STATE RECORD BASS

[GooBack]

Where are some good lakes to get a state record bass in ? I read in infisher magazine that pelican lake by rogers was the best spot but i went there a lot of times last year and never got more than 2 or 3 bass each time and none of those were big. what are some other good lakes ?

[JBMasterAngler]

Well, getting a state record anything anywhere is a long shot. But your best bet at trophy bass are to start with lakes that have slot limits, or other special regulations. Consider smaller, less popular lakes also. All my big bass have come from those types of lakes. If your including smallies on your quest, then mille lacs would be tops on the list, as would chequamegan bay (if your willing to fish WI).

[tencountff]

Green Lake, Kandiyohi County has the ability to produce one, largemouth and/or smallie. Bring all your friends and please keep some limits.

[mainbutter]

I've only ever seen one 22''+ smallie in my life. It came from a small/medium sized lake in Ontario, no access except by portage or float plane. This fish would have needed quite a bit of growing to break the 8lb 0z MN state record still. It's not a popular smallmouth fishing lake because they weren't in the lake until two decades ago or so, not many people know about it and only fish for the lake trout and northern pike there.

If I was serious about a smallmouth state record, I'd only be looking at lakes northward of the latitude of URL, towards the eastern half of the state. Perhaps DEEP in the boundary waters.

I've never seen big honking largemouth in this state with my own two eyes, maybe 18'' tops, so I don't know what to tell you there. Bass can grow huge in small lakes, if they aren't overpopulated with other bass or competing predators. If I had a fish biologist with a list of lakes by forage density, I'd start with lakes that are unusually good for freshwater shrimp to thrive in.

[TonkaBass]

Green Lake, Kandiyohi County has the ability to produce one, largemouth and/or smallie. Bring all your friends and please keep some limits.

Ummm... ???

[RK]

Ummm... ???

Tonka,

<snark>

Some of the local fisheries "experts" have come to the conclusion that the smallmouths in Green Lake have somehow decimated the walleye fishery there...to the point of getting the regs on Green lifted for both bass and pike.

Because, as you well know, lakes without the maximum possible number of walleyes are just a waste of water...

There's also a lot of pressure from some locals to ban tournaments on Green as a way to prevent zebra mussels getting into Green. Because, as you also well know (everyone knows this) - zebra mussels prefer tournament boats.

</snark>

To the original poster's question, I think there are a number of lakes that are capable of a state record, but it might not be a lake with a high population, but rather a low density population of very big fish that don't get pressured. Biggest smallmouth I know of personally outside of the Great Lakes are on a lake with very very few smallmouth bass...just as an example.

[Nick Kuhn]

Well, getting a state record anything anywhere is a long shot. But your best bet at trophy bass are to start with lakes that have slot limits, or other special regulations. Consider smaller, less popular lakes also. All my big bass have come from those types of lakes. If your including smallies on your quest, then mille lacs would be tops on the list, as would chequamegan bay (if your willing to fish WI).

Actually in Wisconsin I'd go to Sturgeon Bay. You really don't need special regulations for big bass, there's plenty of those everywhere. Wisconsin does have quite a few 18" minimum 1 fish lakes and they really don't produce many more big fish than regular lakes.

[Slob_Samurai]

"Because, as you well know, lakes without the maximum possible number of walleyes are just a waste of water...

There's also a lot of pressure from some locals to ban tournaments on Green as a way to prevent zebra mussels getting into Green. Because, as you also well know (everyone knows this) - zebra mussels prefer tournament boats. "

Now that was a good read... lol

[corncob]

I've heard stories from friends that walleye chasers on Green will slice open smallies and throw back if they catch them.......Not nice or legal!

[tencountff]

Green does have a lot of huge bass. We catch a few 22in smallies a year while walleye fishing, and big largemouth. I know some guys have there bass clubs in there boats but i'm not one of them. I love the fight of those big old rocket smallies!

[corncob]

I think what many fail to consider is that Green has had a strong smallmouth population for many years....I recall talking with my father about how good the bass fishing on Green was back in the 60's....dam I'm old!

[basssmasher*]

Griz. The stories of walleye people cutting up bass n putting them back in the lake are true unfortunately...I've seen it a few times, which is sad, and I also called tip! I,m not speaking about all walleye fishermen of course, but there are a few dumbbells out there that think they own the lake and are entitled to do so. Wish we had more C.O.s around here!!!!

[Bass Whacker]

There are a few lakes that could have the potential to put out a record fish in the Detroit Lakes area also. One lake in particular has put out some monsters this winter. I got one that would have pushed 7, and I lost a pig yesterday while looking for gills. A guy in my class caught one over 7, and I saw a pic of one on a scale that went 7.56lbs. This lake has also put out quit a few in the 5-6 lb range according to other people I've talked to out on the ice. I will be makeing trips to this lake for the rest of my life.

[reinhard1]

mille lacs is one. i have cought a few in the 4 pound range as far as smallmouth and i have a 6 pounder [largemouth] mounted that my daughter cought in the early 80's out of Ham Lake here in Anoka county. i fish a lake that is not known for smallmouth that i believe has a record in there. my friends brother as cought 2 close to 6 pounds out of there. he was not targeting them but cought them fishing for pike.

i'm sure there are a few lakes and rivers where these old gals prowl. St. Louis river is one also. I think forage plays a major role, and the type of forage also. good luck.

[fishuhalik]

ml hands-down for smallies (in mn) as the record was already broken there this year, it was just out of season. for largemouth, there's a lake i have personally seen 3 largies within 6oz of the state record & heard of another one. as far as well-known lakes, pelican by rogers is my pick. if my goal in life was to get a state record, i'd hit that lake every day with a 10"+ slug-go. everything grows huge in that lake

[reinhard1]

it's been awhile, but i can recall some lady on a launch in mille lacs cought a smallie over 8 pounds prior to the season also. cant recall the year. good luck.

[LEECH21]

Green does have a lot of huge bass. We catch a few 22in smallies a year while walleye fishing, and big largemouth. I know some guys have there bass clubs in there boats but i'm not one of them. I love the fight of those big old rocket smallies!

I fish Green an average of 2-3 days a week during the open water season. I fish primarily for smallies. I have yet to catch one over 21". My biggest to date from Green is 20.5". I fish bass tournys out on Green and I hear the same story over and over, about the bass taking over the lake. I've even witnessed walleye fisherman catching smallies and taking a pocket knife to their heads and tossing them back in the water...makes me sick! Over the last say5 years or so, we all have noticed the overall size of the smallies has gone down. You can catch a ton of 17-19" inchers all day, but the true giants from 7-10 years ago are showing up less and less.

[fishcast]

it'd be silly to post lakes that have great potential for state records online... then again, i am often surprised by what people share online.

[Hester]

http://www.bassmaster.com/news/state-largemouth-bass-record-un-dunn

[itchmesir]

I've only ever seen one 22''+ smallie in my life. It came from a small/medium sized lake in Ontario, no access except by portage or float plane. This fish would have needed quite a bit of growing to break the 8lb 0z MN state record still. It's not a popular smallmouth fishing lake because they weren't in the lake until two decades ago or so, not many people know about it and only fish for the lake trout and northern pike there.

If I was serious about a smallmouth state record, I'd only be looking at lakes northward of the latitude of URL, towards the eastern half of the state. Perhaps DEEP in the boundary waters.

I've never seen big honking largemouth in this state with my own two eyes, maybe 18'' tops, so I don't know what to tell you there. Bass can grow huge in small lakes, if they aren't overpopulated with other bass or competing predators. If I had a fish biologist with a list of lakes by forage density, I'd start with lakes that are unusually good for freshwater shrimp to thrive in.

Finding a smallie over 22" is some feat.. seeing as that fish would probably take around 15-20 years to grow that big.. I've talked with some local fisheries folks and they say it takes roughly 12 years for a smallie to hit 18"

[buzbunni]

Whatever lake you're not fishin' on .

Do wish people would harvest more bass.

Not so much the bigger gals, but the "regular" sized ones.

Never did understand the "omg, don't harvest it, it's a bass" mentality.

I do, and they taste great; especially late spring early summer.

Not so much in a 10ft. golf pond in mid August, but...well, you get my drift.

Back on topic.....

I've caught big gals (Largemouth only) on Leech, but I'm sure it get's alotta pressure. Maybe not? Plenty of Lake to find a big one never-the-less.

Biggest Smallie I ever caught (21") was last Fall on Mille Lacs, and I was trollin' for walter.

Ole Miss is a good option for a bruiser of either species.

[Stick in Mud]

One more vote for Mille Lacs. They get big in there, and there are a lot of them. And the secret's out--and not just because of this post -- I think some guy on TV caught a monster a few years ago that was getting somewhat close. There are also some huge largies in that lake, though they're less numerous than the smallies. We caught two largies last year on the northwest side, both bobber fishing with leeches, and both were over 20''. One, oh I dont' know, might've went 22''. But if you're looking for a state record largemouth, purposefully fishing for them up on that side of the lake--there might be better fish in the weedier south side, I don't know--you'd probably catch 10x more muskies than you do bass. But they are there.

[Hoffer]

I am pretty sure that Dean Capra caught a state record smallie on Mille Lacs a few years back. For sure certifiable as a new state record - but he let it go. It was in season.

[tengauge]

Tony capra caught a state record smallmouth outta mill lacs weighed it and let it go!

[thatoneguy]

It was 1996, and Capra's fish weighed in just short of the state record, IIRC.