I am very curious to know about everyone's biggest bass. What's the biggest bass you have caught while fishing Michigan waters? What about fishing outside of Michigan? Anyone caught a double digit fish in Michigan or even close to a 10lb fish? State record is a shade under 12lbs and I am so curious to know if that is even possible any more...
5lb 1oz largemouth from st clair, and a 24 1/2" from a golf course pond in florida
I have run into a handful of people in Michigan who specialize in trying to catch 10 pound bass. I've seen a picture of one caught from a private lake by a young boy off the end of a dock. I do know of out of season spring bass up to 8 pounds 4 ounces caught and weighed from that lake so the 10 pounder was not out of question. I fished it one time and it had a lot of large bass. That lake has since suffered a big loss and is slowly recovering.
Several of these specialty anglers tell me they have caught 10 pound bass in their searches. Some of them seem credible though I have seen no proof. The most credible person I've talked to is not interested in people knowing about his catches and prefers that people don't know the lakes and spots he studies and then zeros in on. He told me a few and was very specific about what and how he was fishing. It made sense to me. He was definitely someone who has put a ton of time and effort into his search, similar to the world record hunters out in California.
I have seen a number of 8 pounds plus largemouth bass and fish a lake that produced a certified bass over 9 pounds, though it was a while ago now.
I actually think it is more likely the smallmouth bass record will be broken within the next few years than largemouth. That record is only 9-4 and I know of several 8-2 to 8 1/2 pound smallies caught in the past 5 years.
So many things have to happen to get a largemouth bass up here over 10 pounds though it helps that Northern largemouth can live over 20 years up here. I'm leaning towards the smallmouth record though because they are growing bigger faster in some of the Great Lakes and northern waters due to forage. They still don't get as much pressure as many largemouth lakes do.
My biggest largemouth bass came from Saginaw Bay many, many years ago and measured 24 inches long. I did not get a weight. It was post spawn and did not have a huge gut, but was well fed. Noticeably bigger than the largemouth bass I've weighed in the 5 to 6 pound range. I think it was close to 7 pounds, but probably not over.
My biggest largemouth ever is the 8 pound 12 ounce Florida bass I caught last January in Mexico from Lake Comedero. I know my Michigan bass was well shy of that size. I hope to go back to Mexico and break the double digit weight there. I'm not sure about ever being able to do it here. The lakes I've been told hold bass that big are definitely not the lakes I like to fish. I just don't have that kind of patience. I like to catch fish ;D
I do believe it is possible to catch a 10 pound largemouth in Michigan, but it will take a LOT of patience and probably a fair amount of luck. There are two lakes I've been told produced a 13 and 17 pounder respectively, but I'm fairly sure those are fish stories (of course, no pictures or other evidence and parts of the stories sound... well, fishy).
I would be very interested to hear if any members have come close??
Got a guy on another board claiming to have cought a smallmouth over 25 inches today on the st joe river. I think he is full of it, what would a smallie that size weigh? 8 or 9 pounds unless it was super skinny??
It could weigh that much this time of year. I've seen a bunch of 25 inch 20 inch bass too over the years though... ;D
Not impossible if it was a Lake Michigan bass... or a mutant. I suppose he did not have a camera? Or didn't want to risk a picture out of season? Or he didn't think about it until after he let it go...? Or doesn't care about those 'worthless' bass :)
I saw a perch guy catch a smallmouth bass at the mouth of the Tawas River once that was just massive. I thought it was a carp. He treated it like a carp, grumbling about bait stealer fish not worth eating. He just left it lying next to his bucket on the sand. BIG big smallie. Why couldn't I have been the one to catch that bass and give it the care and attention a big old bass deserves. Come to think of it though... I didn't have a camera that day either.
6lb 9oz, two years ago on Lake Copneconic, in Fenton. I get another shot at that lake in June. Pulled him off the bottom, out of weeds, with an old Shimano spinning reel, on a cheep rod. Got him to the boat, he was so covered in weeds, I didnt know what I had.
Great responses so far. Really enjoy hearing big fish stories. Thanks for the long response djkimmel. Really great insight into the Michigan bass scene. I am so intrigured by the prospect of a double digit Michigan largemouth. I knew I would get to hear a lot about the huge smallmouths we have around here, but as I don't fish much for smallmouths, I have no good stories of my own on that end.
I thought after posting, I should have included my big bass. Two Julys ago I caught a 6lb 5oz beauty of a largemouth. She was beautiful and withouth a big gut at all. Just thick all over. From what I have read in various books and magazine articles, a female bass could have as much as 20% of her body weight in eggs before she spawns. Meaning this one could have went a little under 8lbs during the spawn. I let her go that day and hope she has continued to grow and I might get a chance to meet her again when she is at her peak. I fish the same lake a lot and so the hope is there. I am fortunate that this lake produces many 5 to 6 lbs fish for me (09 biggest was 5lb 14oz, caught in October) and hope it continues and that they continue to grow.
A guy down the street from me has a largemouth mounted that was 8lbs, caught during the summer as well back in 2001. She could have easily been 10lbs earlier in the seasons cycle.
Look forward to hearing more stories from the members.
Great fun for me to think about all this on a windy and cold spring night.
Thanks again for the responses.
On my todo list is trying to eventually get back in touch with some of the Michigan big bass specialists to see how they've been doing since the last time I talked to them. Especially the guy from Southern Michigan. I could tell he was definitely dedicated to the cause of 10 pound bass. I met him before I did a good job of record keeping so I don't recall his name or have contact information. I will have some challenges finding him or some of the others again. They are definitely not the get on the Internet and talk about it a lot kind of guys.
For me:
Largemouth- 6lb 15 oz caught two years ago on a private pond in Ortonville.
Smallmouth- 6lb 2 oz caught last Nov on St. Clair
In July of 2004 I got my biggest Michigan bass from a Grand River bayou. We didn't have a scale but the fish was 24.5 inches long. I have a picture of the fish here but I don't know how to post it. I don't have a scanner but if someone can tell me how, i'd be glad to post the pic. What I would have given to get her during a tournament. :(
My biggest bass ever was only 5lbs and caught out of Lake Mead. Now I saw my dad catch two huge fish and of course we never brought a camera but we did measure both fish, one went 27 1/2" and it was just huge. The other came in at 25" to bad I couldn't have caught either one. Now I have only been in Michigan since July last year and so far a caught a 3 lbs out of a private pond hope to top that this year!
Quote from: bassboss on April 17, 2010, 10:02:24 AM
In July of 2004 I got my biggest Michigan bass from a Grand River bayou. We didn't have a scale but the fish was 24.5 inches long. I have a picture of the fish here but I don't know how to post it. I don't have a scanner but if someone can tell me how, i'd be glad to post the pic. What I would have given to get her during a tournament. :(
Do you have a digital file at all or only a print copy?
jacksonmj, don't say only about a 5 pounder. That's a nice bass!
biggest largemouth was 7.5 and came out of lake George in FL a LONG time ago. Always get a few in the 5.5 range every year, don't think i've broken 6 though in michigan.
Biggest smallie was right around 5lbs and came out of the muskegon channel.
6.5lb smallmouth last spring lake St Clair. Canaden mist mile roads.5.5lb largemouth lake Erie last fall.
Quote from: djkimmel on April 17, 2010, 01:17:00 PM
Quote from: bassboss on April 17, 2010, 10:02:24 AM
In July of 2004 I got my biggest Michigan bass from a Grand River bayou. We didn't have a scale but the fish was 24.5 inches long. I have a picture of the fish here but I don't know how to post it. I don't have a scanner but if someone can tell me how, i'd be glad to post the pic. What I would have given to get her during a tournament. :(
Do you have a digital file at all or only a print copy?
No, only have a print copy here but I guess wallgreens can put it on a memory card or cd i hear. I'll check into that and post it.
;D 6.96 lbs largemouth, last August, Wixom lake!!! Won me some nice prizes too!!!!!
My biggest largemouth was 6 lbs 10 ounces caught last May on Lake Ovid. I didn't catch her sight fishing, but she was so full of eggs that she was about to burst. That fish singlehandly changed Ovid from my least favorite lake to one of my favorites, however I'm beginning to like it less and less since then.
My biggest smallie was 5 lbs 9 ounces last October on St. Clair on a crankbait.
-Ryan
I got a 11lb 4oz bass from Lake Istopoga in Lake Placid Florida on a Texas rigged 10in Berkley Power Worm in the blue fleck color. My biggest smallie was a 7lb 8oz sow from Lake St. Clair on a St. Clair Crawfish when they first came out. My biggest Michigan Largemouth was from Belleville Lake. It went 6lbs. 3oz. on a black and blue jig and pig pitched into heavy cover.
BD ;D
My biggest largemouth went 5.10 out of Potaoto Creek State Park in North Liberty Indiana. That was about 10 years ago or better. I need to improve on that !!!! I caught a 6.3 smallie in 32 feet of water on Grand Traverse East Bay 2 1/2 years ago in October, draggin a tube. I caught one nearly as big on St. Clair last May on a Excalibur xr50 north of the mile roads. It went 6.2
many moons ago had (2) largemouths over 6lbs, both from maceday lk. caught on a plastic worm and a tube.
largest smallmouth came just before putting boat up for winter on belleville last november. wgt. was 5.23 on berkley scale. caught on a crankbait. it was a beut...
Biggest smallmouth came out of the middle channel Labor Day week end in 2006. it went 5.92 lbs. on a carolina rigged green pumpkin tube during my club 2 day championship. Biggest largemouth came from West Harbour here in Ohio. End of April 2 years ago during an Ohio TBF Regional event. It went 6.73lbs.
Biggest largemouth I ever weighed was 6.2 lbs that I caught in a marl pit in southern Kent County. It's on my wall. Biggest smallmouth was exactly 6 lbs, caught in Glen Lake when I was 18 years old. Weight was on a spring scale so take that for what it's worth.
When I was 16 I caught a pre-spawn (I'm guessing it was pre-spawn by only a couple of days judging by her belly!) largemouth in Glen Lake trolling a rattle trap. It was 25" long measured on the bench seat of my 14' aluminum. I made marks on the seat and measured it when I got back to the cottage. If I still had the boat I'd snap a picture... sold the boat several years ago... with the marks still there! My guess is it was near 8 lbs or so based on the number of 6 or nearly 6 lb fish I've caught since then.
7lb 4oz Largeone from Kent Lake ;D
Biggest largemouth was 6 lbs 15 oz caught on a junebug trick worm fished weightless near a swimming raft in 6 ft of water near Battle Creek.
Biggest smallmouth was 6 lbs 1 oz. caught on Maceday Lake. Funny thing is that I went to the lake to learn how to drop shot and this was my very first "drop shot" fish.
MI Largemouth 6-11 from Big Crooked on a Nichols spinnerbait
MI Smallmouth not sure caught a few just under or over 6 pounds that I did not put on a scale.
This is the biggest smallmouth I've ever caught - back in 2005 from Mullett Lake. Literally looked like it had swallowed a large nerf football. Quite the piggy wig. Much fatter and heavier than the 6-1 I weighed in the St. Clair state championship years back. We were really whacking them at the time on Mullett so I didn't take the time to weigh it. I lost one that looked like a twin on the very next cast. Love that lake.
(http://www.greatlakesbass.com/images/wmebsm051002.jpg)
I don't have any pictures of the Michigan largemouth bass I've caught bigger than the 5.61 I caught in the federation classic from Secord Lake years ago. I think Secord and maybe even Wixom might have largemouth bass in the 8 pound range or so. I know close to 7 pounders have been caught and weighed by several. Other lakes nearby have previously produced bass over 8 pounds. I don't know about any much bigger though...
My biigest is a largemouth that weighed 6 lbs caught in July on Myers Lk in Argentine Twp, came off a Berkley sinking minnow. Got a replica mount of it made. Now I just need a 6lber in a tournament.
Don't we all...
My goal this year is to catch a 6lb smallie in a tournament...I have caught quite a few over 5 but nothing close to 6,,,,
I caught a LM over 6 in a tournament many years ago(Saginaw river).......I haven't caught anything close to that since I got back into fishing a few years ago....
I guess I don't fish where the big fish live.... ;D...I need to work on that...
I hate posting the mount pics, I took them for insurance reasons but its the best proof I have, their from California, ones 13 and the others a 10.6, the 10.6 is still a lake record at a small lake (lindo lake) in so cal, I also have a 9-14 mount that I cought in a sandiego bassmasters tx on lk hodges that I won by over 15 lbs.
The smallie was 7.1 cought last may on st clair during the C&R season.
Skip those are just ridiculous. haha Nice fish man. What gets me is the color differentiation between those two fish. Both caught in cali, but they are completely different colors. Anyone know the reason why??
-Luke
Two different lakes, depths and water colors is my best guess other than maybe some color change on the mount over the years but they have allways been a bit different colored, the 13 came from Lk Otay, Lk Otay was the holding resevoir for the original florida strains that were brought to southern cal.
I hate to admit it but I got one when I was 15 that dwarfs the 13...I jumped a fence to fish a closed resevoir :-\'
2006: Ponds in Sterling State Park, Monroe
Fishing a tube from the docks and got slammed by a 7lb 3oz, 23" largemouth. First fish I caught big enough to fit my entire fist into it's mouth, with room to spare, to remove the hook! (Shy of a South Carolina 5ft shark ;D) My heart sank when my camera batteries where dying and the camera wouldn't turn on....
I've seen her and one more about her size each spring over the years!
Hey Scott, I see your wife made you wear a different shirt for the new pic. LOL
Biggest Bass was caught on a 3/4 oz. football jig in 21 feet on Reeds Lake last summer; I am confident it went well over the 7.5 mark and maybe close to the 8lb. mark.
The smaller fish was a 3.48 and Big Momma could have swallowed it.
(http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hs410.snc3/24791_107391215969354_100000954294346_48560_183135_n.jpg)
2010 has shaped out to be the a good year so far. In Indiana of course...........................
RAM Custom Crank Bait 5.92lbs.
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs035.snc3/12316_103373666371109_100000954294346_25276_3278458_n.jpg)
Another couple of 5+pigs courtesy of RAM Custom Cranks
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs450.ash1/24791_107386999303109_100000954294346_48545_3394458_n.jpg)
everyone seems to be getting in on the fun................with a 6lber!!!!!!!!!!!
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs410.snc3/24791_107387009303108_100000954294346_48547_520341_n.jpg)
Brown fish and green fish in Indiana?? I never knew it was so good............
This 5+ fatty ate a Widow Maker Tube in Smallie Slayer
(http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs410.snc3/24791_107387005969775_100000954294346_48546_3080468_n.jpg)
THE QUESTION IS HOW BIG IS C Sparks FISH?????????????????? I guess we don't really have to go very far to catch trophy class fish anymore..............
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs410.snc3/24791_107393232635819_100000954294346_48565_2072703_n.jpg)
Man this stuff is fun!!!!
Quote from: mikesmiph on April 21, 2010, 11:10:14 AM
Hey Scott, I see you wife made you wear a different shirt for the new pic. LOL
That was taken Monday afternoon when she came home early. She was not going out with me w/ my cool one from yesterday! I told her about your suggestion to go out to dinner and she said "I don't think so!"
Quote from: Dinkfinder on April 20, 2010, 04:34:00 PM
7lb 4oz Largeone from Kent Lake ;D
Dinkfinder kind of seems like a misnomer here maybe...??
Caught an 11 1/2 on Orange lake in Florida many years ago....still get down there on occasion and caught this 11lb'er last spring. What a day...we had two other fish over 9 lbs and another that went 8 :)
(http://i44.tinypic.com/2z8xduu.jpg)
Caught this 10+ on a 13" swimbait in Mexico.
That was a pic of the swim bait, right Wags? LOL
Quote from: skip johnson on April 21, 2010, 09:38:46 AM
I hate posting the mount pics, I took them for insurance reasons but its the best proof I have, their from California, ones 13 and the others a 10.6, the 10.6 is still a lake record at a small lake (lindo lake) in so cal, I also have a 9-14 mount that I cought in a sandiego bassmasters tx on lk hodges that I won by over 15 lbs.
The smallie was 7.1 cought last may on st clair during the C&R season.
Man that brings back memories talking about those lakes. I fished Lower Otay a couple times, but my biggest California bass came from El Capitan, 10.36 lbs. Had another 10+ out of Jennings. Jennings was our favorite lake to fish, we'd get lg. mouth in the mornings, then get some stocked trout later in the day. We had a small club from 32nd street Navy Base back in the '80's. What a great time we had back then.
Are you talking about the golf course @ 32nd st naval....good fishing and fun trying to keep from being evicted, I allso fished mission valley, san digueto and rancho santa fe golf course club ponds, San Digueto resevoir and Fairbanks Ranch...fantastic LM fishing, unfortunatley once your over 18 its not cool to fish them becouse its tresspassing...their all allmost as good as it is on St Clair in the spring but thats the best Sandiego has to offer as far as catching high #'s, a buddy called me a couple weeks ago to brag about a 20 fish day @ el cap with the biggest being 3 1/2 :D
I grew up in Lakeside so Lk Jennings, El Cap and San Vicente are my home lakes, Jennings was a sleeper that no one spoke of but man did we get alot of pigs out of there, I know the rangers there, Hugh Marx and Bill so I would come and watch the 8 lb + bass eat the rainbows right out of the stocking trucks chute...memories :)
You should see Miramar when they stock, theirs several 15 to 20lb fish that only eat rainbows and you can see them under the boat rental dock, according to a Larry Bottroff a friend of mine that is a fisheries bioligist for sandiego Miramar Lk should be the next world record lake, he said he's shocked it up and weighed it...Ive been waiting for years but the biggest cought so far is 20 lb 11 oz and 21 lb 9 oz.
we had 16 or so guys on my ship that would fish tournaments between deployments. Only tried one time to fish the golf course ponds and that was enough for me. Lake Morena was the other lake we would fish, but Jennings was by far my favorite. My first ever 20lb. tournament bag came out of there.