Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

After being a member of Stages for this entire year and reading about the fellow members’ personal best catches, I decided to enumerate my P.B. here.

Unfortunately, in most cases there were no weights taken. In some cases, the fish was never taken out of the water, in others, there was no scale aboard to record the weight.

Year Species Length Weight Country
1966 Speckled Trout ----- 8 – 9 lbs. Pt. Mansfield, TX

1972 King Mackerel 4 1/2’ ---- Mouth Mississippi River

1977 or 78 Striped Marlin 7’ plus 179 lbs Mazatlán, Mexico

2004 or 05 Peacock Bass --- 19 lbs
Rio Negro, Brazil
2004 or 05 Piranha --- 1 – 2 lbs “ “ “
2004 or 05 Butterfly Bass --- 2 lbs “ “ “

2006 Tarpon 5’ approx. 55 to 60 lbs.
Puerto Rico

2007 Barracuda 4’ approx. ---
Costa Rica

2008 Black Bass ---- 9 lbs.
Lake Salto, Mex

2010 Snook ---- 14lbs.
Juno Beach. Fl

Red Fish I have never caught
and landed a specimen.
Have been broke off
several times.

Just Sayin, Not Braggin...RJS

charlykilo Loc: Garden Valley Ca

No pictures. Didn't happen. LOL

Jeremy Loc: America

Didn't you already post a disclaimer about ALL of your stories? Saying they could be fiction or true?

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Well, Number one, I am a fisherman, so my veracity is always in question. However, if you buy MY STORIES I, you will see most of, if not all of these fish posted. So that answers one objection.

When you've been there and done that, it is not bragging! Just Sayin...RJS

hemihappy Loc: pawleys island s.c.

I have lots of personal bests but the one I was most proud of was a Small Mouth Bass 8 1/2 lbs 24 1/2 inches long
I wanted so bad to have him mounted but he earned his release that day. I had my scale and tape measure but no
camera. I heard a few (yea rights) from my fishing friends.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Congratulations RJ, that's an impressive list, Kudos to you sir!

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Well, Mr. Samples; that's some pretty fair fish-catching, in some fairly scattered locations. As far as pictures go; I ain't all that picky, as some ... I know that I've lost a bunch of photographs to a house fire; early this century. Most of what I've caught (& almost ALWAYS cooked and ATE),,, if not that, as long as it was a "legal catch"; they were sold (legally), that others might enjoy a good fish dinner, and went 99.999% UN-photographed. Such is life.

Wv mike Loc: Parkersburg area. Wv

I’m empress

Wv mike Loc: Parkersburg area. Wv

not my biggest fish but my best catch was a channel cat that was state record for 10 years

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Congratulations Mike, I've never held a state record,but it must be cool.

Jwid Loc: Lake Killarney, Ironton, MO

A list to be envied. Good going. Hope you can revisit some of those places for pictures. You know we love pictures.

woodguru Loc: El Dorado Ca

I had a personal best Salmon that was the season record, 65lbs weighed at Fran and Eddies fishing supplies in Rancho Cordova, that was a monster, and it was caught on 8lb test. I can tell you that had everyone fishing there stopped to watch, the thing went aerial a couple of times as he headed for a run into the faster water, people were yelling turn him, if you don't he's headed for the Watt bridge a mile down. I used the absolute max drag the line would hold figuring I'd rather lose him like that than let him run.

woodguru Loc: El Dorado Ca

A friend of mine from North Carolina had a record catfish out of Santee Cooper Reservoir, it lasted a year, Lol

That reservoir keeps growing cats bigger and bigger every year.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

WVMike: Congratulations: My dad and I have probably caught close to a ton of catfish all told over the years in Red River in central north Texas. However, we never caught anything as big as yours. You deserve a placque and recognition.

As far as salt water fish, they are as good eating as the smaller adult fish. For some reason they have a lot of parasites in their muscle tissue. Some people go ahead and eat it, but it gives me the willies. just Sayin....RJS

Egghead

I was just amazed at all the different places you got to go fishing RJS, What an experience, what a life.at least when I get old it won't be hard to remember the 5 lakes I got to fish ☹️🤔