15.4 Caught at Clear Lake

[Dan Stahlman]

Fred Williams of Kelseville caught this monster at Shag rock last Saturday. This is the only 15 lbr caught since 1994.

[Skeeterman]

Is there a picture coming soon?Love to see that hog.

[yjjustforme]

X2 on the pic

[Dan Stahlman]

I sent the picture to John Caufield as I don't know how to post it here. John (hopefully) will get the email and post it.

[elfish16]

well check this out and you can get the full story.

http://www.record-bee.com/ci_18327619?I ... rd-bee.com

[Caudawg]

Done. Nice bass! She looks as if she might be spawned out?? She could have been a 16-17 pounder before spawning eh?

[temeculasteve]

I see him holding a 7,where is the 15?

[Casca]

I see him holding a 7,where is the 15?

Yeah,I'm with you on that.Find it hard to stretch that fish to 15lbs.

[Chris N]

not trying to be a hater, but you'd have trouble getting a fist in the mouth of the fish in the picture- doesn't look remotely like a teen fish?

not that I'm into fisting fish, just saying... if that thing is 28" long that guy can palm a hippety hop...

[Dan Stahlman]

Well you last three posters are dead wrong. Number one, Fred is so honest its unbelieable. Number two, three boats came over to congradulate him and at his request, they all weighed the fish. All three came up within one ounce of 15.4. Is it jealousy or have you never seen a 15. I am also not in the habit of posting something I'm not pretty sure of. The biologist thought the fish was around 10 years old and was at the end of its life cycle. It was not a pretty fish, but I guess we all get that way with advanced age.

[Chris N]

Well you last three posters are dead wrong. Number one, Fred is so honest its unbelieable. Number two, three boats came over to congradulate him and at his request, they all weighed the fish. All three came up within one ounce of 15.4. Is it jealousy or have you never seen a 15. I am also not in the habit of posting something I'm not pretty sure of. The biologist thought the fish was around 10 years old and was at the end of its life cycle. It was not a pretty fish, but I guess we all get that way with advanced age.

I saw a 15 at LMV and it just looked a little bigger than that fish- not trying to piss anybody off, just doesn't look that big in that pic- stoked the guy caught a toad

[Rod Wynn]

LOL!
I was going to question the fish size a couple days ago but I didn't want to start no mess.. Glad to see others feel how I feel..

[Dom]

Sounds to me like Clear lake is trying to stimulate thier economy LMAO, I can see THE RUSH NOW !!!!

[drew]

I have seen pictures that don't really represent the actual size of the original fish. It seems like cameras don't do well when photographing fish. It might be an issue with the single lens and all of the curvature of the subject. Although IMO that does not look like a mid teen size fish. The angler must be one big person. The information in the Bee about the FL strain was a joke as well.

[Otay Michael]

I can easily put my fist into in 8 or 9's mouth without touching the sides of it's mouth, and most guys here know that they can too. That's why we have a hard time believing this is even a 10, as his fingers and fist right next to it's mouth show us it would be hard for him to do. That is unless, as stated above, he is a a giant himself, and his fist being twice that of the average human, then it would be believable. I think they are all buying scales over at Cooch's store. ;/)
We're just saying...

[barse41]

That is unless, as stated above, he is a a giant himself, and his fist being twice that of the average human, then it would be believable

Look at his fingers, theyre kielbasas

[elfish16]

i'm no hater but man every 15lber i've seen caught, and thats LOTS at Casitas has bug eyes. My 15.25lber was spawned out and yet still had bug eyes. Its very very hard to believe the different stories I've heard about this. Some say three weights were all within ounces of each other and others say three weights some in the 15s and another over 16????

It is what it is, but I just dont see how this could be over 15lbs....let alone a teener. Just looks way too skinny and unhealthy to weigh that much.

[Letsinger]

I was there this last Sat. at clear lake fishing a club tournament and pulled up to shag rock shortly after the fish was caught. They had the fish hanging over the side of the boat with a rather large rope through the gills ( probably why it died)and were trying to revive it. The one gentleman in the boat asked me if I had a needle to pop the fish, I said I did and headed over to their boat to lend a hand, but after looking at the fish, it was not bloated, just severely stressed and I told them you will probably have to keep it. They said they caught it drifting minnows.

I estimated that fish to be about seven pounds. There was no way it was 15 pounds.

[Skeeterman]

That is no 15 pndr for sure.He must have baroud Coochs scale.

[littlebailey]

I was there this last Sat. at clear lake fishing a club tournament and pulled up to shag rock shortly after the fish was caught. They had the fish hanging over the side of the boat with a rather large rope through the gills ( probably why it died)and were trying to revive it. The one gentleman in the boat asked me if I had a needle to pop the fish, I said I did and headed over to their boat to lend a hand, but after looking at the fish, it was not bloated, just severely stressed and I told them you will probably have to keep it. They said they caught it drifting minnows.

I estimated that fish to be about seven pounds. There was no way it was 15 pounds.

The truth be told? Fish stories are great. its a 7,8,9, 15.4 lber!:D

[Urban]

[quote="Dom"]Sounds to me like Clear lake is trying to stimulate thier economy LMAO, I can see THE RUSH NOW !!!! [/quote]

I fully agree with this statement. Its a nice fish, maybe 7, but thats about it.

[outdrsee1]

Why would someone post a pic of a fish that it's a 15.4, knowing that they will get negative comments if it weren't true?
I personally think that it's not the best angle to show off the fish.
I'm going edit some video I shot in HD a couple of weeks ago, and would love to hear what size of the fish you guys think they are. Hopefully I will be able to knock it out this weekend.

[ScottyJ]

No way that fish in the pic is a 15lber. Only way it could even be over 10 is if its one of Mike Harts old fish

[davet.]

Sorry, if that's a 15, then I'm sporting ten.

[Oldschool]

IF the bass in the top of this thread is 28" long it may weigh 12 to 13 lbs lbs based on 21" girth (75% of the length). The photo shows a bass with the head held angled toward the camera; small head, skinny body mass, doesn't look 28" or like a giant bass 15+ lbs. Several anglers on the water say otherwise; it is what it is, lets move on.
Tom

[Dom]

LMAO @ davet

[tunaman]

Camera angles and lens focal lengths, as well as distance from the focal plane, can have much to do with how the perspective turns out. Some really big fish appear much smaller than they truly are, just because of the perspective. Also, a very small fish can be made to appear much larger - that is why guys tend to hold the fish out away from their body and have the camera close in.

That being said, I thought the same as many when I examined the perspective aspects of this fish. I read the story, but it just didn't seem to fit with the various perspective elements of the photo. For instance, as noted, and not knowing how large the angler is, his hand is in close proximity to the mouth, and anyone who has caught a decent-sized fish knows how voluminous a largemouth bass's maw is, and in this case it doesn't appear as overwhelming as a 15 pounder's would expect to be. Also as noted, as they get larger and older, the eyes grow and the biggest bass tend to have a bugeye appearance, which this fish really doesn't. Also, judging from the distance between his hands, and the amount the gentlemen's fingers wrap under the fish also are suspect.

Regardless, it is what it is and everyone can believe what they want. It is a nice fish regardless.

One important note to anglers that might be of benefit for this story, regardless of whether it is as large as it is purported to be, is that care should be exercised when fishing with live bait, as they tend to get hooked much deeper and suffer a much higher rate of mortality. If you are fishing minnows, or dads, or bluegil, or some other such live bait, please take care when reeling in the fish to not overly exert the pressure. It is highly likely that they will have swallowed the bait deep, and a big hook in the organs is surely a death sentance for the fish. If possible, circle hooks are a much better choice for live bait fishing IMHO.

Roger

[Brian]

This is what a 15+ looks like. I know, I weighed it. Caught by Mark Mello.

[bassindon69]

Not a 15.4 bass. Holding it all the way up to the cam, sucked up belly, looks thin in the back. A 15 lb skinny bass would look like it had a monster head unless it was 37" long
Feed this one to someone that will eat it
I would say in the 7 to 8 being heavy.

Thanks for that pic Brain,
Mark Mello, NICE FISH!