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.
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.
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
A South Dakota angler who was practicing for a recent pro bass-fishing tournament said he was “in shock” after landing a state-record smallmouth bass.
A South Dakota angler who was practicing for a recent pro bass-fishing tournament said he was “in shock” after landing a state-record smallmouth bass.
Troy Diede, of Sioux Falls, hooked the 7-pound, 4-ounce smallmouth while casting an Eco Pro Tungsten Ned Rig in mid-July on Lake Oahe.
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks recently approved the catch as a state record. Diede, who hopes to qualify for this year’s Bassmaster Classic, recalled his epic experience this week in a Bassmaster feature.
Diede said he hooked the 20.75-inch smallmouth bass the morning after catching and releasing a 6-pound smallmouth that looked equally massive.
“I didn’t even make 10 casts and I hooked into another good-sized fish,” Diede told Bassmaster. “After about 90 seconds I realized it had the same similarities as that 6-pounder. It was fighting the same way, it’s taking me forever.
“I only had 7-pound Gamma line on. It started running out of gas after about two minutes and I didn’t realize how big it was until I picked it up. I belly landed it like a football and held it under my arm and I was in shock.”
Diede obtained several unofficial weights before he was able to deliver the fish, alive in an aerated boat well, to a certified scale.
After a Game, Fish and Parks biologist confirmed the catch, Diede released the smallmouth precisely where he had hooked the fish. He beat the previous South Dakota record by about an ounce.
For the sake of comparison, the International Game Fish Assn. lists as the all-tackle world record an 11-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth bass caught at Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee in July 1955.
–Images courtesy of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
Hank Cherry became the fourth angler in the 51-year history of the Bassmaster Classic to repeat as champion, doing so with an unusual catch.
Hank Cherry of North Carolina became the fourth fisherman in the 51-year history of the Bassmaster Classic to repeat as champion, and he did so in large part by catching what he referred to as “maybe the dumbest bass in the lake.”
Cherry caught five bass weighing 13 pounds, 1 ounce on the third and final day of competition Sunday for a total of 50 pounds, 15 ounces, which edged out fellow North Carolina pro Matt Arey by less than 2 pounds. Arey, who lost at least one big bass on Day 3 that could have won it for him, finished with 49 pounds, 1 ounce.
The bass that put Cherry over the top was the near 4½-pounder he caught after changing up his flipping-the-bushes strategy by going with a lighter bait in the 99-degree heat on Ray Roberts Lake located north of Dallas.
“I caught maybe the dumbest bass in the lake,” Cherry told Bassmaster.com. “I flipped into a bush and instead of going into the bush, that lighter bait kind of ricocheted off of it. The bass actually swam out of the bush to get the bait and swam back in with it.”
That fish … helped Cherry recharge on a day when he said sweat was constantly rolling into his eyes and blinding him.
When Cherry fished the rocks along the dam, he used a new jerkbait called a Berkley Stunna in the stealth shad color. He believes he caught the tail end of the jerkbait bite, just as he did with the flipping bite.
“The bushes I was fishing, if the lake was at normal pool, they wouldn’t even be in the water,” Cherry said. “So, you know the fish are probably itching to move away from there and go offshore.
“I think the same is true around those rocks. The heat is just radiating off those things — and if it makes us miserable, you know it probably makes them miserable, too.”
The victory in what has long been known as the Super Bowl of bass fishing earned Cherry his second $300,000 check in 18 months, and put him in elite company.
Rick Clunn (1976-77), Kevin VanDam (2010-11) and Jordan Lee (2017-18) were the other back-to-back winners of the Bassmaster Classic.
This was the fourth tournament victory with B.A.S.S. for Cherry, a nine-year veteran of the Bassmaster Elite Series.
A 15-year-old angler on Sunday landed the heaviest largemouth bass ever caught at Lake Travis in central Texas.
A 15-year-old angler on Sunday landed the heaviest largemouth bass ever caught at Lake Travis in central Texas.
Trace Jansen’s catch of a 15.32-pound bass breaks a lake record that had stood since 1993. But Jansen also joins a small group of Texas anglers who have caught bass weighing 13 pounds or more this year.
These spawning-size “Legacy Class” bass have been donated live to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for its long-running Toyota ShareLunker selective-breeding program.
The program, designed to enhance state fisheries, began in 1986. The program record – also the current state record – is an 18.18-pound largemouth bass caught at Lake Fork in 1992.
Jansen’s catch is the 12th Legacy Class largemouth bass to have been landed in 2021. The heaviest was a 16.40-pound bass caught Feb. 19 at O.H. Ivie Lake.
That fish, landed by Joe McKay of Bussey, Iowa, is an O.H. Ivie Lake record and the largest bass caught in Texas in 22 years, according to the Runnels County Register.
Jansen told For The Win Outdoors that he was casting a Wacky Worm at about 3 p.m. when the giant Lake Travis bass dashed from its spawning bed and struck the lure.
“She was tired from spawning but she fought good for about 10 seconds, then I got her to the boat,” Jansen said.
Late February and March comprise the spawning season at most Texas fisheries and is the period when the heaviest female bass are typically caught.
The ShareLunker season, which also features lower divisions in which anglers receive recognition for catch-and-release efforts, runs through March 31.
Two anglers reeled in largemouth bass weighing 14-plus pounds Thursday at O.H. Ivie Lake in Ballinger, Texas.
Two anglers reeled in largemouth bass weighing 14-plus pounds Thursday at O.H. Ivie Lake in Ballinger, Texas.
Both fish were collected by biologists and will be used as spawners to enhance state fisheries as part of the state’s long-running Toyota ShareLunker Program.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department used social media to announce the catches by Brett Cannon of Willis (14.4 pounds; top photo) and Casey Sobczak of Spring (14.2 pounds).
“You get one guess for what Lake produced two ShareLunkers today! Oh yes, that’s right, O.H. Ivie,” the agency asked on Facebook. “SL#593 (14.4lbs) and SL#594 (14.2lbs) are headed to Athens.”
Only fish weighing 13 pounds or more are designated “Legacy” catches and collected for use in the selective breeding program. Thursday’s catches bring to six the number of Legacy fish caught during the 2021 season, which began in January and runs through March.
Texas bass anglers fishing in different tournaments over the weekend won their respective events based on extraordinary catches.
Texas bass anglers fishing in different tournaments over the weekend won their respective events based on extraordinary single catches.
Derek Mundy’s Friday catch of a 13.62-pound largemouth bass helped him win the Toyota Series Southwest Division Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, with an overall limit totaling 39 pounds.
Daniel Ramsey’s Saturday catch of a 13.07-pound bass at Lake Palestine buoyed his triumph at the Media Bass Tournament.
Daniel Ramsey
In Texas, 13 pounds is the magic number for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Toyota ShareLunker Program.
The program features several divisions to recognize noteworthy catches, but only the larger “Legacy Class” bass are collected for a selective breeding program that runs during the spawning period from January through March.
Biologists encourage the spawning of these fish in aquariums for future stocking opportunities around the state.
CJ Oates
The bass caught by Mundy and Ramsey were the third and fourth Legacy Class fish collected so far in 2021. That equals the number caught throughout the entire 2020 season.
“It was a really neat experience being able to donate the fish to the incredible ShareLunker program,” Mundy told KTLV. “It’s great that Texas Parks and Wildlife works this hard to put high quality fish in the lakes.”
Mundy said the 13.62-pound bass struck his crankbait on his third cast. He landed two bass weighing 7.5 pounds on subsequent casts to help seal his victory.
Travis Moore
Mundy was so quick to place the larger fish into his live well that he didn’t realize it was such an extraordinary catch until taking a closer look after his day of fishing.
Ramsey hooked his large bass while casting an M-pack jig beneath a dock structure that yielded a 12.65-pound bass last year.
“I was within five feet of where I caught the 12.65-pounder,” he told KTLV. “I set the hook and got her to the boat and couldn’t believe what I had just done.”
The first two Legacy Class bass of 2021 were caught in mid-January by Travis Moore (13.44 pounds at Sam Rayburn Reservoir) and CJ Oates (13.02 pounds at Lake Austin).
After Oates’ nighttime catch, which he described as “madness,” he told For The Win Outdoors: “She was so massive that I could barely reel to get her in. She was built like a mini school bus.”
How rare are these catches?
According to the ShareLunker website, “Out of the millions of bass anglers in Texas, only a select few have ever crossed the 13-pound threshold.”
–Images showing Derek Mundy, Daniel Ramsey, CJ Oates and Travis Moore (top to bottom) are courtesy of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
CJ Oates on Thursday was reeling his lure past a wooden dock when “I felt the slightest tick.” He reared back, inspiring a violent head shake, and realized that he had hooked an enormous largemouth bass.
CJ Oates on Thursday was reeling his lure past a wooden dock when “I felt the slightest tick.” He reared back, inspiring a violent head shake, and realized that he had hooked an enormous largemouth bass.
“She was so massive that I could barely reel to get her in,” Oates, who was fishing at Lake Austin, Texas, told For the Win Outdoors. “She was built like a mini school bus.”
After a nighttime fight described as “madness,” Oates boated a bass that weighed 13.02 pounds, a milestone catch and a fish that could help boost fishing opportunities around the state.
CJ Oates
It was the second “Legacy Class” largemouth bass to have been donated live to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 2021, marking a fast start to the agency’s seasonal Toyota ShareLunker Program.
There are several divisions but only Legacy Class fish – those 13 pounds or heavier – are used in a selective breeding program that runs during the spawning period from January through March. Biologist encourage spawning and rear the young for future stocking opportunities.
Travis Moore
“Congratulations, CJ, and thank you for your contribution to helping make bass fishing bigger and better in Texas!” Parks and Wildlife wrote on Facebook.
According to the ShareLunker website, “Out of the millions of bass anglers in Texas, only a select few have ever crossed the 13-pound threshold.”
Oates’ catch, on a football jig, occurred less than a week after Travis Moore landed a 13.44-pound largemouth bass during a tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
“This was one of the best days of my life. I’ve caught a few 12-pounders and handful of 10-pounders, but this one here is special for me. As a bass fisherman, this is what we fish for every time we go out on the water.”
Oates said he and John Davilla had fished several spots on Lake Austin without any luck before the the giant bass struck at 9:30 p.m.
“For a moment I thought I was hung up and then I felt her head shake,” Oates recalled. “At that point things started to get really serious. During all this madness we didn’t have time to turn the headlamps on so we didn’t have much of a gauge of how big she was.
“So I get her to the boat and she started jumping and splashing and it was hard for my buddy to to net her in the darkness, but he finally got her. He picks her up and and sets her in the boat and that’s when we turned our headlamps on. We couldn’t believe what we had done.”
–Images of CJ Oates (top) and Travis Moore are courtesy of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
In a year when it seems that anything is possible, a Tennessee angler has reeled in a bass with a live snake in its mouth.
In a year when it seems that anything is possible, a Tennessee angler has reeled in a bass with a live snake in its mouth.
“Be careful when you reach your hand in a fish’s mouth! You never know what might be in there,” the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency cautioned its followers Saturday via Facebook.
A photo showing part of the snake lodged inside the throat of the bass was supplied by Dan Boudrie, who caught the bass earlier this month near the town of Paris, after it had apparently snacked on the reptile.
Boudrie is quoted as saying, “The head was looking at me right before I took this picture. I thought it was cool but wondered how I would explain to an ER doc that I got bit by a snake from putting my fingers in a fish’s mouth.”
Bass fishermen commonly use a thumb and forefinger to hoist fish out of the water, in a practice called lipping.
Reads one of more than 100 comments on the TWRA Facebook post: “If I had lipped the fish and then saw the snake, I probably would have thrown the fish, snake and rod and reel across the lake! No pictures!”
Reads another comment: “Guess I’m done fishing for 2020.”
The snake was identified as a non-venomous water snake, according to McClatchy News. Water snakes are sometimes confused with venomous water moccasins.
Boudrie was said to have thrown back the bass with the snake still in its mouth.
Bass are opportunistic and have been known to eat snakes and lizards that venture too close to water’s edge.
–Image courtesy of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
A pro bass fisherman from Kentucky lost more $15,000 worth of gear to thieves after arriving in Texas for a weekend tournament.
A pro bass angler from Kentucky was robbed of more than $15,000 worth of gear after arriving in Texas for a weekend tournament. But Matt Robertson still competed after receiving an overwhelming show of support.
Robertson, 34, arrived in Jasper last week in advance of the Bassmaster Central Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. His truck was picked clean, however, during his wife’s visit to a nearby Walmart.
In the truck was 20 years worth of gear, including a trolling motor and a vast lure collection.
“Fishing for a living is something I’ve been working at since I was 11 and for somebody to… you know, almost take your livelihood from you, it feels like, it’s pretty detrimental,” Robertson told WAVE3News before the start of the tournament.
Some of the gear before it was stolen. Photo: Matt Robertson
The angler had earned only $15,811 in eight career appearances on the Bassmaster circuit, and saw in the Central Open an opportunity to boost his standing. However, after the theft he felt compelled to return home.
“I had everything in big totes, including all my tools — jack, tire iron, anything I might need in case of an emergency,” Robertson told Bassmaster. “They unloaded everything, and they left my spare tire.”
But as news of the theft spread via social media, offers of support poured his way.
“I’ve had people offer to send me money through Venmo, PayPal, but I don’t take a free hand-out from anybody,” Robertson added. “I’m a regular, hard-working guy just like the next, and I know how hard everybody works for their money. My conscience won’t let me take anything from anybody.”
However, Robertson reluctantly accepted a tackle-store gift card from a fellow pro who was not scheduled to fish the Open. He bought just enough gear to fish the three-day tournament.
He finished 87th and out of the money – Masayuki Matsushita earned $50,183 for his victory – but left with his faith in mankind restored.
“There hasn’t been a person I’ve run into that didn’t offer ‘anything you need out of my boat — rods, reels, tackle — you just let me know, and it’s yours,’ ” Robertson said. “I thank every single person who’s reached out to me, helped get the word out and the countless people who have sent me pictures of tackle asking if its mine.”
Robertson’s wife had dropped him off at the lake with his boat before visiting the Walmart in Lufkin. Police are investigating and Robertson on Tuesday told For The Win Outdoors that they’re focusing on an older-model white Chevy Tahoe that was caught on security video during the theft.
Robertson was scheduled to meet with an insurance adjuster Wednesday.
–Images showing Matt Robertson are courtesy of Bassmaster
