Hey Dewser, actually, Bass fishing is what I've done the most of (almost all of my fishing from say 97' to 05')
Here's a 15.6 lb'er from last year...

And an 8.5 lb Smallie, that missed the state record at that time, by 5 ounces

If you want to see countless more giant bass (not just mine, but anybody who has sent me photos of 10lb + C/R bass), check out my website: www.TrophyBassOnly.com

Well Jack, washed it the day before, and its dusty today. Oh well.

Peace,
Fish

 

SWEET SON OF A MOTHERLESS GOAT!!!!

Dude, I'm so into river smallie fishin' it's ridiculous, and that smallie is one of the fattest I've ever seen....period! (Oh yeah...and exclamation mark) I didn't even know Cali had pig-beast smallies like that....OUTSTANDING!

My PB river smallie is 6lbs 2oz from WAY back in the day (I was 11). Recently, I can't seem to break the 5.5 mark, but man are those smallies fun to fight in strong current.

Love it, Chris...nice catchin' and nice site too.

Jason

 

...hey Chris. That fat smallie....did she jump and run or just do the famous smallie bulldog trick? GAH! I would LOVE to get lined up with one like that.

Forgot to mention earlier that I lost what would have EASILY been a new PB smallie earlier this Spring. She sucked in an LC pointer in ghost minnow on a VERY long pause (I was actually trying to untangle a wind knot in my line. When I finished, I noticed the other end of the line was really heavy.) I set the hook on her, and at first, I thought it was a good sized striper (we've got some MONSTER striper in these rivers too).

I fought her for at least 5 minutes until I got a look at her, and she was massive....at least 24" long and just ridiculously fat...she actually looked disfigured. When I first saw her, I kept saying, out loud (I was by myself), "Don't come off...don't come off!"...over and over again. I reached for the net and turned her toward the boat. It was then that she got a good look at the boat, and you know what smallies do when that happens. She darted hard, straight down, and pulled the hook through her mouth. I HATE TREBLE HOOKS!

When it was all over with, I literally sat on the front of my boat looking straight down....tearing up for at least 10 minutes. She was 7.5lbs if she was an ounce. Then, I invented some expletives that I thought were appropriate given my current stroke of incredibly good....then incredibly bad luck.

That's the reason I go far too often, stay far too long, and spend way too much money with fishing.

 

Thanks man. Actually, while we do a have a good handful of trout-fed trophy Largemouth lakes, we really only have 1 lake with the giant Smallies. (I might tell you the name of that lake in a PM if you asked ;-)

My biggest Smallie for many, many years, stood at 5-4. Then, on my first trip ever, to this lake, I caught a new PB of 5.7. Since then, I've caught 8 of them over 7 lbs, and 1 other over 8 lbs. Oh, plus 3 Northern Strain Largemouth's over 10 lbs ! (big for a Northern strain).

But hey, it's like I always tell guys.... Anybody who fishes as much as I do, in the places I do, would catch the same numbers of big fish (if they were fishing specifically for big fish like I usually do). I'm just blessed with a lot of great fishing opportunities....

Peace,
Fish

PS, Man, I hate losing a big one :-( Earlier this year, I worked on one giant Smallie for at least 3 hours (sight fishing... anchored) and I have strong reason to believe it was "the same 8.5 lb'er" I showed you above, but 2 years later, and it had to be in the 10 lb range now. Finally got her to bite, hooked her, she ran straight for the surface, jumped, and threw my lure back in my face :-(
So I can totally relate to that "knife in the heart" feeling.
I also hooked and lost a 17.2 lb Largemouth once.... How do I know she was 17.2 lbs ? Because a buddy hooked and landed her a couple weeks later ! That would be "all bad" except, at least I can say, I did land the biggest bass I ever hooked.... My PB Rancho Seco Lk. record, of 18.4 lbs :-)
Oh, to answer your question, my 8.5 Smallie didn't jump. She just bulldogged back and forth between the boat, and the bottom....

 

...I've been studying that smallie, and looking at her markings, she bears a STRIKING resemblance to the elusive meanmouth bass. If that were the case, it would have been a WORLD record though. I think the current world record is 6lbs and change.

Actually, it's 6lbs even.

 

Chris,

PLEASE PM me the name of the lake. I'm with you on the whole "protect our resources" and "don't tell everybody where you fish" notion too. Overfishing can and WILL absolutely DESTROY any fishery. However, I'd like to plan a trip out to this secret spot and try my hand at one of those piggies.

10lbs is HUGE for a norther strain...don't see many of those at all.

Hey...maybe you and I will meet up and rip a lip or two sometime...I'm always taking fishing road trips.

Thanks,

Jason

 

Damn nice bass man! How was the real in on that thing

 

Fish, this looks kind of like Berryessa? I grew up in Suisun, so I know how the fishing is around there. Last time I went fishing the slough by Grizzly Island, there were so many dang crabs it was hard to keep bait on the line. Ever go out by the moth-ball fleet?(sp?)

 

Small freakin world, I live right off of Hwy 12 in Suisun.

 

Small world indeed, my family built a lot of homes off of and around Blossom. A bunch of the street names are members of my family, such as Wesley, Chyrl way, Charles way, Phillip way, Ricky ct, Nancy Ct, Michael ct.

 

.....666 Avenue........

 

Looks like an army truck. Are you in the army? j/k looks good.

 

How funny is this ? I have lived right here in the Fairfield / Suisun area for 41 of my 44 years ! Oh, and yes, that was Berryessa :-) ....freaking lake is down like 30 ft !

Anyway, hey Dark, if you see me around in my truck, come introduce yourself. Of course mine truck is going to be pretty hard to miss :-)

Hey 4.6, I know, I know.... Love my Army truck ;-) LOL

Peace,
Fish

 

Crazy, you probably went to school with and or partied with my Mom or uncles. Jim, Nicole, and Steve Andrew. Maybe the Florez's too, Ray, Fernando, Tony and Ernie. If I see your truck around I'll make sure to introduce myself.

 

Man, oh man...that got my blood pumping!!! My PB is 8# 4oz, after it spit up three shad, and that was just out of a 2 acre farm pond. I LIVE for bass fishing, but do not want to do any tournament stuff. Strictly for enjoyment and relaxation. Down here in SE Kansas there are a bunch of strip pits from the mining days of the '30's. A 14 year old kid caught the new KS state record this spring, 12#11.8 oz in a tournament too. Nice fish, both of them!