Biggest Bass

[BNL]

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...

[bassmandan]

5lb 1oz largemouth from st clair, and a 24 1/2" from a golf course pond in florida

[djkimmel]

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

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??

[TCook]

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??

[djkimmel]

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...

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.

[mikesmiph]

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.

[BNL]

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.

[djkimmel]

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.

[Cheetam]

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

[bassboss]

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.

[jacksonmj]

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!

[djkimmel]

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?

[djkimmel]

jacksonmj, don't say only about a 5 pounder. That's a nice bass!

[thedude]

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.

[Got Fish??]

 6.5lb smallmouth last spring lake St Clair. Canaden mist mile roads.5.5lb largemouth lake Erie last fall.

[bassboss]

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.

[Lip_Ripper]

  6.96 lbs largemouth, last August, Wixom lake!!! Won me some nice prizes too!!!!!

[Ryan]

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

[Skulley]

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                     

[Firefighter Jeff]

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