WHERE WILL BE THE NEXT WORLD RECORD SMALLMOUTH BASS

[roadwarrior]

Watch out guys, I'm REALLY going to try.

Sometime in June?

-Kent

[bassnleo]

June would be good. I personally aim for early June. IMHO, I love May. You can fish whatever is your favorite way, spoons, blades, tubes, drop shot, cranks, jerkbaits. Fish are shallow, deep, anywhere in between.

If you do decide to make a trip, I will do everything in my power to make sure we can get together for a couple days. I missed out in 2009, too many tournaments. Not this year .

[SWMIBASSER]

"Show me some 10's and the state or region

makes the list of possibilities. Right now it's

Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, the Carolinas

and I'll concede to Fourbizz, California."

My fishing partner caught a 10 lb smallmouth

on November 21, 1994. I netted and weighed

the fish. Do you know anyone that has ever

seen a double digit smallie in the Great Lakes

region?

Show ME some 10's or for that matter numbers of 7's from those states.

The state record in KY is barely 8-1/2lbs yet that is where a world record could come from?

In fact one of just a few "hotspots" in KY list a 6lb+ fish as being the biggest taken out of there, and in another lake they talk about numerous 4-6's

http://www.kentuckygameandfish.com/fishing/bass-fishing/ky_aa012205a/

Another Article lists TN as having some of the better trophy waters, yet there is no mention of any 10lb'ers. At all. And they (this is a Tennessee magazine) consider themselves 'one of the top' places for trophies

http://www.tennesseesportsmanmag.com/fishing/bass-fishing/TN_1209_02/index3.html

Some of the other state records in Alabama and N/C at 10lbs are 60 years old.

Same with the record in TN.

01 produced a big state record fish in S/C.

When a VanDam personally tells you he has caught them over 9lbs a couple times and several 8's I believe him. (not Kevin)

[roadwarrior]

The "official" Kentucky record is 11 lbs 15 oz.

http://fw.ky.gov/recordfish.asp?lid=555&NavPath=C101C204

We think there have been two other 10's caught

on Pickwick, below Wilson Dam, but not widely

reported. We know several guys with 9's, but

they don't broadcast their catch. Around here,

5lbs is a great fish! Still, we occasionally catch

a monster.

The fish I hooked up with last year was big.

Speedy thought she was significantly bigger

than his. She might still be alive and I know

where she lives. I hope to post her picture here

in a few weeks.

:

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Kent, Bassleo and Dwight....

I would like to make my way up there this year if you dont mind me tagging along.

I PMed with Dwight about a trip before and he seems like a really great guy.

[roadwarrior]

That would be great by me, although I'm not

sure I can make it this year. For me, it will be

a "Dream Trip". Numbers and size!

;D ;D ;D

[SWMIBASSER]

The "official" Kentucky record is 11 lbs 15 oz.

http://fw.ky.gov/recordfish.asp?lid=555&NavPath=C101C204

We think there have been two other 10's caught

on Pickwick, below Wilson Dam, but not widely

reported. We know several guys with 9's, but

they don't broadcast their catch. Around here,

5lbs is a great fish! Still, we occasionally catch

a monster.

The fish I hooked up with last year was big.

Speedy thought she was significantly bigger

than his. She might still be alive and I know

where she lives. I hope to post her picture here

in a few weeks.

:

And that's fine.....We all know someone who knew someone who fished with someone who had a monster on one time.

But that hardly merits the end all be all of the trophy fishery locations.

Do you have big smallies in TN and KY. Sure.

Do we have them in the great lakes. Sure.

But I don't feel the need to write an article about it.

[Pitchinkid]

West Virginia has records for length and weight.

weight: 9.75

Length: 25.5

World record might be out of reach for me, but the state record could be in reach in May on the New river or South Branch of the Potomac.

[Dwight Hottle]

Some big fish never get widely reported. Here is a picture from the Ohio Game Fishing site. Reported caught in April 2005 from lake erie near Conneaut Ohio. Caught by Don Ishee. His son Todd is shown holding the fish in the picture. And yes is went to the taxidermist. 9.2 lbs. No dimensions given but the picture supports the stated weight in my opinion.

[roadwarrior]

That's a toad! Similar body characteristics to this one:

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/outdoors/fishing/articles/smallmouth-world-record-controversy-hayes.html

Both look a lot like yours in the avatar, but yours

is MUCH prettier! I love those tiger stripes

8-)

[SPAZ]

That thing is a monster.

[Teal101]

I wouldn't be so quick to rule out California, nor would I rule out Washington state for that matter. Current record is 9 lbs, and the Columbia river has been kicking out more and more trophy smallies in recent years (6+ lbs). Rumor has it they electroshocked a 12+ smallie last summer.

WA is a goofy state.  Our record smallie is only 2lbs behind the record LM.  The SM are actually driving the LM out and thriving in all our man made res. as well.  The murky rocky lakes are prime for some good smallies.  I've seen a few 6's pulled last year, and the Columbia will produce a double digit fish in the future.

[MtCarmelTriton20x]

I am not sure where it will come from but I do know the population of smallies in east TN is growing by leaps and bounds. A couple of the moutain lakes here have started producing some big smallies(South Holston Lake & Watauga Lake). I'm not sure if one 12 pounds will be pulled from here but I know there are some quality smallies here and the entire HHolston river system is chocked full. This is really exciting for us in the east part of TN because 30 years ago the Holston was so polluted you couldn't find a smallie past the mountain lakes. I don't really care where it comes from I'm just glad our fisheries are getting clean enough and managed well enough for us to actually be thinking it's possible.

[Tin]

Put some of those good swimbait guys from Cali in Tennesse and Kentucky and you would see a new record.

[GRIZZ]

Dwight Hottle your fish in the avater looks bigger then that Ohio bass. I'd like to see a bigger picture of your fish. Very nice!

[ProCrafter]

Im sticking with the homefront Columbia River.

[roadwarrior]

Im sticking with the homefront Columbia River.

What is the the big fish there so far?

8lbs 12 oz doesn't count for much.

http://bronzeback.com/state1.htm

:

[Tin]

Im sticking with the homefront Columbia River.

What is the the big fish there so far?

8lbs 12 oz doesn't count for much.

http://bronzeback.com/state1.htm

:

LOL

Re-read the site RW, your state doesn't even have a record. 

Guess Tennessee is out of the hunt as well. 

[Glenn]

Well RW, 8th largest smallmouth record amounts to A LOT.  And a 9 lb 4oz smallie was caught a few years ago, but it wasn't certified correctly, so the old record stands.

That said, it's been said that a 13 pounder was shocked up during a creel survey recently in the Columbia.  So yes, it's entirely feasible the next world record smallie could come from the Columbia river.

[Tin]

I have to agree with Glenn. If a waterway has put out a fish over 9 pounds there is no reason it can't throw out a fish a couple pounds more. And with Gobies in the Great Lakes you will see another 10 pound smallie out of one of them soon.

[Dan:]

I have to agree with Glenn. If a waterway has put out a fish over 9 pounds there is no reason it can't throw out a fish a couple pounds more. And with Gobies in the Great Lakes you will see another 10 pound smallie out of one of them soon.

I agree. I believe that any healthy body of water can support a freak giant that is a few pounds heavier than the normal bigguns but remains uncaught.

btw, does the poor grammar in this thread's title bother anyone else every time that it appears?

[jenga]

If these d**n asian carp get into the great lakes there wont be any world record smallmouth bass coming from the great lakes region.  But I would guess any great lake could produce the next WR.

Jenga

[flipnpitch]

The next world record smallie will come exactly 18 miles from my house, right here on the great Ohio River!!!  I've caught 100's over 11 1/2 and quite a few over 12!! Wait, those were inches not pounds!!

Don't have a dog in this fight but I wouldn't rule out Cali, the Columbia or the Great Lakes. I would think that if it produced a 9 or 9 1/2, it could certainly get a couple of pounds heavier.

You guys from those immediate areas just make sure you are grateful for living that close to a great smallie fishery. You could be stuck here fishing the Mighty Ohio like me !! :D