tipped the scales at 9-13 . After some high fives and good laughs , I regrouped and made the exact same cast again . This time , the impact of the bite was so violent it nearly ripped the rod out of my hands .
I set the hook and the fight was on . I immediately knew this fish was different . She had so much more power – the head shakes were huge – and I wasn ’ t the one in control of the fight . After an intense battle , the bug-eyed behemoth rose next to the boat . My first thought was that she could eat the 9-pounder I had just caught . I ’ d never seen anything like it . She measured an incredible 28 1 / 2 inches long and sported a massive 24-inch girth . She weighed 15 pounds even and was truly the fish of a lifetime .
pb smallmouth : just like it was supposed to be
Next came my personal-best smallmouth . I spent years honing my finesse skills in search of giant brown bass , knowing the day would come that I ’ d battle a true monster on light tackle . That , however , is not how this story played out . Matt and I were fishing during flood conditions caused by a combination of spring runoff and snowmelt . The combination had the lake rising by the minute , and the bass were following the rising water up the bank . The water pouring into the lake was so intense that the fish were actually using eddies and current seams as if it were a river .
I was fan-casting a small paddle-tail swimbait along a current seam when the giant 7-pound smallmouth hit . It was an intense battle , but thankfully I was using heavy tackle and subdued her quickly . Sometimes fish stories aren ’ t as crazy as you ’ d think .
a spotted bass record
Finally , my giant spotted bass . Again , Matt and I were fishing together . This time we were on a clear highland reservoir . Matt set the hook first on a smaller
spot . I followed up behind him hoping to take advantage of any schooling fish that might have been fired up by the activity – and it worked . After an intense battle full of long runs and screaming drag , the beast came to the boat .
We both knew immediately this fish would qualify for the IGFA All-Tackle World Record . We began making phone calls and taking all the necessary steps to certify the catch . After submitting all the required documents to the International Game and Fish Association , I waited patiently for an answer . When it came back , it was the news I was hoping for . I was officially granted the all-tackle spotted bass world record , which stood for a short time until Bullards Bar in California started pumping out potential world record after potential world record in short order . some big-bass truths
While all these catches were on different fisheries and under very different conditions , there are a few common threads that you can apply to your fishing this time of year . First , all these fish were caught around the spawn . Two were before the spawn and one came after the spawn . Regardless of which side of the spawn your lake is on as you read this column , there ’ s a window of opportunity right now ; a time when the giant bass are in the shallows and are susceptible to being caught . You need to take advantage of this opportunity .
Next , all three of these fish were targeted intentionally . What I mean is , we weren ’ t just going down the bank casting at every piece of cover we saw . We had studied maps ahead of time and were specifically targeting the kinds of structure and specific locations that big bass use to feed . All three came from “ likely locations ” – the kind of places you ’ d put your finger on the map and say , “ If I was a big bass , I ’ d be right here .”
Finally , I was prepared . I wasn ’ t fishing with old line , rusty hooks or knots that had been tied last month . I was fishing with the mindset that I was going to catch a giant , and I needed to be prepared when it happened .
With so many variables outside of your control , it ’ s important to control every variable that you can . Use the best gear you can afford , keep your hooks sharp , and be ready when the fish of a lifetime finally bites . If you ’ ve done your due diligence , you ’ ve got a great shot at getting that monster bass in the boat .
Tim ’ s 7-pound smallmouth he caught on a paddle-tail swimbait on a flooded lake in the
Pacific Northwest .
APRIL-MAY 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 31