So how have things changed for the WRB ???

[Fish Chris]

First off, I just have to say 1) That freaking fish was huge ! I totally believe it was 25.1 lbs, 2) I do not believe Mac intentionally foul hooked it, and 3) from what I have heard about Mac, I have nothing but respect for the guy.......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So with that out of the way, how do you think this catch has changed the quest for the World Record Bass ???
Specifically, what happens now, if somebody catches a 23 lb'er, with 50 witnesses, hooked in the mouth, all fair and square, and it then becomes certified as the new WRB ? How many people will say, "Yea'.... 'BUT' there was that 'bigger' one caught by Mac W" ?

I guess what I'm saying is, before Mac's catch, a new WRB was the biggest dream in sportfishing, for more anglers than any other. But do you think that this dream has now been massively deflated ? ....... I mean of course, unless somebody were to catch a 25.2 lb'er...... which would probably be about 1000 times less likely than catching a 22-6 (which I might remind you, had not been done in the last 74 years).

Personally, I hope Mac catches her again, all legal, hooked in the mouth (re-catches are so much more likely than most people would ever believe).

Your opinions please,
Peace,
Fish

PS, Of course I still believe there is a 'good' chance that Mac's fish could be caught again.... but for whatever reason, many, if not most re-catches of a bass in the same year, usually result in a lighter weight the second time around..... and furthermore, if I were to bet on this, going by the obvious old age of Mac's fish, I really believe that "if" it were caught next year, there would be a much higher likelyhood that it would then weigh 23 lbs, or less, rather than over 26. This is just the natural progression of fish nearing the end of their lifespan.

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[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Good points there Chris..Actually it would not have surprised me if Mac's catch weighed more than what his scale said..It was definitely a huge bass..If another, smaller but still WRLMB was caught and certified, it would always be compared to Mac's fish..Now that we know a fish can attain that size, some will not want to recognize any for WR status that are smaller..I really wished his fish could have been weighed on a certified scale, or at least test his scale and make a determination as to the fishes actual size..It would give everyone in the game a target to shoot for..

mac

[sTony]

If someone were to catch a 23 pounder I believe there'd be no 'yeah buts' at all. Mac's catch was huge but irrelevant as to what weight it was, no one not even he will know really how much that fish weighed.

sTony

[supermat]

Chris,
Personally, if someone gets the world record at ANY weight I'll be stoked! To me, the guy who gets it deserves all the press that he would have previously recieved. For me, the fact that one fish reached record weight doesn't offset anything because of those Cuban fish that have been announced over the years... we already knew monster fish were out there, had been caught, and that didn't change a thing. The World record is about legally catching the monster.... not about if she's going to hold it forever or whether or not a larger bass exists. Its all about legally CATCHING it!!! My 2 cents....

Matt

[swimbait]

I agree with Matt. Knowing the fish exists is one thing. Catching it legit is another.

The dream of the world record is still very much alive for me and I think whoever breaks it legit should get every bit of the recognition they deserve whether it's 22-6 or 25.2.

[rexford]

For me if I am totally honest I was not so sure a fish
of this weight even existed. I now am certain it does
and I think if there is one there is a good chance that
there are several. I know most will dissagree with me
but my opinion is that it is a world record bass. To me
the fish in itself is a world record. However the angler
did not legally catch and certify the fish to gain the
respect and title of catching the world record fish.

The fish held up its end of the bargin. A world record
she is. However the catch part is still up for grabs.

Go get her!

[Steve]

For me, its an odd anticlimatic thing. I cant say Ive ever really thought about how big largemouth actually get, but I likely would have thought it almost impossible for someone to catch one 25 pounds or bigger. Because of the problems associated with the catch, its just a total bummer that it will not be a WR.

So where do we go from here? IMO, anything over 22 4 or under whatever that huge fish weighs is only a formality; that fish will always be the WR in my eyes (unless one bigger is caught which I doubt will happen in my life time). Its just a letdown the way the whole thing happened, anything that happens from here on out will always be tarnished, unfortunately.

[MN]

Well prsonally i hope the record that Mr.Perry set never get's broken.Beside's how long do you think the new record will last once it has been broken.Just the other day a 21.5 was cought.
I just wish i knew the whole scenario of Perry's catch.I doubt he sat on that fish for year's just trying to set a record which make's his catch more impresive to me.

Remember just my opinion not that it's right.

[RogerB]

Interesting question, Chris, and you made some excellent points.

What I find interesting, too, is that Paul Duclos's fish out of Spring Lake, which was allegedly over 26 lbs. (albeit on a bathroom scale!), seems to have been forgotten. I don't recall similar discussions about it "tarnishing" a new WRB that was less than 26 lbs.

How about if an angler were to find a huge bass, say 28 lbs., floating on the surface near death. Would that mean that a legitimate catch of a 24 lb/ bass would not "really" qualify as the new WRB? I think not.

Seems to me we need to step back and distinguish between what is a huge bass and what is a WRB...the latter by definition needs to be legally caught, witnessed, and certified.

[swimbait]

OK I have a question... for you guys who feel like something has been somehow lost here in the WRB chase.

Would it make any difference if the fish had been electroshocked by the DFG and a picture had made its way on to the internet vs. Mac snagging it? To me it wouldn't. Either way it's 25lb bass and either way it wasn't "caught" it was just brought in to a boat and photographed.

I give Mac credit for not applying for the record, but I don't give anyone credit for snagging a bass on a bed no matter how big the bass is or if it was accidental or not. Part of the skill in bed fishing is NOT snagging the fish.

RogerB, just a small note - Paul Duclos' fish was reported to weigh 24lbs, not 26.

[nipples]

What I would like to know is if he could have legally sold the bass (alive) to someone like Cabelas or Bass Pro? I imagine they would pay a ton of money. Bass Pro made alot of money from Ethel (the huge bass they had at the Springfield store). They said people traveled from 3 states away to look at her and shop.

In 2007 the Bass Pro in Manteca will open. It would be easy to transport a WRB to Bass Pro in the live well. That bass could be a genetic donor to Texas breed a big-un programs... as they are so incredibly desperate to breed the ultimate WRB (they think they have a right to have the biggest of everything)

Just a thought.. a dream... get a chunk o change, stop working, go pro, and have enough money to do it for the love of the sport and thrill of competition.

[basstamer]

I BELIEVE it is illegal to sell any wild game of any type and or its "parts"-we have all heard the bear gall bladder stuff,but I have always heard it is illegal to sell like bear claws,meat from wild game,etc-could be wrong but thats what I have always heard.BUT what a deal huh....walk into like you say Bass Pro Shops and see the ACTUAL World Record swimming around right there! Things are definatly a changin boys-and as we all have said shes gonna be caught right here in our backyard! I do agree with everybody else though what a friggin' fish she was!

[Dom]

Yep like I said before Johnny Morris would have gotten the call first LOL LOL Million Dollar Bounty ! I can call a lawyer and I can buy fame later LOL LOL


And yes it was Ethel I think she hit 14 lbs before passing it was a big deal back then .

Tight Lines Dom

[Fish Chris]

Speaking of Paul D's fish (and what a monster it was) if I'm not mistaken, he was claiming it to weigh 24 lbs, not 26.
Also, it was weighed on a bathroom scale, along with the full weight of a human being (Paul D) then Paul's weight subtracted from the total...... VERY inacurate method of weighing a fish.
Countless people have asked me if I thought that fish was in fact, over 22-4, and my answer was always, "I'd give it 20 plus, but I could not be sure it was over 22-4, let alone 24".

With Mac's fish, on the other hand, I do believe the scale he was using, and his fish looked like a 25.1 lb fish.

I don't think we heard the discussion of whether Paul's fish would lessen the impact of a new WRB, because there were a whole bunch of people who did not believe (or at least, could not be sure) his fish was over 22-4 in the first place.

Just my .02 cents,
Peace,
Fish

[Fish Chris]

I apreciate and respect all of your opinions. Of course I knew when I asked this, that their could not be a right or wrong answer.

While reading over these posts, I developed somewhat of a split decision.

In a certain, hard to describe way, I personally feel that the catch of a certified 23 lb WRB 'would' now be somewhat tarnished.......

......but on the other hand, I would also know that it could still be beat (because now I know a bass can reach 25 lbs), and therefore, even if a new WRB of 23 or 24 lbs was caught, it would not be a "closed and locked" record. In other words, it might actually help to keep the dream alive......

Hmmmm,
Peace,
Fish

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Great points Chris, who really knows the maximum size a bass can attain..In nature there are all sorts of rare and unusual events and animals..Normally speaking one would not expect a bass to attain weights exceeding 25 pounds, simply for the reason there was never a confirmed sighting or weighing of one..Does this mean that it cannot happen or that a bass of that size does not exist, not hardly..I really do not doubt there are others out there, although probably limited in numbers..I don't ever expect to catch one, but it wouldn't bother me if I were the lucky one to do so..Records are there to be broken and most will be, given time..

mac