Bigggg Bassss

[bob johansen]

I have recently heard from two very reliable sources that a member of the Western Bass Club has caught a huge 11 pound, 2 ounce bass from a lake in Western Washington. I also have a photo but couldn't figure how to attach it to this forum. I'll send the photo to Mike and see if he wants to post it. It is not a state record but it is definately pushing it.

[EdmondsBassMan]

What lake? Share the wealth we all want to catch the BIIIGGG ONE! LOL

[bob johansen]

Sorry EBM, I don't know the lake and as far as I know it is still a secret.

[EdmondsBassMan]

Bummer! Well with a Bass that big it won't be a secret for much longer!

[bpm2000]

didnt that happen a month or two ago..? or is this a differnet one?

[Bigbass Dez]

IM going for a 12 pounder so im glad this angler got that dink out of the way for me ..LOL .. i would love to see the pic . :dj:

[CK14]

i've seen the picture and it's a beast of a fish. released if i remember right.

[quickfish12]

I have seen a bass that was caught in western washington that might have been a state record. The angler in question has caught MANY large fish and did not want to kill this fish just to have his name in a record book. It weighed 11 lbs 8 oz. I know him very well and have a photo of said fish, if anyone is interested pm and I'll send you a link to the photo.

[Anonymous]

WHAT!
WOW!
I can't believe that if that fish was a state record that he wouldn't want to have it. You can keep the fish alive until WDFG get there to get an official weight. It is a monster but I have heard two different weights now and no scale pick. Anyone there that we know? And what are the measurement?
I'm not questioning his credibility but a fish like that is serious.
Get this guy in here. What was he using? I could care less about the lake because that info. will eventually be found. How big are the other bass he has caught if he is a WA big bass hunter? I have been looking for guys like this around the state and he is the first I have seen.


fishnislife

[quickfish12]

And I quote from his post. " I made several phone calls in an attempt to get a certified scale brought out to the lake but I had no luck getting in touch with anyone from the Department to help me contact a wildlife officer on duty. I was only able to leave messages since it was a Saturday. I spoke to two biologists that I know via cell phone from the lake and both said that to get a certified weight on this fish I would need to harvest it and take it to a certified scale. It is illegal to transport live fish in the state of Washington and killing the fish was not an option for me. She was going to be released alive even if that meant not getting a certified weight. Some people will agree with my decision, some people won't. The existing state record is 11 lbs. 9.5 oz. so I feel this fish would have come up short anyways, since both scales read this fish's weight at 11 1/2 pounds.

I did take all the necessary steps with scales, multiple witnesses, pictures, measurements, etc. to get this fish certified through the IGFA. Oh well, maybe she'll eat several more trout, sunfish and craws and weigh 12 pounds next year! " This is a very well documented story. I have photos to prove this claim.

[JWerner]

Definitely post some photos! But more importantly, I feel the steps needed to register a fish are outdated. Killing a fish to get your name in the book, IMO, is a poor policy even though with a deceased fish, closer inspection can be done to make sure no tampering has occurred. Preserving the genetics of these huge fish is more important. Look at the Share a Lunker program in Texas, where biologists "use" these big fish in a breeding project. I wonder if other state have similar requirements in order to record a record fish. Is there a state out there where the fish can be weighed, measured, x-rayed (lead?) and then released? I have released probably 5 -6 largies over seven pounds and one in the 8 pound and one in the nine pound class, with, at times, onlookers muttering disbelief in my act. Could someone post here requirements needed to register a fish and them maybe we could post some needed changes in the policy.

ROLLTIDE

[ChrisB]

The picture posted Is the real deal. It was weighed on MY scale and went 11.2 lbs. It was weighed on my scale about 3 hours after it was caught, so it had been losing weight all that time. It was such a nice fish, I never seen anything like it before in my life, Yes I saw it in person. The lake, don't worry about what lake it was, there's an 11 lb bass in most of the lakes in WA, you just need to find it and catch it for yourself.

[Nik]

there's an 11 lb bass in most of the lakes in WA, you just need to find it and catch it for yourself.

Well I would say that's a bit of an exaggeration. With the cold winters and shorter growing seasons, I would say the number of double digit largemouth in the state is probably less than 1,000 total, and possibly even lower than that. Look at the state records of all the Northern states that have been recorded for dozens of years, and there's nothing over about 11.5 pounds. Catching a 10+ pounder in Washington is akin to winning the lottery. As far is that fish is concerned, I'm not sure if northern strain largies' eyes bug out when they get old like the Florida strain does, but I assume they do, and that means that fish has a few more seasons left in it. Truly an incredibly fish, and probably one that has the chance to be the largest bass in Washington history in a few years.

[skeeter bassin]

I think the number of west side 10+ bass are higher than we think. This is one of 2 11+ fish that I am aware of that have come from the west side this year. The other was taken very early in the season on a buzzbait.

[tnj8222]

man thats a beautiful bass.


i agree there is a lot of double digit bass. jerry at silver lake motel and resort talked to the shocker from wdfw and he said he shocked tagged and released a 12 pounder out of silver lake in cowlitz.

[bassackwards]

OOOOOOOOOOHHH....That's what a bass looks like.

[michaelunbewust]

i think the 1000 in the state is also an under estimate. the meseberg's over at potholes probably see that many lunkers in any 2 year span, and thats just 1 lake. i also think there is a bunch of those size lgmth's in the lilly pads over here on the westside, i just aint found them yet. nice fish though!!!

[T Dot]

ive seen 2 others come from lakes we have fished this year, ive also seen that one. in total that makes 3. ive seen a fourth, but there was no weight attached to the picture, but it was very close to a double digit fish.

we havent come close to the lake records, but we are there every so often.

:king:

in those lakes we average a 4+ big fish for the trip.

[fishnislife]

I meet up with quickfish12 at Island Lake in Kitsap yesterday to fish and he had more pix of the 11lb 8oz. bass. It's the real deal and this guy sounds like a big bass hunter to me too. Not just someone who catches a monster on accident. He goes out and hunts them and knows what he is doing.
Great catch and an awesome guy to be able to just put a record back like that. I have the upmost respect for him and I hope he gets the record. Only just the day before I break his record.


fishnislife

[ChrisB]

I meet up with quickfish12 at Island Lake in Kitsap yesterday to fish and he had more pix of the 11lb 8oz. bass. It's the real deal and this guy sounds like a big bass hunter to me too. Not just someone who catches a monster on accident. He goes out and hunts them and knows what he is doing.
Great catch and an awesome guy to be able to just put a record back like that. I have the upmost respect for him and I hope he gets the record. Only just the day before I break his record.


fishnislife

The man you are referring to is a great guy. He's an awesome fisherman, and friend to boot. I talk to him on the phone often, and he's always willing to share reports and some tips. Hell of a fisherman !