Info list of the largest Bass you have caught please!

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elwestb

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
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6,847
Location
Hooterville or Ooltewah
Since I've been setting at home after surgery nursing my new knee, going crazy because I cannot go fishing, I've had a lot of time to think back on some fish that I was lucky enough to catch in the past. A friend of mine and I were discussing this subject (swapping yarns) the other day and afterwards I came up with a list that I thought was sort of interesting. Hopefully some of you will jump in here and share your information and experencies too.
In the past few years I have been lucky enough to catch six Largemouth over ten pounds. And I have caught three over eleven pounds. All on Chickamauga Lake. I'm going to list them and share the time of year and what bait these fish were caught on.
I caught my first and second double digit Bass on back to back days. One on Saturday and one on Sunday in December on a one half ounce white and chartruse spinner bait. A year or so later I caught two more just over ten pounds on the same type of spinner bait. One of of them was in Feburary and the other in March. I got another just over ten pounds on a jerk bait in Janurary. And i caught another ten on a lipless crank bait in March. All of these were in the day time hours.
I got one that was eleven pounds three ounces in the day time in March on a three quater ounce white and chartruse spinner bait. Then a eleven pound six ounce fish at night during the summer on a one ounce black and chartruse spinner bait and finally my personal best was also caught on a summer night on a three quater ounce black and chartruse spinner bait.
I caught two Smallmouth that were just over six pounds and they must have lost or just plain crazy I guess. They both were caught in the middle of the summer, in the middle of a bright sun shinny day, out of a milfoil grass bed on a half ounce white and chartruse spinner bait!? I still don't understand why either of those fish were there?
I have also caught four Smallmouth down at the RiverPark over six pounds all at night during the summer on a five eights ounce black and blue spinner bait.
My best Smallmouth was also from the RiverPark caught in December on a jerk bait. It was seven pounds four ounces.
So after taking inventory on these fish, the baits and the time of year I have decided that I need to concentrate more on fishing from December through March and then on summer nights throwing those spinner bait blades!
Again, I thought that this was some interesting information to share and hopefully we will get some more feed back from other anglers. Maybe some of you guys will share your info and give me something to read while I'm sitting at home!
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Great post. Thanks for the details. Still getting my feet wet on the Chick but the only plus size bass I've caught was an 8 lbder while carolina rigging a junebug brush hog in mid lake grass early June. Maybe this year!!
 
Thank you for your post. It doesn't matter how many fish you guys post, one or fifty! But i would say we should keep them all over six pounds. If we can get enough post to compile the information, I just think it would be interesting to see what time of year and what type of bait shows up the most catching larger fish. Just an unofficial survey.
 
The largest bass I have caught was 8.2 lbs on a green frog in October right before dark. It sure felt bigger with all of the grass. I hadn’t thrown a frog much before then. Needless to say, I was “hooked” after that.
 
My biggest was 8.75 pounds caught on a secondary point on a Bluegill imitation Rapala crank bait in late spring.
My first 8 pounder was caught on a white hair jig on a 10-30 foot main lake drop-off in April.
I caught another 8 pounder on a brown frog in a grass mat in the back of a slough in the fall.
I have caught three six pound plus smallmouth, one in the river and two in Chickamauga. One on a jig/pig, one on a tube and the biggest (6 lb., 3 oz.) on a 1/16 oz. Crappie jig with a plastic trailer on 4 lb. Test line !!!
Good luck with your knee replacement! I had one replaced in 2017 and it went very well.
I am jealous about your six double digit bass as I have never caught one in 58 years of fishing Chickamauga, LOL.
 
talking strictly chick over the time ive been here (last 5yrs): for a long time i didnt carry scales in my boat so i never knew and now i still dont weigh very many fish as it doesnt really matter to me that much unless in its in a tournament. i have always said that the fish are their heaviest and most likely to get caught between december and march.

slow rolling a spinnerbait has accounted for 2 BIGS since ive been here, one weighed 9.52 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoYqBHnll2Q ) and the other was bigger than that but didnt have scales in the boat.
alabama rig has accounted for the biggest fish ive ever weighed in a tournament 10.15lbs ( https://majorleaguefishing.com/anglers/rusty-white-497500/#&gid=1&pid=3 ) and several in the 7-8lb range.
and to my surprise a lipless cb has accounted for a number of BIGS to include this big bag ( https://majorleaguefishing.com/series/2019-03-21-white-leads-with-28-11-on-chickamauga/ ) i used to hate lipless cb and refused to throw them LOL
 
biggest LM 9.52 on a magnum trick worm in the fall. Biggest SM 5.1 on a drop shot middle of the summer. First time in a boat after my knee replacement I thought I was going for a swim when a wave came by. Been several years and it is working well now.
 
On Chick I have caught several over 6 but my 5 biggest have been on the following...I do not weigh fish but a decent eyeball weight.
Back to back casts one over 10 and one over 11 on a lipless in February, sunny and windy.
Two, a day apart on a topwater in the fall, 9.96 and 9.98 both in tournaments
Lastly a 9.99 on a 7" swimbait in 14' of water in June.
Many over 6 adn no SM over 6 on Chick, one over 4 on a frog...like Earl he was lost.
 
Great read Earl. I had two 8+. First, late spring off the beach at CFP. Grass was up about 6". Caught on DT 6, old skool. Was about 8- 10 fow. Second, pocket off river near the nuke plant. Fishing shallow, 4-5 fow, caught on Baby Brush Hog, surprise, green pumpkin with orange flake. Stoll haven't caught a double digit, maybe in 2022.
 
Chick is where my first double digit come from it was February 23rd 2019 she weighted 12lbs 13oz. It was the 23rd double digit that year posted on fish Dayton Facebook. Water was 50 degrees to start the day. First cast that morning was a 6lb 9oz fish got pics tossed her back second cast was the 12-13. Every fish that day was on a kvd 2.5 fishing mud banks we had three really good days running mud spots where the Crawdads where. The second double digit was pickwick first week of June 2020 it was 10lbs 4oz came on a ledge on a 3/4oz football head jig. She was mixed in a school of 2-4lb fish.
 
I am impressed with your big fish numbers elwestb my pb is 10.4 don't know how many over 8 and several 9s but not on chick they were Florida bass a couple over six but my son has 2 over nine one over 8 that I got to net at the chick one of the 9s on jerk sit the other on a zoom lizard and the over 8 on shaky head off bed
 
I don't usually have a scale in the boat but I can think of (4) four memorable fish. The largest and my P.B. was caught in early April 25 + years ago on the rip rap on the Chick just below Watts Bar Dam. She was 24" long and so fat I thought she would burst and give birth in my livewell. I was by myself and didn't even have a camera. I pitched a finesse worm on 8 lb test line into a little corner of rip rap. When the worm hit the water I saw it move to the side and set the hook. Immediately the line moved deep under my boat. I thought I had hooked a big drum and really didn't care if the hook pulled out. At least until she wallowed on top and my knees started shaking. Luck was on my side and the drag was set right. After many laps around the boat I finally lipped her and was amazed. She was a 10 lb class fish for sure. I put her in the live well hoping to run into another fisherman with scales. After 3 hours of not seeing anyone that day and worried the fish would die I released her back at the spot I caught her, in good shape. Also in early spring a few years ago I managed a 8 - 9 lb fish off of a grass covered point in Harrison Bay on a C'rigged lizard. That catch was memorable because there was a boat in the slough with two guys with fancy vests with a zillion patches on them. Their boat was wrapped and they appeared to be in a tournament or at least pre-fishing for one. They were rude and cut right in front of me as I moved down the bank. They fished the point making many casts with nothing. When they moved off I moved on the point and threw the C'rig out. I got a tap-tap on the first cast and landed the big fish right in front of them. They were not happy. Gosh I hated it for them:) In April on the Nick I was spot fishing the spawn with a buddy. We were in an eddy and weren't doing so good on the bank. In desperation I threw a junebug yum dinger out in the middle of the eddy in deep water. It drifted to the bottom and bam - FISH on. I landed a 7 - 8 lb LM. I made another cast to about the same spot and bam -FISH on again. This time a 6 lb LM came in the boat. Thanks Earl for starting a great thread. Great memories don't die, Fishing is such a great activity.
 
Mine was 10.15 came on a lipless on Feb 20 in about 2' of water back in a creek She was chasing shad and never jumped I thought it was a drum for sure. My fishing partners son caught one over 12 in the hHiwassee summer time on a jig up shallow on a stormy day.
 
I RARELY specifically fish for largemouth these days. I have only caught one double-digit bass (12.5 pounds), from Chickamauga, of course.

I caught it while crappie fishing, trolling a 1/16th oz. jig right outside Wolftever Bridge. Wimpy little crappie rod w/6# test line. It was a mighty battle. If you're interested,here's the story: https://newschannel9.com/sports/outdoors/fishermen-must-expect-the-unexpected
 

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My largest Largemouth came in late August on a jig and it was 11lbs 6oz. out of Chickamauga. It came off of a Spring and it was one of those 100 degree days. My wife netted it! On a side note, I have caught 2 other fish in August over 10 on Chickamuaga.

One of my most memorable catches was a smallmouth I caught in mid march during a Harrison bay dog fight years ago that was 7.87Lbs. Caught on a trap in super shallow water. The cast before I had one on that my partner said was bigger, it pulled off. We were devastated, made another cast to the same area and boom.
 
The biggest bass I caught was a largemouth that weighed 12 lb 5 oz. It was in April on Chickamauga and I actually had my family out bream fishing and I saw a fish on bed. I pulled out my flipping stick in the first pitch over there with a zoom brush hog and she ate it I thought she was about 5 or 6 lb. She come up and shook her head and I said holy crap balls. Ended up going and celebrating at Steve's landing with ribs and a delicious cold beverage.
 
My best one was10.51 and was caught on a Carolina rigged zoom magnum lizard on may 19th , I have also caught 2 over 9 both were in September
 
Good read, the Chick has some toads in it and gives up several double digit bass every year. Several of you have seen this one but it is still my personal best. Caught on a red lipless trap type bait in March of 2014. She tipped the scales at 12.75 lbs. She was almost as big around as she was long. 26 inches plus long and 25 inches round. She was a dandy, a once in a life time hog. Don't really ever see me topping her. emoThumbsup Jmax
 

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