Tag: bass fishing

Texas lake yields four monstrous bass in four days

The largest of the catches at O.H. Ivie Lake, weighing 15.82 pounds, is the 37th heaviest bass caught in state history.

A Texas reservoir this week yielded an astonishing four largemouth bass topping 13 pounds in four days.

The bass were caught at O.H. Ivie Lake and the largest – weighing 15.82 pounds – was landed March 18 by Kyle Hall of Granbury.

“I got on the water around 8 or 8:30 a.m. and really didn’t catch much until around 4 p.m.,” Hall said. “I reeled in a 10.20-pound fish and then about an hour later I did something random and ran up the river where I caught an 11-pounder.

“I then ran back down and by the dam I came across this fish. She about ripped the rod out of my hand.”

All four bass were kept alive and “loaned” to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for a hatchery spawning and stocking effort designed to enhance fisheries across the state.

The Toyota ShareLunker Program, as it’s called, accepts only “Legacy Class” bass weighing at least 13 pounds for the spawning portion. So far this year, 17 Legacy Class bass have been donated to the program.

Hall’s bass was the heaviest caught this year in Texas, and the 37th heaviest in state history.

According to the TPWD, Hall has donated Legacy Class bass in three consecutive seasons – all three of his catches coming at O.H. Ivie.

Said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator: “This reservoir has established itself as a top destination for many trophy largemouth bass anglers and it is no surprise that Kyle Hall and others target these giants at O.H. Ivie year after year.”

The other Legacy bass caught at O.H. Ivie this past week included a 14.18-pounder by Bud Robey on March 17;  a 13.62-pounder by Larry Walker on March 20, and a 13.22-pounder by Scott Hines on March 20.

O.H. Ivie is on the Colorado and Concho Rivers east of San Angelo.

The 2024 Toyota ShareLunker Program will run through March 31.

Boy, 11, lands record bass that will help enhance Texas fisheries

Stetson Davis set out with his father hoping to catch his first double-digit largemouth bass. He achieved that goal and then some.

An 11-year-old boy shattered a junior angler waterbody record in Texas on Wednesday with the catch of a 13.31-pound largemouth bass at J.B. Thomas Reservoir.

Stetson Davis of Tuttle, Oklahoma, broke the record by more than five pounds and joined a small number of anglers of any age to have caught bass topping 13 pounds this year in Texas.

The massive fish was donated alive to the state-run Toyota ShareLunker Program, which accepts only “Legacy Class” bass weighing at least 13 pounds for its long-running hatchery spawning effort designed to enhance fisheries statewide.

“We are excited to recognize Stetson’s accomplishments through the Toyota ShareLunker Program and Angler Recognition Program,” Natalie Goldstrohm, program coordinator, stated Friday in a news release. “Getting young people hooked on fishing through these programs is important to creating a lifelong love of the sport.”

Stetson was in Texas with his father, Brodey Davis, with the goal of catching his first double-digit largemouth bass.

The kid had a good teacher; Brodey caught the seventh-largest “Legacy Class” bass in Texas history (17.06 pounds) in 2022 at O.H. Ivie Reservoir.

Stetson recalled his Wednesday outing to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:

“We didn’t have much luck at the start but around 9:20 a.m. we spotted her. I made multiple casts her way, but she wouldn’t bite, and it was a little frustrating. I finally placed the bait close enough to where she saw and then she bit.

“I set the hook and instantly my dad went to go and grab the net. When the fish came to the surface, we knew it was a double-digit. It was a fairly quick fight, and we were able to secure it in the net and get it into the boat.”

Stetson is the 11th angler this year to donate a Legacy Class bass to the ShareLunker Program. Since 1986, Texas anglers have donated 611 Legacy Class fish to the program.

Kayak angler lands record crappie while bass fishing

Eric Allee was targeting bass when he reeled in perhaps the largest crappie ever caught in the state.

A Colorado angler who landed perhaps the largest crappie ever caught in the state last November has been awarded a catch-and-release record.

Eric Allee was targeting bass from a kayak at McKay Lake on Nov. 12 when he spotted what he assumed were three large crappie on his forward-facing sonar unit.

Allee, a marketing director at Eagle Claw Tackle in Denver, hooked one of the fish with a 3.6-inch Berkley Flat Worm and soon realized that he might have a record crappie on his line.

On Friday, after being informed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife that his 18.25-inch black crappie had broken the previous catch-and-release length record, Allee told FTW Outdoors what went through his mind during the fight:

“It all happened so fast, but it felt like slow motion if that makes any sense. My heart was pounding, I was trying to remain tactful, and I was petrified at the same time.

“When she breached the surface, I would cringe every time her head would shake. Anyone who’s ever chased crappie knows they’re notorious for having paper-thin skin around the framework of their jaw; with a fish that heavy, if she was hooked in the thin-skinned parts of her mouth, it’s a recipe for disaster.

“After what seemed like forever, I felt instant relief when I scooped the net under her and lifted her out of the water.”

Eric Allee poses with 18.25-inch black crappie before releasing the fish. Photo: Eric Allee

Allee said the crappie weighed 3 pounds, 15 ounces on a scale he keeps on his kayak. He knew he could also shatter the Colorado weight record (3.48 pounds, set in 2017) if he killed the fish to have it weighed somewhere on a certified scale.

But Allee told FTW Outdoors that the fish was so large and magnificent-looking that he chose to toss it back after immortalizing the catch with a photograph.

“I didn’t want to kill the fish for the record,” he said. “It’s not that I’m against killing fish, I eat crappie often, but didn’t want to kill the fish just for the record.

“There’s more to it for me, too. I practice selective harvest and there’s something special about watching big fish go back.”

Colorado is not known for giant crappie, but any crappie topping three pounds is a giant.

For comparison, the all-tackle world-record black crappie in the weight category stands at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. That fish was caught at Richeison Pond in Tennessee in 2018.

The International Game Fish Assn. lists as the length (release) record a tie between five catches measuring 37 centimeters, or about 14.6 inches.

Allee said he did not consider applying to the IGFA for a possible length record and bemoaned the fact that he missed the 60-day limit for record submissions.

Lake Erie record smallmouth bass rare because of size, but also age

Biologists have determined that a 10.15-pound smallmouth bass reeled from Lake Erie last November was a 16-year-old female.

Biologists have determined that a 10.15-pound smallmouth bass reeled from in Lake Erie last November was a 16-year-old female.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources also stated in a news release Wednesday that the fish caught by Gregg Gallagher of Fremont, Ohio, is the only known 10-pound smallmouth ever caught in a Great Lakes state or province.

Gallagher landed the bass while fishing last Nov. 3 on Lake Erie in Ontario, Canada, waters.

ALSO: Georgia angler’s catch of giant crappie stuns biologists

The previous Ontario record smallmouth was 9.84 pounds, set in 1984. So Gallagher’s catch is a Lake Erie record, a Great Lakes record, and an Ontario record. (The current Ohio record for smallmouth bass is 9.5 pounds.)

Gallagher’s catch measured 23-3/4 inches with a girth of 19-3/8 inches.

According to the Ohio DNR, the fish was hatched in 2006. Smallmouth bass, the agency added, rarely live beyond 14 years.

A typical Lake Erie smallmouth measures less than 20 inches and few catches exceed 7 pounds.

For comparison, the world record for smallmouth bass is 11 pounds, 15 ounces, set at Tennessee’s Dale Hollow Lake in 1955.

–Image showing Gregg Gallagher with his record smallmouth bass is courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Texas lake yields 10th ‘Legacy Lunker’ bass of 2023

O.H. Ivie Lake in Texas has yielded 10 largemouth bass topping 13 pounds so far in 2023, and anglers statewide will benefit from the catches.

O.H. Ivie Lake in Texas has yielded 10 largemouth bass topping 13 pounds so far in 2023, and anglers statewide will benefit from the catches.

The 13.89-pound bass caught Friday by Nolan Sprengeler was No. 10 for the sprawling reservoir on the Colorado and Concho rivers.

It was the 12th “Legacy Class Lunker” donated since Jan. 1 to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for its long-running selective-breeding program. The others were caught at  Lake Nacogdoches and Lake Alan Henry.

The Toyota ShareLunker Program collects bass weighing 13 pounds or more. The big females are encouraged to spawn in a hatchery and their offspring are stocked throughout Texas.

Sprengeler’s catch comes two weeks after Jason Conn reeled from O.H. Ivie the eighth-heaviest bass in state history, weighing 17.03 pounds.

O.H. Ivie, which attracts anglers from around the world, produced Legacy Class Lunkers on four consecutive days in early February.

RELATED: Angler’s record pike is the catch of ‘several lifetimes’

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, the largest bass caught in Texas was an 18.18-pound largemouth reeled from Lake Fork in 1992.

For comparison, the world record is a tie at 22 pounds, 4 ounces. One bass was caught by George W. Perry at Montgomery Lake in Georgia in 1932. The other was caught by Manabu Kurita at Lake Biwa in Shiga, Japan, in 2009.

Any bass catch exceeding 10 pounds is considered to be exceptional.

Texas angler lands one of the largest bass in state history; video

A Texas angler is being celebrated for landing the eighth-heaviest largemouth bass in state history.

A Texas angler has landed the eighth-heaviest largemouth bass in state history.

Jason Conn caught the 17.03-pound bass Monday afternoon at O.H. Ivie Lake, which has yielded several giant bass this year. (See video posted below.)

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the largest bass caught in Texas weighed 18.18 pounds. It was landed by Barry St. Clair at Lake Fork in January 1992.

RELATED: Virginia angler strikes gold, as in ‘extremely rare’ golden bass

Six of the seven bass heavier than Conn’s were caught in the 1980s and 90s. The other, a 17.08-pound largemouth, was caught at O.H. Ivie in 2022.

Texas Parks and Wildlife announced Conn’s catch Monday via social media, describing the fish as “one of the largest Lunkers to hit the scales in Texas history!”

Conn, a pro angler and guide, stated late Monday that his accomplishment had yet to fully set in.

“I am now in the top 10 with biggest bass ever caught in the state of Texas and only 2 fish this size caught in the last 30 years,” Conn, who did not disclose the type of rig he used, wrote on Facebook. “So unreal and I am still in shock.”

Hundreds of followers posted congratulatory comments.

The bass was kept alive and donated to Texas Parks and Wildlife to become part of its long-running Toyota ShareLunker Program.

The selective-breeding program collects bass weighing 13 pounds or more. In a hatchery setting, the fish are encouraged to spawn and their offspring are stocked statewide.

The program, in its 37th year, runs from January through March.

For comparison, the world record for largemouth bass is a tie at 22 pounds, 4 ounces. One bass was caught by George W. Perry at Montgomery Lake in Georgia in 1932. The other was caught by Manabu Kurita at Lake Biwa in Shiga, Japan, in 2009.

Any largemouth bass catch exceeding 10 pounds is considered to be extraordinary.

Texas catch of enormous bass described as ‘historic’

An Oklahoma man who drove in snow with his son to fish in Texas has landed one of the largest bass ever caught in the Lone Star State.

An Oklahoma man who drove in snow with his son to fish in Texas has landed one of the largest bass ever caught in the Lone Star State.

The 17.06-pound largemouth bass, caught Thursday by Brodey Davis at O.H. Ivie Lake, is a pending lake record and one of the top-10 heaviest bass weighed in Texas.

“It’s been an unbelievable day,” Davis, who lives in Tuttle, Okla., told FTW Outdoors late Thursday. “We drove from Oklahoma to specifically fish O.H. Ivie for a double-digit bass. My son Stetson, who is 9, was out of school due to the winter storm that went through Oklahoma earlier this week.”

Brodey Davis and son Stetson pose with 17.06-pound largemouth bass

The Toyota ShareLunker Program, run by Texas Parks and Wildlife, announced the catch Thursday on Facebook:

“Historic day! Angler Brodey Davis just weighed one of the largest Texas ShareLunkers to hit the scales in the past 30 years!!”

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Angler bails as ice shanty is towed at high speed; video

State biologists collect live bass weighing 13 pounds or more as part of the ShareLunker Program. These “Legacy Class” bass become part of a selective breeding operation designed to enhance fisheries statewide.

Davis’ catch, on a 6th Sense Divine Swimbait, is the largest of 12 Legacy bass caught so far this year. The fish measures 27-1/4 inches with a girth of 23-1/4 inches.

According to Josh Jones of Josh Jones Fishing, Davis’ catch ranks No. 7 all-time in Texas. The state record, an 18.18-pound largemouth bass caught at Lake Fork, has stood since 1992.

Jones on Thursday shared video footage showing Davis’ bass being weighed and the reactions of those who were present.

O.H. Ivie routinely produces trophy-size bass during the winter-spring spawning season.

On Wednesday, Jones landed a 14.79-pound largemouth bass at O.H. Ivie to become the first angler to submit four Legacy bass to the ShareLunker Program, which began in 1986.

–Images courtesy of Toyota ShareLunker Program and Brodey Davis

Texas anglers land two enormous bass to kick off new season

A Texas lake famous for producing giant bass has yielded two behemoths to kick off a new season for an angler-driven program intended to improve fisheries statewide.

A Texas lake famous for producing giant bass has yielded two behemoths to kick off a new season for a program intended to benefit statewide fisheries.

Tyler Anderson and Wendell Ramsey Sr. reeled in largemouth bass weighing 14.48 and 14.92 pounds, respectively, while fishing this past week at O.H. Ivie Lake.

As “Legacy Class” bass, they were donated alive to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department as part of the agency’s annual Toyota ShareLunker program.

The Legacy designation applies only to bass weighing 13 pounds or more. These rare catches are delivered to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, where biologists “attempt to spawn them to make bigger, better bass to stock and enhance fishing in Texas lakes,” The TPWD explained in a recent news release.

O.H. Ivie Lake last year produced 12 of 23 Legacy bass caught by Texas anglers and used in the selective-breeding program.

The ShareLunker program, which runs from Jan. 1 through March, is in its 36th year. The bass caught by Anderson and Ramsey are cataloged as ShareLunker 609 and ShareLunker 610, respectively.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Crappie anglers busted with 152 fish over the limit

Anderson caught the 14.48-pound bass Jan. 5 while casting an Alabama rig in 28 feet of water on his second day of fishing.

Tyler Anderson with his 14.48-pound bass. Photo: Texas Parks & Wildlife

“I stumbled upon a school of what looked to be eight or nine fish,” Anderson told the TPWD. “My cast ended up being a little too short and landed right on top of where they were. My Alabama rig fell right into the school of fish, but I didn’t even have to retrieve the lure. I lifted it right up and started my retrieve and the fish was already on there.”

Ramsey, a West Texas guide, was fishing with his grandsons on Jan. 8 and used an umbrella rig with 3.5 rage tail swimmers to hook the 14.92-pound bass.

“We started out working some spots for white bass and black bass to get a few bites for the kids and have a good time,” Ramsey said. “It was slow and we moved around the lake to some different spots before we circled back to where we started.

Tyler Ramsey Sr. with his 14.92-pound bass. Photo: Texas Parks & Wildlife

“I spotted a fish suspended in about 14 feet of water and quickly grabbed a fishing pole. I sent the cast past the fish and slowly let it go down to about eight feet before I started reeling. The fish hit the bait and when I set the hook it didn’t budge so I knew it was a really big fish.

“The battle started and I eventually brought it into the boat with the dip net.”

Both bass were kept in live wells before biologists arrived to pick them up for the transfer to Athens.

Said Kyle Brookshear, Toyota ShareLunker Program Manager: “This is a great start to the 2022 collection season.  “After the historic 2021 season, it seems fitting that the first two entries come from O.H. Ivie. Many predict another record season for trophy bass catches across the state and with the 2022 season underway, time will soon tell.”

Bass angler in Georgia breaks 45-year-old record

An Alabama man who landed a giant bass recently while fishing in Georgia has broken a state record that had stood for nearly 45 years.

An Alabama man who landed a giant bass recently while fishing in Georgia has broken a state record that had stood for nearly 45 years.

Joseph Matthew McWhorter, who lives in Lanett, Ala., caught the 8-pound, 5-ounce shoal bass Dec. 23 on the Chattahoochee River near Columbus.

The catch beats the previous Georgia record, set in 1977, by two ounces.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced the news Monday, proclaiming McWhorter to be “the proud holder of the new state record shoal bass.”

Shoal bass are found in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint River drainages in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. In Georgia, the species also has been introduced to the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Crappie anglers busted with 152 fish over the limit

Shoal bass are designated as the official state riverine sportfish species, according to the Georgia DNR.

“The average adult is between 12–24 inches,” the agency stated on Facebook. “Shoal bass are usually found around current breaks near flowing water. This can be in the middle of a big shoal, in a deep-water bend of the river with large boulders, or on the bank behind a tree in the water.”

For the sake of comparison, the International Game Fish Assn. lists as the world record an 8-pound, 12-ounce shoal bass caught in the Apalachicola River in Florida in 1995.

Angler lands record carp while fishing for smallmouth bass

An Idaho angler fishing for bass has landed a 46.7-pound grass carp, shattering the state record by seven pounds.

An Idaho angler has landed a 46.7-pound grass carp, shattering the state record by seven pounds.

Cris Endicott of Meridian caught the 50-inch carp Oct. 10 while casting a twin-tail bass jig on the Snake River.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced the new record Monday, stating in a news release that Endicott had been targeting smallmouth bass.

Grass carp eat mostly plants, so the catch was a surprise.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: ‘Stunned’ researchers rescue 4,000-pound sea creature caught in net

Grass carp are native to Asia but have been introduced around the world, primarily for weed control and aquaculture purposes.

According to the International Game Fish Assn., the all-tackle world record grass carp stands at 87 pounds, 10 ounces. That fish was caught at the Piasuchnik Dam in Bulgaria in 2009.

–Top image is generic; second image showing Cris Endicott with his record carp is courtesy of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game