25.5" Smally

[DLD24]

I saw in the Sunday paper that a couple family members caught a 25.5" and a 25" smally, I'm assuming up north somewhere...How much do you think them fish weighed?? That would have to be a new state record (assuming they were normal sized)...I caught a 23.5" smally this last winter and I was amazed at it, I couldnt imagine catching a 25.5", hope they got a replica (both fish were released it said)

[JeremyCampbell]

Gosh those musta been real fun to catch.

[hockeybc69]

I am not buying it....

I want to see a pic on a measuring board with mouth closed and tail pinched.

Otherwise its just another poor job of measuring or estimating...

[DLD24]

Haha, I should find that article and look their names up on Facebook and see if I can see a picture of it...Is that stalkerish? Lol

[thatoneguy]

Yeah, that's probably like those "lunker" pics people send in to fishing mags, where they say they caught an 8-lb bass and it's actually a 4.5 pounder.

I've got to believe that a healthy 25.5" smallie would be the state record or at least in the neighborhood. It's possible though...I'd sure love to see a picture!

[RumRiverRat]

I am not buying it....

I want to see a pic on a measuring board with mouth closed and tail pinched.

Otherwise its just another poor job of measuring or estimating...

Unless there are pictures of the fish on a certified scale I refuse to believe weights people claim.

The vast majority of fish posted on this very forum are improperly being measured.

You look foolish when you post a picture with exaggerated measurements.

My 3 cents.

[ANYFISH2]

I am not buying it....

I want to see a pic on a measuring board with mouth closed and tail pinched.

Otherwise its just another poor job of measuring or estimating...

How many hands do you Have! To accomplish all that!

25.5" would be huge, I am sceptical. However I am not so bold as to constantly call people liers over a measurment like some here.

I have with my own eyes, seen a legit 23 out of Ensign lake in the BWCA it was beyond big.

[hockeybc69]

You saw a legit 23? Do you realize you could possibly have seen saw the new state record smallie?

Well, I guess I am bold because there are lots of claims of state record fish caught and never pics to show them. LOL.

Not to mention, they got a 25.5 and a 25...... both of which would topple the current state record.

I call FOUL!.

Here are semi current state records in a list, if anyone cares to compare.

http://www.smallmouths.com/2009/06/state-records-smallmouth-bass-catches/

Oh, the couple was from Iowa, so that might explain a lot.... hahahaa

[Bobby Bass]

A 25.5 sounds like a good guessing job, two over 25 just someone looking to get in the paper, what ya catch in MN stays in MN kind of thing... Nice to bring the clipping back home from your vacation..

Duluth News Tribune:

Smallmouth bass release

16-inch minimum

25½ Jacob Dillon, Burlington, Iowa, White Iron Lake, Babe’s Bait & Tackle, Ely

25 Sara Dillon, Burlington, Iowa, White Iron Lake, Babe’s Bait & Tackle, Ely

----------------

Maybe Babe's Bait has a picture?

[ANYFISH2]

Hockey, Yes it was legit, pic's where taken, by me. We both new it was possibly close to a record, they had just started their trip however and were not going to turn back to wieght the fish. I believe VNO in Ely had a set of pics. This was back in the fall of '96.

If i had the pics they wouldn't prove anything anyway, it was measured on top of a tape measure without a good nose stop(the canoe). So I am sure we don't know how to properly measure the fish!

A 25 I'd have to see it to believe it myself.

[DLD24]

Ya I tried stalking one of them on FB to see if I could see a pic, but I had no luck lol...If the fish are legit that would be insane to see...Lol Hockeybc don't say that I have been wondering if mine would have been close...The fish isn't perfectly straight, but I was in a hurry to get her back in...

[ANYFISH2]

Beautiful, just beautiful. Nice fish DLD, congrates.

[Superduty]

Beautiful, just beautiful. Nice fish DLD, congrates.

+1

In regards to the OP. I've seen a lot of bass weighed on digital tournament scales in my life. I've also seen a lot of bystanders/spectators point at fish and say "Look at that bass. It must be 8lbs!" Most of the time, the "8 lb" fish weighs less than 5 lbs when put on a scale...

[hockeybc69]

DLD

Very nice!

[Hester]

Holy toad!!!!

[TonkaBass]

If I had a dollar for every person that has told me they caught an 8, 9, or 10 pound bass, I'd be rich. The truth is 6 pounders are very very rare in most lakes. 25"+ smallie? possible... 2 in one day? uh hu...

[Craigums]

I used to be amazed by how my fish shrunk once they hit the scales

[MSRiverdog]

The number one reason I started making the MSRD Board was to dispel these ridiculous story's. I've fished with and am friends with some really good Smallie fishermen and to this day have only heard of one 23"er in MN. and that was mounted so I'll buy it. SH and I have been going back and forth about a 23 in the Miss. for years, but I still think there's one in the Anoka stretch.

A southern fish maybe but not up here.

[Jared_P]

You saw a legit 23? Do you realize you could possibly have seen saw the new state record smallie?

Well, I guess I am bold because there are lots of claims of state record fish caught and never pics to show them. LOL.

Not to mention, they got a 25.5 and a 25...... both of which would topple the current state record.

I call FOUL!.

Here are semi current state records in a list, if anyone cares to compare.

http://www.smallmouths.com/2009/06/state-records-smallmouth-bass-catches/

Oh, the couple was from Iowa, so that might explain a lot.... hahahaa

That 27.25" would have been fun to catch in Michigan...

JP

[RumRiverRat]

I read a report in the saint cloud forum about a guy that caught a 22.5 and 2 21" inch largemouth yesterday.

There were some pics but they must have been of some smaller fish he caught.

[zanzibarro]

I don't know if this photo loaded properly but for an example/scale this is a 22 incher caught by my friend Chris near Ashland WI last August. I was on the net and we measured and released it. Did not weigh. One thing we noted: Compared to the 19 inch and occasional 20 inch smalley we catch Canadian side of Rainy, the tail on this fish was reptilian. Massive difference.

[hockeybc69]

Hoss!!!!!!!!!!

[RawHog]

the tail on this fish was reptilian. Massive difference.

I have seen tails like that on many smallies as well, but not this big tho! Nice fish.

[PurpleCatMan]

The tail on that thing is bigger than the guys hand! Unreal, nice fish.

As long as we're showing off, here's my little 19 incher from last year:

[thatoneguy]

That smallie is freakin' obese!