Tag: Bass

Texas angler lands giant bass, but is the photo misleading?

A Texas fishermen is being congratulated for catching a giant bass, but people are joking about the photo.

A Texas angler landed one heck of a largemouth bass this week while fishing at Lake Nacogdoches.

It was so massive that biologists borrowed the bass for use in a selective breeding program to benefit statewide fisheries.

But before anyone gets too excited, the bass caught by Jack York is not as large as it appears to be in an image shared Monday by the Toyota ShareLunker Program – Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Top comment: “Camera man… ‘HOLD IT AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN TO ME! THIS FISH LOOKS AS BIG AS A GROWN MAN! PERFECT!’ ”

Another observation: “I’m gonna need this photographer to take my fish pics! That is a giant but geeze in this pic it looks bigger than Jack. Good job!”

Ribbing aside, the bass weighed 13.51 pounds, certainly worthy of Legacy Class ShareLunker designation.

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Legacy bass must weigh at least 13 pounds to become part of the breeding program, conducted January through March each year. The fish are encouraged to spawn at a hatchery and their offspring are stocked around the state.

Tom Nilssen with 13.52-pound largemouth bass. Photo: TPWD

This is the 37th season of the ShareLunker Program and York’s catch is the second Legacy bass caught this year.

The first, by Tom Nilssen last week at Lake O.H. Ivie, weighed 13.51 pounds.

While Nilssen’s bass was slightly larger, it looks smaller in the photo because there seems to have been less of an attempt at forced perspective.

Last year, 24 Legacy bass were caught from nine water bodies and collected for the ShareLunker program. That was the most since 27 were caught in 1995.

Overall, 75 Texas public lakes have yielded Legacy Class largemouth bass.

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Wisconsin angler lands 30,000th smallmouth bass; ‘A great feeling’

Wisconsin angler Bill Schultz recently achieved a major milestone by landing his 30,000th smallmouth bass.

Who maintains a running tally of the number of fish they catch?

Wisconsin angler Bill Schultz does and he recently achieved a major milestone by landing his 30,000th smallmouth bass.

“Hitting the water that Monday and knowing my first fish was going to be 30K had me a little anxious as I was hoping it would be at least 3-plus pounds,” Schultz told Outdoor News.

That was in early November, so Schultz probably has added to the total.

Smallmouth No. 30,000 hit an amber tube jig at 20 feet and Schultz recalled, “When it hit and I began reeling I could tell it was a good sized one, which gave me a great feeling!”

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He has fished almost exclusively for smallmouth bass since his first catch on Delevan Lake in 1994.

“I have not lost the excitement for these great fighters and love chasing them while wearing my waders in small Wisconsin Rivers, or from my boat on Sturgeon Bay, or from one of my fishing kayaks,” Schultz told Outdoor News.

Smallmouth bass, native to the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, now occur in almost every U.S. state and in other countries. They are immensely popular among light-tackle, catch-and-release anglers.

The world record stands at 11 pounds, 5 ounces, for a 1955 catch at Tennessee’s Dale Hollow Lake.

–Image showing Bill Schultz with his 30,000th smallmouth bass is courtesy of Schultz, via Outdoor News

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Watch: Astonished angler finds 22-inch snake in mouth of bass

A fishing website on Monday shared footage of an angler pulling a 22-inch garter snake from the mouth and belly of a 16-inch largemouth bass.

A fishing website on Monday shared footage of an angler pulling a 22-inch garter snake from the mouth and belly of a 16-inch largemouth bass.

The footage, captured by Adam Young of Panfish Nation, is used as an example that largemouth bass, often referred to as bucketmouths, will prey on just about anything they’re able to ambush.

The footage was included in an article that mentioned other known prey items of Florida-strain bass. They include smaller bass, trout, bluegill, and tilapia.

States Young: “In certain areas of the country like Florida and Texas, tilapia have infiltrated the local watersheds. The bad news is that these species compete with native species of fish…but the good news is that bass love them!”

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Young claims to have caught bass using hotdogs and bread. “You bet bass will eat hot dogs and tons of other strange foods too,” he writes. “Give it a try!”

To be sure, largemouth bass are not picky and have been documented devouring everything from bullfrogs to ducklings.

One of the most sought-after game fish in the United States, largemouth bass can weigh 20-plus pounds, although catches exceeding 15 pounds are extremely rare.  (The world record is a tie between 22-pound, 4-ounce bass caught in Georgia and Japan in 1932 and 2009, respectively.)

Most anglers target bass using swimbaits and other lures that mimic prey, and most anglers practice catch-and-release.

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Warden not buying angler’s odd excuse for illegal bass catch

A Missouri angler has been cited for catching an over-limit of mostly undersized largemouth bass, apparently, for the sake of a social-media photo.

A Missouri angler has been cited for catching an over-limit of mostly undersized largemouth bass, apparently, for the sake of a social-media photo.

The Missouri Department of Conservation stated Monday that the unidentified angler violated fishing regulations “just so he could take a picture of a stringer full of fish.”

St. Francois County MDC Agent Clayton Lewis cited the angler at Hager Lake in Farmington. The daily bag limit is six bass measuring at least 15 inches; the stringer contained eight small bass.

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The MDC stressed that fish placed on a stringer, although they might be kept alive and released later, “are counted towards daily and possession limits of the taker.”

The agency added: “MDC reminds anglers to check statewide and Conservation area regulations prior to fishing and to read area regulation signs. And please don’t boost your social media presence at the expense of our wildlife.”

Angler fishing for bass shatters 44-year-old carp record

A Maryland angler on Sunday reeled a 49-pound common carp from Chesapeake Bay, shattering a state record that had stood since 1978.

A Maryland angler on Saturday reeled a 49-pound common carp from Chesapeake Bay, shattering a record that had stood since 1978.

Logan Kurhmann, 24, was targeting bass in the Susquehanna Flats area when the massive carp struck the plastic worm he had been casting.

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“We’ve seen some really big ones up in the Flats but we’ve never seen one this big,” Kurhmann told the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which announced the new record on Tuesday. “The bass fishing wasn’t great but this made my week.”

Kuhrmann’s fish was weighed on a certified scale at a nearby bait and tackle shop, where the catch was verified by a DNR biologist.

The previous record of 44.4 pounds was established by an angler named Jimmy Lake at Morgantown Beach in 1978.

Maryland lists state records under several divisions. Kurhmann’s record is in the Chesapeake Division. (Maryland also keeps carp records under a Non-tidal division.)

For the sake of comparison, the all-tackle world record for common carp stands at 75 pounds, 11 ounces. That fish was caught at Lac de St. Cassien, France, in 1987.

–Image courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Bass angler lands gar that rivals record; ‘So rare to come by’

A Texas angler who was fishing for bass received the surprise of a lifetime recently after the fish that attacked his lure turned out to be a 58-inch longnose gar.

A Texas angler who was fishing for bass received the surprise of a lifetime recently after the fish that attacked his lure turned out to be a 58-inch longnose gar.

Callan Frazier, 16, was casting crankbaits with his father, Bryan, at Sam Rayburn Reservoir when the toothy gar struck. Callan fought the gar for 10 minutes, thinking he had hooked an enormous largemouth bass.

“We were so surprised,” Bryan Frazier told My San Antonio. “They are so rare to come by, and we weren’t even fishing for them.”

The Texas length record for gar is 58 inches. That fish, caught last year on the Brazos River, weighed 30.3 pounds. Callan and his father teamed to release Callan’s gar rather than keep the fish for the sake of a possible record.

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“Gars are kind of hard to hold because from the gills up it’s just solid teeth,” Bryan told My San Antonio. “So we went ahead and put it back in the water. We know it was trophy class but, at that moment, it was good to let it go and watch it swim away.”

Callan Frazier poses with 58-inch gar. Photo: Bryan Frazier

The catch occurred April 17, Easter Sunday. On April 25 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department congratulated Callan via Facebook.

“Whoa, what a gar!” the agency wrote. “ This longnose gar was caught and released at Lake Sam Rayburn by 16-year-old Callan Frazier. Measuring about 58 inches, it rivals the official state record longnose gar caught from the Brazos River in 2021.”

–Images courtesy of Bryan Frazier

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!!”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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