-rig]

I will never be able to catch a 10+lbs. here in Switzerland because they simply do not exist!

I do believe I caught the Swiss record LMB (true northern strain) with 7.9lbs. It's not official because I released the fish after weighing it and taking a pic. What I know is that the previous record was 7.26lbs.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I will never be able to catch a 10+lbs. here in Switzerland because they simply do not exist!

I do believe I caught the Swiss record LMB (true northern strain) with 7.9lbs. It's not official because I released the fish after weighing it and taking a pic. What I know is that the previous record was 7.26lbs.

Aside from the lost $$$,......THAT'S gotta hurt!

Go get her again!!!!