a litte off topic but a new record bucketmouth

[fatnhappy]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/outdoors/20060320-1251-bn20bass.html

[Gunload Master]

Wow, that's a big boy!

[fatnhappy]

Yeah he's fat alright. I didn't know CA bass drank beer and ate pizza. [smilie=1:

[Dale53]

Well, it may or may not be a record, but that feller knows he had a FISH in his hands. I am glad to see that he released it. Maybe it'll meet up with a "Big Mama" and make lots more monster fish.:drinks:

I actually prefer to wade small creeks around here (SW Ohio) for smallmouth with a light action fly rod (#5 weight). I am lucky if I get a couple of sixteen inchers in a year (lots of smaller ones). I have caught a number of 30 lb Salmon on a fly rod (kind of like hooking a Buick) in Michigan but frankly, I have more fun with Bluegills and Smallmouths). Now, understand, I am NOT knocking those fellers that chase big fish. Just stating my personal preferences.

YMMV

Dale53

[Blackwater]

Gawwwww-LEEEEE! That is a BIG'UN!!! Living in Ga., I'd hate to see the record broken, but it's been a long, long time standing, and with the work they've done growing bass in CA and FL, it's bound to fall sooner or later.

BTW, for those of you who may be interested, Montgomery Lake doesn't exist any more. It was an oxbow lake off the Altamaha River in approximately the center of the state. The Altamaha is often called "Big Muddy" here in Ga., because it's our largest river, and it's usually red tinged with the clay Ga. is famous (infamous?) for. Compared to the smaller blackwater rivers of the state (whence comes my moniker, BTW), its current flows relatively slowly. The river was for a while polluted by paper mills, and I'm sure still is to some degree. However, it's chock full of feisty fish - bass, catfish, crappie, redear sunfish (called "redbreast" here, and finer eatin' you'll not find!), bluegill, shellcracker (redear sunfish), sun perch (same species you find in braskish and near shore salt waters), and the biggest warmouth sunfish you'll find anywhere.

Those warmouth are a fine eatin' fish. Very broad across, and built about half way between a bream and a bass, with a mouth about midway between as well. A mess of redbreast and warmouth is one FINE meal! King Solomon never ate better! Of course, that goes for the other species as well, too.

A plate of fried fish, a big ol' glop of grits n' butter, some bread n' butter pickles, a big glass of cold iced tea, and some "gussied up corn dodgers," and this ol' country boy will be in dispose until th' eatin's done! And that can take a WHILE sometimes! I'm just an amateur at fish eatin', though. Dad was the champ. Watching him eat fish was like watching most folks PRAY! I'm not exaggerating here, either. You could forget carrying on a conversation with him until after he'd finished eating. He'd be vaguely aware you'd said something to him, and all he'd say was, "Just a minute .... (chomp, chomp, chomp) .... I'm eating right now." Yep! He was a PRO! And an inspiration to watch.

In a day when so many folks seem inurred, remembering how Dad could really concentrate on a simple plate of fish is .... well, it's dang humbling, even though I'm not exactly a slouch at it myself. Them WAS good ol' days! Gua-ran-teed!

[Dale53]

Blackwater;
Your story about your father reminded me of a trip to Florida several years ago in the Kissimmee Lake Chain. I belonged to BUFF (Buckeye United Fly Fishers) and we were invited to spend a day with the Florida Fly Fishers while we were in the area. We had a great day fly fishing for Bass, monster Blue Gill, and other pan fish (also caught some really wierd fish with TEETH) amongst the alligators and cotton mouths. We brought the fish back to the Horse Ranch of one of the Florida Fly Fishers. Every man of the club had a job and knew how to handle it. They worked like a well oiled machine deep frying the fish (outdoors with a fish cooker) , corn on the cob was in season, and the best jalopena hush puppies that I have ever eaten. Well, the Ohio boys just about embarrased themselves diving in to all of that heavenly grub. Fish right out of the river is hard to beat, IMHO. Great trip, good fellowship and excellent beer. Those Southern Boys sure know how to live.

Dale53

[Duckiller]

Blackwater: Your record is still safe. L.A. news is reporting that fish was released because it was foul hooked and therefore not eligble for record consideration.
The world will have to wait another year for Mr. Perry's record to be broken.

[Blackwater]

Dale, did you "bug" the bass with those fly rods? Heap fun way to fish, ain't it? I love to catch bass on anything, but buggin' them is the absolute best, and sometimes the BEST way for numbers. I've found big hair bugs or large versions of Joe Brook's old Gerbubble Bug to work best for me, but I'm tyin' up some stuff now that I think may be just as good when it comes to makin' them big ol' Calijahh type bass move out and inhale a bug.

PM me your snail mail addy, and I'll try to send you some bugs. I've got a few you may find useful. Just don't expect me to be very quick in sending them. Got to tie them up first, and I'm casting bullets now, and reloading, and working on guns, but I've GOT to tie up some shad flies ASAP. Ever shad fish? It's often boom or bust, but when you catch them on a good bite, they're a ton of fun, and very tasty, to boot. Dang bony, though. There's a resturant in Savannah that debones them, and they're famous for their shad dishes during the run. Once a year with shad, and I'm pretty much done. They're really sweet, but kinda' stong and "fishy" tasting- great if you like that sort of thing. Very rich, too. You can't eat nearly as much as you THINK you can. This is the big American Shad, and the roes avg. 4-6 lbs. with the bucks going @ 2 lbs or sometimes a bit more. The roe is particularly succulent, and pan fried with some chicken eggs, they're truly delectable.

And Duckiller, I'm sure the record will eventually be beat. There has always been a hint of skepticism about Perry's catch, but that'll be true about the next record as well, I'm sure. It always amazes me that Perry ATE that fish, but his times and values were much different from ours today.

I actually ate my first and (so far) only 10 pounder. Once I'd caught it, it just didn't matter that much whether I mounted it or not. I DID, however, mount the 7 1/2 pounder my grandson caught. Of the last 3 times we fished his great grandad's pond, the boy beat me TWICE, and I was fishin' as hard as I knew how, too! Nobody was happier or prouder than me, though. He got a 5 pounder the first time, and that 7 1/2 pounder the next. And he's only 6 now, and was 5 at that time!!! Now I've got TWO generations outfishing me, and nobody could be prouder or happier!