Year of the Big Bass

[ttb31183]

This season has been strange for me. I have caught tons of giant bass but have generally done pretty average in tournaments. In fact, I can recall three or four days when one fish was half of my total weight. I can't complain though, it has just been interesting that I can find one really good one and the rest are dinks. It is not like I have dedicated to "big fish" techniques like swimbaits or anything as most of my bigger fish have come on old standbys like jigs, crankbaits and drop-shot.

The last of my big ones was last week when I caught a 7.07lb largemouth out of Long Lake on a jig. The fish was fat and healthy and is why this is my favorite lake in Washington. It is full of thick, giant fish of all species not just bass.



I caught her fishing a jig on a deep weedline adjacent to docks. The docks are a shallow in this area and I think the recent cold temps have pushed them to the first deep cover they can find and that is grass in 10-15 feet of water. You can see the flat in blue and then where it drops quickly.



I have found that the smallmouth are using the same depth right now and often also on the deep grass. It is one step closer to their winter locations and this is usually the time of year when I catch my biggest fish of the year. This year it could be really big!

[Kyle46N]

Good Lord that's a FAT bass. It's so frickin thick it almost looks like a smallmouth..lol. Thanks for the info though. Funny, it fits the same things I believe I should be looking for on the Delta right now based off some other information I've been reading on in the past day or so.

[WRB]

For me personally the year(s) of the big bass was between 1991 to 1993 when 15 lb+ bass were considered giants.
Tom

[milehi]

come on Tom, 7+ pure strain northern is one hell of a fish. You got one back in the day at big bear you'd have been pretty excited

[HenderT]

That is an incredible catch!

[WRB]

come on Tom, 7+ pure strain northern is one hell of a fish. You got one back in the day at big bear you'd have been pretty excited

How did I miss the post was from Washington?
Tom

[mark poulson]

In March of 2009, Mike Iljin caught a 12.76 northern strain largemouth up at Lake Pyramid.

[milehi]

Didn't Bill Siemantal get a 13 something northern from there?

[milehi]

ActuallyPiru I think

[ttb31183]

That is an incredible catch!

Thanks!

[ttb31183]

Good Lord that's a FAT bass. It's so frickin thick it almost looks like a smallmouth..lol. Thanks for the info though. Funny, it fits the same things I believe I should be looking for on the Delta right now based off some other information I've been reading on in the past day or so.

It was very thick and wasn't even my biggest year. Caught a 7.95 from same lake this year. They are healthy up here!

[WRB]

The run of big bass at Piru were Florida stain LMB. I weighed a 15 lb NLMB caught from Piru by a guy trolling in the mid 60's before FLMB were introduced in the early 70's to Castaic and Casitas. FYI my PB NLMB is 12 lbs 4 oz from Casitas in '71.
8 lb NLMB in WA a big bass, state record is 12.53lbs.
Tom

[mark poulson]

That is an incredible catch!

X2!!

[Larry Hemphill]

I don't know much about Washington bass, but that is a healthy bass. Seems to be feeding well. I remember about 20+ years ago a friend moved to Washington state. He called me a few months later and said the bass fishing was excellent and nobody fishes for them, just salmon and trout! I'm sure that is not the case now as this beautiful bass shows what is available!

[WRB]

Not an expert on Washigton LMB fishing however lived in the Lake Washington area for about a year back '70. LMB back then were considered trash fish and never ran across another bass angler the year I fished lake Washington and it was excellent bass fishing back then.
Trout, Steelhead and Salmon are the fish that are popular, bass still are second rate fish disliked by the cold water anglers.
Tom

[ttb31183]

I don't know much about Washington bass, but that is a healthy bass. Seems to be feeding well. I remember about 20+ years ago a friend moved to Washington state. He called me a few months later and said the bass fishing was excellent and nobody fishes for them, just salmon and trout! I'm sure that is not the case now as this beautiful bass shows what is available!

There are plenty of bass fishermen here but you are right, most focus on other species. For quality 4 and 5 pound fish, this is the best place I have ever fished and I have fished all over. All of our bigger tournaments seem to take 20+ either all smallmouth, all largemouth or a mixed bag.

[ttb31183]

Not an expert on Washigton LMB fishing however lived in the Lake Washington area for about a year back '70. LMB back then were considered trash fish and never ran across another bass angler the year I fished lake Washington and it was excellent bass fishing back then.
Trout, Steelhead and Salmon are the fish that are popular, bass still are second rate fish disliked by the cold water anglers.
Tom

Very true. Many anglers (and fish and game) seem to hate bass and all warmwater species.