Missed World Record?

Missed World Record?

Group: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass Date: Tue, Mar 21, 2006, 3:59pm (CST-2)
From: (John)
"John Kerr" sez:
First off, there were no livewells to put the fish in....Dixon only
rents small boats, no others allowed. Second, these guys were not
"dummies", they fish that lake every day. They knew the fish was there,
and where it was at. They bought a camping permit that allowed them
first boat rental of the day, and were on the fish at first light. Mac
has caught a 19 lber there, and Jed holds the 4th largest bass ever
recorded....the same fish 3 years ago! They are all featured in the book
"Sowbelly", and they knew exatly what they were doing! They had no
choice...there were wittnesses that saw the foul hook!
========
So more of the story is coming out. So John help me out. Is this what
really happened?
The three legally bought a camping permit so they could get a boat first
and beat everybody lined up trying to get on the lake and run their
newly rented boat over to where they knew this big bass was spawning so
they could be first to foul hook her. So they wanted to be first where
she was so no one could see them fishing? These guys had planned this in
advance. Is that right? Is it in Monte Burke's book what they were going
to do? So they had planned in advance to foul hook her or to hopefully
snag her in the mouth so they could get the world record? And once he
foul hooked her, all three could not lie and say he caught her legally
because the lake was so small there were other witnesses that saw him
foul hook her? The other witnesses not in the boat could not see the
scale show 25 pounds either I bet. So is that why he threw her back in
the lake without measuring her or weighing her on a certified scales so
he or one of his buddies could foul hook her another day? Did these guys
really plan on doing this in advance? Were these guys really that smart
or did they just get caught foul-hooking spawning bass and tried to
cover it up?
I'm confused. I don't know what really happened, John. I'm sure glad I'm
not on the IGFA committee that has to evaluate their application. John
=======
John, These guys are serious big bass hunters, and I am sure they didn't
intend to snag the fish! But once they did, they had a choice to make,
and they released it. Yes, they did get in front of everyone else by
buying a camping permit...legal, but it did pee some of the other guys
off. They did know the fish was there, they had been there the day
before, but someone else was on the fish. There is a rumor, and I don't
know if it's true, that they tried to pay the guy to get off the fish
that day. With any really big bass catch, there is always controversy,
and only these guys know the truth. I don't have any reason to doubt
their story...yet. Go to bassfan.com and read the inteview with a
wittness to the catch...draw your own conclusions.

John K

"John Kerr" sez:

It looks like the fish has a good chance of being certified by the IGFA.
Mac is going to submit it, and they will probably except the
measurements requirement via pictures and video. The foul hooked part is
a matter of credibility I suppose. I have mixed emotions, naturally I
wanted to see John or Mike get the fish, and a "good hook up" would have
been what everyone wanted to see. Oh well, we will know in a month or
so.
As I posted elsewhere I'm still confused. Here is more of the story in a
link supposedly to an eyewitness interview.

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=1660

In part of the interview with Barnett (one of the boys?), this appears:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the dock, Barnett said he had a clear view of Weakley's presentation,
hookset and landing. Note that the fish was bedding in clear water.

"After less than an hour, Mac swung for the first time," Barnett said. "He
ended up swinging a total of five times, and on the fifth swing he got it.
(The swings) were on separate casts. He'd do a flip here, a flip there, then
a swing.

"I was counting. And he was using the same bait, which is really rare - for
a fish to be so interested in the same bait.

"(Dickerson) did throw his Mission Fish in there once, but didn't swing."

According to Barnett, Weakley connected on his fifth swing. "They got the
fish and it went straight out to deep water - like a tow truck. They yelled,
'Get the net! Get the net!'

"Right before they netted it, Dan and I saw the fish. It was foul-hooked
down the left side of the fish, right next to the dorsal fin."

The trio netted the fish about 10 feet away from the dock. "They were
flipping out," Barnett said. "Then they said, 'We have to go talk to our
lawyer.' So they went out to the middle of the lake.

"After 15 minutes they came back. I was talking with - I believe it was Mac,
but I can't say I'm positive. It was either Mac or Jed. One of the two came
up - it's the only blurry memory - and they were standing with me and Dan,
and (Mac or Jed) said something like, 'Yeah, there's a weird mark on its
side.'

Barnett added: "I don't know why he said that, because Dan asked him before
what they were going to do with it because it was foul-hooked. I don't
know - it was trippy, a little weird."







Barnett said his brother Dan then brought attention again to the foul hook.
"They said, 'I don't know about this mark - what's up with that?' But Dan's
like, 'Yeah, that's where you foul-hooked it."

At that point, Barnett noted there was some silence, then he remembers Mac
saying, "Hey, just let the fish go - get rid of it."

----------------------------------------------------------

So help me out John. So did he just keep flipping until he snagged it? And
did all three go out in the lake so he could get lawyered up and all get
their stories straight? So under California law would Mike get a citation
if he had kept a foul hooked bass? Was that the real reason he released it
back into the lake?

I hope this gets straightened out. I'm still confused.



John

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 15:59:25 -0800, "John"
sent into the ether:


"John Kerr" sez:

First off, there were no livewells to put the fish in....Dixon only
rents small boats, no others allowed. Second, these guys were not
"dummies", they fish that lake every day. They knew the fish was there,
and where it was at. They bought a camping permit that allowed them
first boat rental of the day, and were on the fish at first light. Mac
has caught a 19 lber there, and Jed holds the 4th largest bass ever
recorded....the same fish 3 years ago! They are all featured in the book
"Sowbelly", and they knew exatly what they were doing! They had no
choice...there were wittnesses that saw the foul hook!

So more of the story is coming out. So John help me out. Is this what
really happened?

The three legally bought a camping permit so they could get a boat first and
beat everybody lined up trying to get on the lake and run their newly rented
boat over to where they knew this big bass was spawning so they could be
first to foul hook her. So they wanted to be first where she was so no one
could see them fishing? These guys had planned this in advance. Is that
right? Is it in Monte Burke's book what they were going to do? So they had
planned in advance to foul hook her or to hopefully snag her in the mouth so
they could get the world record? And once he foul hooked her, all three
could not lie and say he caught her legally because the lake was so small
there were other witnesses that saw him foul hook her? The other witnesses
not in the boat could not see the scale show 25 pounds either I bet. So is
that why he threw her back in the lake without measuring her or weighing her
on a certified scales so he or one of his buddies could foul hook her
another day? Did these guys really plan on doing this in advance? Were
these guys really that smart or did they just get caught foul-hooking
spawning bass and tried to cover it up?

I'm confused. I don't know what really happened, John. I'm sure glad I'm
not on the IGFA committee that has to evaluate their application.
John


Well that proves my first impression of Fly-boy was correct.

PLONK!



I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it! (That is what my X-wife told me)

Remove the x for e-mail reply
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.SecretWeaponLures.com
A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and Fish!!!

Dwayne E. Cooper wrote:

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 13:44:27 -0800, "John"
wrote:


Another confusing world record possibility at Lake Dixon:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports...-bn21bass.html


Not to be a doubting Tom or anything...but the bass in that
picture just doesn't look that big to me...especially when you look at
the bass' mouth compared to the size of his hand (you should be able
to stick two adult fists down a 20 pounder's mouth) and it appears
that he is holding the fish out arms length to the cameral. (nothing
wrong with that...but it definitely makes fish look bigger). Note
that the fish does have "bug eye" too. From the picture alone, I
would guess btw 12 and 18 pounds...

I scaled the photo from the width of his hand,, that fish is over 30
inches long,, I hate to say this, but I think they are right with the weight
--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Mojo SpecTastic "WIGGLE" rig, SpecTastic Thread,
Boomerang Fishing Pro. ,Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights, and the EZKnot
http://www.ezknot.com

"Rodney Long" wrote in message ...
I scaled the photo from the width of his hand,, that fish is over 30
inches long,, I hate to say this, but I think they are right with the
weight.

Regardless, the fish was snagged. Anyone who claims they caught the World
Record bass, by swinging on a bedding bass 5 times and eventually foul
hooking it is doing a great injustice to anyone who has the dream of
catching the "big one" IMO. If it was hooked in the mouth, I'd feel better

I hope the record falls to some 15 year old kid out fishing a popper one
early summer morning :-)

alwaysfishking wrote:


Regardless, the fish was snagged. Anyone who claims they caught the World
Record bass, by swinging on a bedding bass 5 times and eventually foul
hooking it is doing a great injustice to anyone who has the dream of
catching the "big one" IMO. If it was hooked in the mouth, I'd feel better


Dang If I had been in that boat, I would have caught it in the mouth :-)

bedding bass are like picking grapes

--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Mojo SpecTastic "WIGGLE" rig, SpecTastic Thread,
Boomerang Fishing Pro. ,Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights, and the EZKnot
http://www.ezknot.com

John wrote:
Another confusing world record possibility at Lake Dixon:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports...-bn21bass.html
snip

Lake Dixon ? Lake my a**, you're talking about a 70 acre barrel
where so-called "anglers" can sit right on top of the beds and
snag frankenbass. The whole damn scenario stinks to high heaven.

I spit in disgust at the whole enterprise.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 21:14:03 -0500, "alwaysfishking"
sent into the ether:

"Rodney Long" wrote in message ...
I scaled the photo from the width of his hand,, that fish is over 30
inches long,, I hate to say this, but I think they are right with the
weight.

Regardless, the fish was snagged. Anyone who claims they caught the World
Record bass, by swinging on a bedding bass 5 times and eventually foul
hooking it is doing a great injustice to anyone who has the dream of
catching the "big one" IMO. If it was hooked in the mouth, I'd feel better

I hope the record falls to some 15 year old kid out fishing a popper one
early summer morning :-)


I'll second that Randy.



I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it! (That is what my X-wife told me)

Remove the x for e-mail reply
www.outdoorfrontiers.com
www.SecretWeaponLures.com
A proud charter member of "PETAF", People for Eating Tasty Animals and Fish!!!

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 18:48:20 -0600, Rodney Long
wrote:

I scaled the photo from the width of his hand,, that fish is over 30
inches long,, I hate to say this, but I think they are right with the weight

They could be. This fish does have a huge pot belly on it; this
team of fishermen have proven they have caught big bass before; and
this particular lake has showed that it is potentially capable of
producing a world record fish.

And right after I made my post, it did come to me that fish from
different regions are sometimes built differently. We've all seen
fish (and other animals) from different environments with different
proportions. The very biggest bass I've seen were from Florida and
it's possible that a Florida bass might have much bigger head/mouth
than it's California cousin.

However, it still just doesn't look big enough to me. BTW, a good
site to look at what some of these very big bass look like is at:
http://www.worldrecordbass.com/ But I'd love to see more pics of
this fish (surely, more were taken) and, of course, I would love to be
fishing in an environment right now where a world record bass was a
possibility. (especially since I'm sitting on 6 inches of snow).

I'm pretty sure that Perry's fish was recorded at 32 1/2 inches
long.. Can't remember where I read that but that number is stuck in my
head and I believe its girth was around 28 inches. So, if those
dimensions are correct or even close, Perry's fish was very long and
very fat.

On a somewhat sidenote - When I was younger, I was fortunate to
have fished some of the sloughs, ponds and lakes where George Perry
caught his world record bass (although not the exact same spot bc I
was told that there was not enough water in there now). One of my
uncles who lived down in that area swore he knew where Perry's general
fishing spot was and pointed me to a very small creek running through
a nasty-looking swamp around the Ocmulgee River area. We're talking
snakes, gators and hardly any water and a good half a mile to mile
walk thru some very ugly country. (not that that has deterred me
before). Although I wanted to "chance it"....age (and probably wisdom
ruled) and we instead often hit a body of water callled "Brown's lake"
(a relatively small pay lake) that was also close nearby that was
rumored to be a likely candidate to have a bass in it big enough to
eclipse Perry's fish. I remember wading that entire lake and using a
belly-boat (huge inner tube) back then to cover its water throwing
every "special bait" I had back then (particularly a black jig n'
lizard) in a crazy attempt to catch that monster hawg. My dad caught
a lot of little fish from that lake...and I mostly frothered up a lot
of water. It seems to me the store or house there had a replica of
the fish (along with a ton of indian artifacts from that area too) and
maybe a small memorial plague of Perry's record fish. I remember
seeing it somwhere down that area...possibly at the store and/or as a
historical marker. It's been a long time since I've fished that lake
so I'm not sure whether it still is around or not or even who owns
it...but it could be worth a "World Record Hunt" visit if anyone is
ever in that neck of the woods with a couple of hours/days or whatever
to kill...

--
Dwayne E. Cooper, Atty at Law
Indianapolis, IN
Email:
Web Page: http://www.cooperlegalservices.com
Personal Fishing Web Page: http://www.hoosierwebsites.com/OnTheWater
Dog Fishing: http://www.hoosierwebsites.com/onthe...fishing040.htm
1st Annual ROFB Classic Winner

"John Kerr" sez:
John, These guys are serious big bass hunters,
Yep this time of the year lots of water is covered with Big Bass Hunters
looking for that elusive record.

and I am sure they didn't intend to snag the fish!
Seems like they are locals known to park staff according to news accounts.
Your knowing them also adds to their credability in my mind. But the way
their story was described, a case could be made for deliberate snagging.

But once they did, they had a choice to make, and they released it.
Yep that was witnessed.

Yes, they did get in front of everyone else by
buying a camping permit...legal, but it did pee some of the other guys
off.
Yep but nothing illegal about that. Life is full of peed off guys.

They did know the fish was there, they had been there the day
before, but someone else was on the fish. There is a rumor, and I don't
know if it's true, that they tried to pay the guy to get off the fish
that day.
Yep but I don't think this is illegal, is it? Being smart doesn't make
these guys illegal. Hats off to these guys for fishing smart to catch the
world record. And the world record equally applies if the big bass was
caught in a huge lake or caught in a little pond like Dixon.

With any really big bass catch, there is always controversy,
That's true. And it seems like lots of that big bass controversy happend in
California. Wasn't there a lady whose son was a guide who caught a big
world record bass several years ago which the IGFA disallowed? And wasn't
there some guy from California 3-4 years ago or so who weighed his bass and
released it before the F&G staff saw it and IGFA refused to recognize it?

It seems to me knowledgeable guys like these would have done a lot more to
limit all their controversy.

and only these guys know the truth.
Yep. Agree totally and that's sad.

I don't have any reason to doubt their story...yet. Go to bassfan.com and
read the inteview with a
wittness to the catch...draw your own conclusions.
Been there, done that. Bet there is more of the story to come out. I'm
still undecided.

Thanks John for adding more info. Like you said, only these guys know the
truth.