Next State Record Bass

[Coach Dog]

yes, it is [email protected]

[kt]

Agape, I was talking about the one that apparently had a state record brought through the ice a few years back between alex and parkers.

I think i know the lakes by me that you were talking about also. One in particular was absolutely awesome this summer for big fish. The other one produced one just under 23" for me last fall but i didn't fish it this much this year. I was having too much fun on the other lakes.

[Smallie]

KT,

That was a super big one throught the ice...It went like 8lbs 9oz...They had the mount in the bait shop there for a while...I have caught some good ones in there but no super big ones.

[Pointer_Pride]

I have also heard that DNR story, hopefully its true. There are some huge fish in there, 5+ lber each of the last two years for me, but they are hard to catch and most are caught by accident. Did see one in there last spring that made my knees buckle. Made my fish look like a baby.

[Fever]

I fished in a tournament just this last june on a very small lake in southern mn. Winning weight was 24.9 lbs with 5 fish. Second was 21 something, third was 19 something fourth 19 something so on so on... I have seen a few fish last year and this in the mid sixs caught in this small lake. With the good water quality, over abundance of sunfish, and small bullheads, and the inexperiance of most anglers on the lake the odds are fantastic that a few of those 6+ pounders could make that leap to the 8+ pound range (If they haven't already) in the not too distant future. It is an exciting trip every time out on that pond. I'm thinking its just under 200 acres and the prospect of a state record being taken out of a lake like that actually scares me. Auburn has literally been just pounded over the past two open water seasons... Also I think there are lakes like the one I'm talking about sprinkled all across the southern half of the state. There is another story that hasn't been mentioned of a fish caught just a few days before Mark Raveling's that would have been the state record had it been kept. This angler chose to CPR the fish that came out of a med-small south central lake. Hats off to that guy... Don't know if I could do the same. Tough situation for anyone I guess. good post topic; fun to think about the possiblilties.

[FishinChad]

As for Auburn, I dont really think it got hit too hard, even with the record coming out. I drive by it all the time and rarely see anyone out there, and the ones that do go out usually cant or dont go to the bigger southern part of the lake because it is hard to access, especially this year with the low water. I also have my doubts about the record coming out of Auburn, I have heard some things and had my own suspicions when I first heard it, a C&R only lake near Auburn seems like it would have a much better chance of holding the record. Not that it couldnt have come from Auburn, I just have my doubts, and choose to believe otherwise.

[ricqik]

The next state record will come from a metro lake with a electric motor only regulation. Someone just have to catch it before it dies of old age.

[Cabela10]

If you catch the record largemouth bass and it's on a catch and release only lake. Can you legally keep that fish in the livewell to get it weighed and measured on a certified scale? I would think it would be illegal to weigh a fish for the record on a catch/release only lake. Just my opinion.

[Fishing_High]

Noticed the cake next to you name Happy B-Day man, maybe that record will be your present.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Bobby- on catch and release lakes.. all fish must be returned to the water.. no live well... so its quite possible that a state record fish could be caught and not weighed and hence not be the state record.

I too agree that one of the city lakes could easily kick out a state record.. Calhoun for sure.

[Cabela10]

Quote:

---

Bobby- on catch and release lakes.. all fish must be returned to the water.. no live well... so its quite possible that a state record fish could be caught and not weighed and hence not be the state record.

---

Yeah, that's what I figured, but I'm guessing they have wiggle room on this type of situation. I personally don't think a state record should be recorded from a catch/release only lake, but those lakes will lift that c/r after awhile anyways. So who knows.

[Griggs]

State record fish is a state record fish where ever you catch it. If it was a catch and release lake, all the better. It would show that its a good idea. Personally I think Bass should be a catch and release fish, there are plenty of other, better tasting fish in the same waters.

[Cabela10]

Griggs, if you were a sunfish tournament angler, would you also think the sunfish need to be a catch and release fish also?

I see no problem with people taking and eating bass even if it is the only fish I enjoy to catch and need to find in tournaments.

I personally don't think a bass from a catch and release lake should count towards the state record because that fish is suppose to be put back into the water right away all within a minute of catching it. Catch, Photo, Release. I'm not sure you could get to a certified scale and get a dnr official there all within a minute of catching it. Just my .02

[Griggs]

I'd probably say that there are plenty of sunfish and eat em up, leave the big males though to defend the nests. In reality I don't really mind some getting eaten, I just wouldn't ever do it and there are indeed better tasting fish that are just as easy to catch, ie sunfish and pike.

[tfsh4bass]

Quote:

---

Griggs, if you were a sunfish tournament angler, would you also think the sunfish need to be a catch and release fish also?

I see no problem with people taking and eating bass even if it is the only fish I enjoy to catch and need to find in tournaments.

I personally don't think a bass from a catch and release lake should count towards the state record because that fish is suppose to be put back into the water right away all within a minute of catching it. Catch, Photo, Release. I'm not sure you could get to a certified scale and get a dnr official there all within a minute of catching it. Just my .02

---

I like the idea of catch-and-release on largemouth but there probably needs to be some harvesting to keep things inline. Texas has done well with their 16-24 inch slot limit which allows people to harvest some of the 14-15" fish while also allowing people to keep the hogs for pics at the marina or share a lunker program. Arkansas has started doing the same slot on some lakes and they are starting to product fish in the 15-16lb range plus tons of slot fish.

Concerning the catch and release situation pertaining to the record don't you guys have a mandatory statewide c-a-r on all smallmouth after Sept 11th. If so, I guess if someone caught the record they would have to let it go also?

[bronzeback01]

Do I think Tonka or Waconia have the state record largemouth swimming in them? Yes. Do I think it will ever be caught? Probably not, just for the simple fact that the fish is that big for a reason. Reason being that it doesn't eat anything tied to a string. I think there are probably a few up north as well but not as many as in the sothern reaches of the state. Growing season is the reason. As I have experianced and I'm sure everyone else here has, I can remember catching them off of beds down on the river and fishing tournaments 3 weeks later up north and finding fish still on beds. That few weeks of extra warm water every year makes a huge difference. Not saying there arent any hogs up north, just not as many.

Everyone is saying their lake has loads of 5# and 6# ers in it. Yeah, most good lakes do, but according to my scale there is a big difference between 6# and 9#.

I think the record will come off of a small lake south metro or farther south. The lake will probably not be a bass lake. It will be the local sunnie lake. I would guess it to be fairly shallow as well, 15-20' at the deepest. The lake will be grassy, by grassy I'm talking about it will probably get choked out in the summer meaning the record will be caught in the spring or late fall. And yes I do believe it may not even be a spawning fish. Heres the kicker, this fish could even be caught off the bank.

I work in the south metro and driving from job to job every day I see new lakes. Lakes that I believe if they dont freeze out have some hawgs in them. I'm learning there are a few key factors for big northern strain bass, and there are a lot of small lakes with these requirements.

I fish a lake that chokes out in the summer, but for 2 weeks right around post spawn you can wack a pile of fish in the 2-3# range with 5-6's being very common. Like I said, a 6# and a 9# fish are very different. I do believe I had her on last fall. I was ripping a chatter bait off the bottom when I saw a giant black shaddow in about 5' of water pound the bait and let go. I will never forget the boil on the surface because the fish displaced so much water down there when she hit. Something a guy can never forget. I went back to the spot this spring to see if there were any beds in the area. Yep, there was and there were 4# bucks guarding them. And this lake is nothing special, there are probably 100 of them just like it in Minnesota. Guys are just so determined to catch that trophy of a big lake with there big boat that they dont see that there is probably a better spot a mile from home that they could fish from a canoe. Thats how we bass fisherman are though.

I'm putting together a 14' boat with an 8' deck for this spring with electric motors only. I have decided that I'm going to take a break from tournaments for a year and go trophy hunting. And a small boat for small water is the only way to do it.

FYI there was also a fish approaching 10# pulled from a small southern Minnesota lake within the last 5 years. It is an electric motor only lake and probably isnt 20 acres in size. The fish was released! Guess what boys, I bet she's still there. I myself have seen fish in theis lake that I would guess were in the 7# range cruising the shoreline. So I would guess big mamma isn't far away.

This is what bass fishing is all about. Stories, tall tales, lures, boats. Thats why we love it and thats why there is always going to be that next state record swimming somewhere.

[Muddog]

If your looking for the state record. Now is the time! Next 4 days are the prime of the year for giving up the state record.

[T-water]

Hey Muddog thats the attitude I like to hear. I'm going out on Sunday anybody else?

[TNFL]

Nope, just drained the gear lube in the lower unit last night. Good luck, but, I'm done.

[jalberg]

I will be heading out Saturday and Sunday. I personaly feel prime time is past but there is always a chance. A few years ago I caught my biggest bass of the year in late November. Good luck.

[lookincalifornia]

nice bronzeback!

when i was a kid, i learned about bass fishing by hitting the gravel pits. they has a pretty bad milfoil problem, and no boat access. i caught lots of 20" fish out of one particular pit. then one year we had a cold winter, with lots of ice and even more snow. that spring the shores were littered with dead fish. big notherns and walleyes that nobody knew were in there. and bass, oh the huge bass. before they got too bad, i measured some there were 22"s and some 23"s. they were so safe during the summer, and limited shore access prevented fishermen from getting the bedding fish. it was the saddest day of my fishing life.

i'd say you are right on the money with your predition of the next state record.

[primetime49]

Ithink Dean Capras brother caught a small mouth on Mille Lac in a tournament that held record for smallies.

i fished Silverado on Mille lacs with Dean two seasons ago and I thought he mentioned it.

What is the size and who currently holds record for smellmouth?

A couple guys we know did pull up a smallmouth thru the ice on Green Spicer two winters ago while hoping for walleye that cleared 8 pounds but in about 100 days of fishing that lake during open season since regulations opened it again I have only seen maybe 6 smallmouth that would clear 6 pounds.

Ifyou want to try for a 7 0r even 8 pound plus largemouth I think you might find these on the Norway Games lake chain near New London MN.

As 4 generation resort family we had seen and weighed several fish over 8 pounds.I personally had a couple over 7 pounds and one 8 pound 2 ounce[West Norway Lake is where i got lucky with lots of hard work on these fish.

Others that I got to weigh their fish got them on the south shore side near the Little Norway entrnce in Games lake.Ferril Skinner and one of his kids Joel showed me two 8s two evenings in a row several years ago,wonderfull fish.

I will fish Green for sport and numbers but will head to Norway chain for record.