Mike Winn strains to lift 25.1-pound Dottie after his friend caught her at California's Lake Dixon. Because she was accidentally hooked outside the mouth, it wasn't submitted for an all-tackle record.
By Steve Quinn
We’re at a lull in the production of truly giant bass—not bucket-list double-digit fish, or even a legit 13-pounder to qualify for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) ShareLunker Program or the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission’s (FWC) “Legend” status. We’re talking the biggest of the big: upper-teen fish to those closing in on or even surpassing 20 pounds. Sound like a tall order? That’s because it is.
For 103 years, Florida’s record has stood at 20 pounds 3 ounces, while Texas’ mark of 18.18 was set 1992. In California, the great flurry of giant bass began with Dave Zimmerlee’s 20-pound 15-ouncer, caught 14 years after the initial stocking of Florida-strain bass. Fish from 18 to just over 22 pounds were caught sporadically and this surge culminated in 2006 when Mac Weakley boated 25.1-pound “Dottie.” Weakley didn’t submit the foul-hooked fish for any records, but her weight set a new standard.
We haven’t heard of Cali bass exceeding 15 pounds in several years. And by “we,” I mean big bass experts and historians I’ve talked to in recent months. The Mexican record of 19.1 pounds caught at Lake Baccarac in 1993 has endured, with few fish broaching the 12-pound mark since. In recent times, even 10s have become scarce at top reservoirs. In southern Africa, bass from 13 to the 18.25-pound record from Zimbabwe were caught in the late 20th century, yet subsistence fishing and habitat changes have reportedly taken a toll.
Let’s look at how largemouths achieve such size—considering all the factors working against such great growth—and examine trends in bass size range in recent years, and prospects for more massive fish in the future...
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