World record Spot possibly caught in GA

[Randall]

I am hearing that a 12lb spot was caught out of Lake Burton in GA. Haven't confirmed it yet but it seems legit. Could be just a rumor as well but my source said the DNR has the fish. I have been trying for a while to catch a WR from Burton and can tell you there is no doubt a spot over ten in there. But at twelve pounds that would really set the bar high. It will have to have testing to insure it's not a hybrid betwen a LM and spot which is real possible. It will give GA another WR. If anyone has heard any more about it let us know.

[burleytog]

I can't imagine the fight a 12 lb. spot would put up.

[Wild Bill [NY]]

Randall,

Would that be a Kentucky Spotted Bass, or a Coosa Spotted Bass ?

Regardless what it is, that is some tremendous Bass !!

[RoLo]

When I read world-record Spot in Georgia, I fully expected to see Lake Lanier.

Burton is a beautiful lake, and I sure hope it takes the record back into the native range of Spots.

Roger

[5bass]

I hope its true, I want to see a picture of a 12# spot.

[SDoolittle]

Randall,

Would that be a Kentucky Spotted Bass, or a Coosa Spotted Bass ?

Regardless what it is, that is some tremendous Bass !!

Have Kentucky bass and Coosa River Spots been classified as seperate species?

[Randall]

Randall,

Would that be a Kentucky Spotted Bass, or a Coosa Spotted Bass ?

Regardless what it is, that is some tremendous Bass !!

Have Kentucky bass and Coosa River Spots been classified as seperate species?

Yes they are different species now. I don't know for sure but I have always assumed that Burton spots were Kentucky Spots which makes the bass there even more impressive. They act and fight more like Kentuckys to me. The lake was full of Blueback herring for years when these spots were young so they grew quickly. When I say full of them I am talking about it used to look like you could get out of your boat and walk across the herring. Now they stock the lake with trout so they are trout fed spots much like what you would see in California.  I do know for sure there were two fish just under ten pounds caught and released there last year that appeared to be true spotted bass. if they weren't spots they were hybrid LargemouthXSpot.

[burleytog]

I hope its true, I want to see a picture of a 12# spot.

You and me both.  Saw a photo last year of a 7 lb. spot that came out of a TVA lake.  Frigging monster...

[BigEbass]

holy crap - 12# spot - now that would be a heck of a fight for sure - hope its true - cannot wait to see a photo if it is.

Will be a bit sad that it wasnt caught in my homestate though  :'(

[RoLo]

holy crap - 12# spot - now that would be a heck of a fight for sure - hope its true - cannot wait to see a photo if it is.

Will be a bit sad that it wasnt caught in my homestate though :'(

I hear ya

The natural world-record spotted bass belonged to Lewis Smith Reservoir, Alabama

for many years. Subsequently, Micropterus punctulatus was transplanted into California,

which ultimately supplanted the natural world record.

It would be great to see the world-record Spot return to its native range, be it Georgia or Alabama.

Roger

[BigEbass]

Yeah, I actually have started as of 1 week ago to fish Lewis Smith.  Maybe I can beat the record 

What is the current standing record?  You said Cali right? How much did she weigh? Who knows the next one may come from taiwan or Japan or bangaladesh  ;D - we are outsourcing all of our big fish  >

[RoLo]

Yeah, I actually have started as of 1 week ago to fish Lewis Smith. Maybe I can beat the record

What is the current standing record? You said Cali right? How much did she weigh? Who knows the next one may come from taiwan or Japan or bangaladesh ;D - we are outsourcing all of our big fish >

Lewis Smith Lake set the world-record in 1978 with an 8 lb, 15 oz Spot (still holds the Alabama state record).

This native world-record was broken by Perris Lake, CA whose population of transplanted spots has since collapsed!

Spotted bass are now virtually non-existent from the lake that supplanted the natural record :'(

The pending record was taken from Pine Flat Lake, CA in 1996 (9 lb, 9 oz).

My fingers are crossed...it would be terrific to see the spotted bass record return to its roots.

Roger

[WRB]

Native bass is an interesting concept; just what is a native bass?

The world record Spotted Bass is 10.27 lbs caught by Brian Shishodo from Lake Pine Flat ,CA. The bass was caught during a ABA tournament in April, 2001.

In California we have zero native bass; the NLMB was introduced about 1890, the FLMB in 1959, the Spotted Bass in 1939, the Smallmouth about 1910.

To the best of my knowledge the native range for NLMB was Minnesota and the Mississippi and Ohio river drainage. Smallmouth bass the Canadian shield Great lakes region. Everywhere else the NLMB is a non native species.

A similar rumored record Spotted Bass showed up last year and turned out to be an 8 lb spot. Wait and see.

WRB

[SkeetyCCTX]

Down here in TX we have a native bass called the Guadalupe Bass!!  It is a whole lot like a spot and I kinda thought it was basically the same thing, just a TX version!  IS it a subspecies though?

Also, I saw one of those Mean-Mouth bass the other day in a pic.  Thats a spot-smallie hybrid!  Looks pretty freakin cool!  Anybody ever caught one!

[WRB]

Down here in TX we have a native bass called the Guadalupe Bass!! It is a whole lot like a spot and I kinda thought it was basically the same thing, just a TX version! IS it a subspecies though?

Also, I saw one of those Mean-Mouth bass the other day in a pic. Thats a spot-smallie hybrid! Looks pretty freakin cool! Anybody ever caught one!

The Guadalupe bass is a separate bass species only found in Texas and is becoming endangered due to integrating with non native smallmouth. Smallmouth will integrate with Spotted bass, the natural range doesn't normally overlap.

WRB

[Tin]

I want to see one too. Even though I live in RI, I was able to catch a few spots on Neely Henry and Lay Lake. They make Champlain smallies look like $@$%##@s. lol Couldn't imagine the fight.

[BrianSnat]

What is a spot?  The only spot I'm familiar with is the small, saltwater fish that I catch in the surf.  A 12 lb one of those certainly would be news.

[burleytog]

What is a spot? The only spot I'm familiar with is the small, saltwater fish that I catch in the surf. A 12 lb one of those certainly would be news.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_bass

[BigEbass]

Spotted Bass - they at first glance look very similar to a largemouth but their jaw only extends to the center of their eye vs. the LM's jaw extends clearly past the eye - if I recall too they have some teeth on their tongue while LM's do not - they are more of a riverine bass - they relate more so to current than do LM's and they are freakin scrappy - they fight WAY more than LM's - I LOVE THEM

There are two species of them I believe - the kentucky spotted bass and the Coosa Spotted Bass - cant recall the exact differences there though really.....

They are a great fish - I hope to catch one this weekend at Lewis Smith Lake 

[burleytog]

There are many ways to identify a spot on the water.  As Biggy said, mouth to the middle of the eye (LMB goes past the eye). 

A spot will also have a toothy patch on it's tongue.  And the dorsal fins will be connected (LMB has a deep notch between the dorsal fins).  A spot will also have rows of spots below the lateral line.

[fishfordollars]

12 Spot? Now I want to see the tackle that was able to handle it. Hell the strike should have broken his arm or wrist.

He's lucky the dang thing didn't beat holes in the bottom of the boat.

I want a pic.

[Randall]

I called around to a few people today and nobody who had  heard about it could confirm it and nobody here has either so I am calling it just another rumor for now. I really wanted to see a 12 pound spot though. 

[Elite Image Fishing]

To my friends here who have never done battle with a Coosa Spot.

You better tie your shoes on tight when you go after one. They have a never give up, never surrender attitude. They make Kentucky Spots cry to their mommies. Coosa River Spots are the bomb... end of story. They are a load of fun to catch. I had the pleasure of catching a 4.1lb (my biggest coosa to date) in my tourney last month. Yep she won me big fish!

[fishfordollars]

To my friends here who have never done battle with a Coosa Spot.

You better tie your shoes on tight when you go after one. They have a never give up, never surrender attitude. They make Kentucky Spots cry to their mommies. Coosa River Spots are the bomb... end of story. They are a load of fun to catch. I had the pleasure of catching a 4.1lb (my biggest coosa to date) in my tourney last month. Yep she won me big fish!

X2, love those coosa river spotted bass.

[BigEbass]

To my friends here who have never done battle with a Coosa Spot.

You better tie your shoes on tight when you go after one. They have a never give up, never surrender attitude. They make Kentucky Spots cry to their mommies. Coosa River Spots are the bomb... end of story. They are a load of fun to catch. I had the pleasure of catching a 4.1lb (my biggest coosa to date) in my tourney last month. Yep she won me big fish!

YEAH BABY YEAH - even the dink coosa spots that I have caught today put up a hela-fight - I recall my first coosa spot thinking - OH GOD, WHAT HAVE WE HERE - and it was a dink -    Coosa spot dinks rule!!  Not to mention 4, 8, or 12 pounders  ;D

I have started to fish Smith Lake (only been twice now) and am loving catching whatever size spots up there - cannot wait to hook something more substantial.