Largemouth State Record and Top Ten Catches

[Anonymous]

Is there a list in existence that gives the Top 10 or even 25 biggest bass caught in Washington?

Most states have someone who compiles and verifies this information with an updated list. I haven't heard or seen of one for this state.
With the "official" record being caught by Carl Pruitt out of Banks Lake in 77' and weighing 11lbs. 9oz.(anyone seen a pic?), can we add to this list to compile some form of trophy Washington State catches over the years? Of coarse, this information will have to be validated in some way and then we can see what kind of numbers and lakes have produced these Top Ten Catches.

I think it is reasonalbe to put Tag Watson's bass on the top of the list even though it is not an official record. And maybe a few others that he has caught. But let's come up with some numbers and lakes of catches that are notable and see what we get. Maybe this can be an official Top Ten List for Washington if we compile enough information.

So get out there and use those resources to find out some info. on lake records or large legends and verify them the best you can. Of coarse pictures are the best, but let's see what we can come up with.







fishnislife

[fishnislife]

Well, at least I know why a current list doesn't exist.



I will try other resources. Thanks for nothing.








fishnislife

[Anyfish]

sorry:batman:

[2000subaru]

10lb 2oz Silver lake record photo and story!

Here you go, sorry I was working yesterday or I would have sent it earlier.

[BassinBomber]

Nice post fishnislife,..be interesting 2 see what everyone comes up with,..but definately Tag is on the top,..he's got some "Big-Gurlz"!

BB

[YellowBear]

fishnislife,
I am not sure if there is any info to be found, but I have seen a 11.3 that came out of Chapman some years back.
It was caught on a Waterdog. You might want to check with some of the taxidermist in the State to see what they have mounted over the years.

[Anglinarcher]

Your question is not that easy to answer. Call the F&W and ask them, but to be honest, I don't think that Washington cares enough to keep those records.

I suppose you could, in theory, look for the last record, then the previous record, etc. That might tell you something, but a lot of us never record a fish if it is not a record, so you could have 20 fish bigger then the fish that was the record last time, and you would never know.

I also believe that there are a lot of "Records" that never get reported. I have heard about the Chapman bass before, but it apparently was not recorded. I have caught a couple that might, just maybe, have made surpassed state record, but lacking a more accurate scale, and not having a desire to put a fish on the wall, they were released.

I know that a lot of Eastern and Midwestern States keep this information. They also keep lake records. I have friends that ask me all the time what the lake record is for lake ***&??. All I can say is Who Knows, I only know what I have seen or caught myself.

Your question is valid, but I just don't believe that it exist in the State of Trout and Salmon, I mean Washington.

[fishnislife]

fishnislife,
I am not sure if there is any info to be found, but I have seen a 11.3 that came out of Chapman some years back.
It was caught on a Waterdog. You might want to check with some of the taxidermist in the State to see what they have mounted over the years.

Great suggestion YellowBear, I will have to look into that.

I realize that there will always be some fish that go unrecorded. But, I am hoping that a decent list can be made from all the resources that we have around this site. This is how Top Ten Lists got started in other states. We can at least get it started and from there just continue to update it as bigger fish are recorded.
We have to start somewhere. I just know that this would be a cool thing to have and something to shoot for other than just that very sceptical "official" state record that we have now.



fishnislife

[SPARKY101]

If i catch it "DONT YOU WORRY I WILL CALL YOU"And TAG....lol...I will just take more time off during the week as i dont want the weekend "tagsad" story happening to me..Taggylicious u rock..Thanx for everything..

[Smalma]

An interesting topic. One of the issues in constructing such a list is the criteria one would use to determine whether the reproted weight "qualifies". For better or worst I have seen a number of potential record fish that experience significant shrinkage on the way to a certified scale.

The photo of the Silver Lake fish does provide some insight of what might be needed to make any such list. Any fish that might make such a list would have to be at lesat 24 inches long (total length measured on a a board) and would be an essential square fish - that is having a girth nearly as large as its length. A 24 inch bass in this state is one heck of a fish but it is even rare for such fish would have the girth of the silver lake example.

My best guess it that it would take a fish in the mid/upper 10s to make such a list. What does surprise me is that number of such fish that western Washington produces.

A related topic is what is the maximum potential for a Washington grown largemouth bass. Such a fish would have to be a pre-spawn female that reached both the near maximum length and girth possible. Based on relaiable reports I would think the potential would be a fish that might measure as much as 27 inches and have a girth approaching 24 inch - a fish that lower teens (maybe as much as 14 pounds) - just one angler's best guess.

Tight lines
Curt

[bpm2000]

good thing we got trout stocks.

[fishnislife]

A related topic is what is the maximum potential for a Washington grown largemouth bass. Such a fish would have to be a pre-spawn female that reached both the near maximum length and girth possible. Based on relaiable reports I would think the potential would be a fish that might measure as much as 27 inches and have a girth approaching 24 inch - a fish that lower teens (maybe as much as 14 pounds) - just one angler's best guess.

Tight lines
Curt

Curt, I have done quite a bit of research on this and found a couple of things of interest:

Sampson's Pond
Referring to his list of records, Hartley chose 310-acre Sampson's Pond in Carver as one of the best largemouth waters in the state. It was actually No. 2 on the 30-year list, and holds the distinction of having yielded the state's largest bigmouth, a 15-pound, 8-ounce monster that Hartley said is also the largest northern-strain largemouth ever recorded anywhere in the U.S.

There is also record of a 14.7 lb. Northern Strain caught by Mitch Looper out of Lake of the Ozarks and assuming they are Northern Strain Largemouth two state records (Virginia and Massachusetts) are 16lb 4oz. and 15lb 8oz. pounders.

So knowing that, I feel with the right forage and conditions a Northern Strain Largemouth in Washington has the potential to grow into the 16lb. range. And like you mentioned, this would most likely be when she is chuck full and ready to spawn. I suppose the only real way to find out is to get out there and try to stick one.



As far as the Top Ten List for Washington, I am compiling more and more information on notable catches. Almost up to 10 right now and I have a lot of resources to check still. I will post up the list as soon as I get all of it together. In the mean time, keep asking and finding out what other lake records and big catches have been made over the years. Valid information please.
Thanks for all the help so far on this everyone. It will be nice to see what we can come up with.




fishnislife

[Smalma]

fishnislife -
how is that list coming?

Tight lines
Curt

[fishnislife]

Good. I do know now why one doesn't exist though. This has been quite a challenge.

I have emailed or called just about ever taxidermist in the state and found only one notable catch. Other than that, it has all been by word of mouth. Most of the this list comes from Tag Watson who of coarse leads the pack with the State Record Catch. He knows of many 10lb and 11lb catches but some information will go unrecorded.
I have also seen and heard of many DD largemouth around the state but don't have pics or complete details to record them. Hopefully more people will help me out and chime in with pics and info.

I have ran into some tight lipped fisherman. Which I completely respect. But this does make it very hard to put together a detailed list. But a list we will have no matter how incomplete.

So my thought is, I will post this list and we can add or subtract from it here on out. This can be an ongoing list and as bigger fish in the near future are caught we can hopefully get accurate and detailed information about each.

As soon as I have a sec to throw it together I will post it up.




fishnislife