Trophy Size Bass?
In simple terms .. usually a double digit bass is looked at as a trophy. But do you think think there’s different trophy sizes depending on where you live? Is a northern strain largemouth trophy size different ? What is your take?
Also ( if it’s a trophy to you.. that’s all that matters.. enjoy each catch ) just wanted some input on the topic.
Take care everyone
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by jasonsreviews
I think a trophy varies by region, a 10 lb largemouth in Texas is easier to come by. If you move North to Oklahoma, 10 lbrs become more rare but 8 lbrs are more common. Once you get into Kansas 10 lbrs are extremely scarce and 7 lbrs become more common. I've never fished in Michigan but I'd consider a 6 lb large mouth a giant. I also think a trophy can vary from lake to lake, for instance the power plant lake in Oklahoma that I fish has a lot of 10+ fish but another lake 20 miles away has very few 10s caught out of it, if any at all.
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by Rdj1984
That’s an interesting analysis . It’s funny .. I live in North East Pennsylvania and most of the time a “big bass” is 5 lbs. seriously. Anything over 6 is a true giant from my parts.
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by jasonsreviews
Absolutely geographical location matters. By law in NY a trophy is considering over 20” long (for smallmouth, not sure if this applies to largemouth as well), which pretty well puts you in the 5+lbs class. For northern strain largemouth a 6-7lb fish is a giant.
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by rubix_cuban
From my parts... largemouth over 5-6 is like almost unheard of . Seriously . The difference in bass strain based off geographical location is wild.
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by jasonsreviews
I’m a snow bird so I operate under aLunker largemouth is over 7 lbs up here and a smallmouth is over 6. It used to be 5 lbs for smallies until I caught plenty and bumped it to 6. Bassmaster always used 6 lbs as criteria to post s smallie on their bragging page.
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by orangutanbeater
I can see that for sure
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by jasonsreviews
Eastern North Carolina a trophy is 8+, anything over 6 is a big fish
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by big_red_13
I’m a little up north from there . That makes sense though.
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by jasonsreviews
Yes. I used to fish a lot in NH and my the biggest bass I ever personally caught over like 200 days on the water was 5.2lbs. The biggest I ever saw was probably 7lbs.
Now I fish exclusively in Alabama and we catch 5lbers multiple times a week.
A couple 6, 7, and 8lbers come into my boat occasionally. We are always hunting for double digits but they aren't super common in Alabama.
For a better idea look into fish records by state.
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by OverTimeAgain
PA state record is 11 lbs and has been standing since the 80s.. so you can imagine the search for a giant is extensive haha
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by jasonsreviews
In NH where I fish, the state record is 10lbs for largemouth (and 7 for a smallmouth). I fish a lot throughout the season by boat, and I probably catch 1-3 fish over 5lbs. For me, that's a trophy.
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by rejesterd
That sounds pretty close to how PA is. That’s awesome!
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by jasonsreviews
10 lbs 8 oz for the largemouth and 7 lbs 15.4 oz for the smallmouth.
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by Shustybang
with a guide on Lake Okeechobee, using live shiners, I caught a nine pound Largemouth. that was eight years ago and nothing close since. Around here (Lake Placid, Florida) there are lots of pictures of 30-40 years ago of strings of Largemouths, all in the 8-10 pound range. I think those days are gone; the bass are getting smarter, the idiot state wants to spray-kill all of the shore cover, and too many dolts night fishing for bait fish (can you say 150 fish in one outing?). And then there's the braindead who wants to wall mount his trophy. Some of the guide sponsors will not allow a Largemouth to be kept; it's all catch and release. Get the hook out, take a picture and get the fish back into the water. Add all of the professional and local tournaments and the number of bass that get over-stressed and die and suddenly, a five pound Largemouth is a rarity. We consider a two pound Largemouth a nice catch.
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