JimRed Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area

Here in Jersey about six pounds or better is rare enough to be thought of as a trophy Bass. The state record is ten pounds 14 oz. (1980). In Florida that six pounder is a nice mid-sized one.

Pete Pintler

I live in north central Florida. One lake I fish is weed choked to 2 to 3 feet below the surface. But has a huge and diverse amount of bass food. Shiners sunfish dragon flies and larva plus other things bass are usually about five lbs I've caught some 7 to 9 lbs. Another lake I fish only has weeds close to the shore is clear and spring fed. A few sunfish a rare dragon fly not much else most bass are about 2 lbs a lurker is a rare five lb. The two lakes are about 20 miles apart no crayfish in either. In this case I believe it's about amount of food. I lived in nw Montana lots off sunfish. Crayfish every where some pike. In 30+ years I never caught a bass over five lbs in any lake ever. Geography probably a factor here. But any bass is better than no bass. The more the better. I have always fished artificially rubber worms crank baits etc. I'm going to try live bait now. New is fun. Hoping for the best

bonzo

What part of N.E Pa?

BILLBYRD1 Loc: Prattville Al

Over Time Again where in Alabama do you live? I live in Prattville just above Montgomery. My house is about 10 minutes to the Alabama River. I enjoy fishing in our area. Right now I am fishing Lake Mitchell close to Clanton Alabama. Let me know.

Bill Byrd

greyghost

Most of the bass around the country that are 10# plus are transplanted Florida strain largemouths. That's most, not all. In some places that goes for the eight and nine pounders as well. And then there was that near record bass caught in a San Diego lake years ago that was discovered to have a five pound divers weight in its gut. The bass was a Florida strain. The weight probably US Divers. People still believe the bass ate that on its own. But then again I once won a party boat pool with a yellowtail that had several large rocks in it stomach. I didn't feed it those rocks, but I felt it only right to split the pool with the second place fisherman. But back to bass. My brother caught a bass in a heavily fished Connecticut lake that weighed 8.9 lbs. The scale sample and pictures checked out as Northern strain. End of story -- there are big bass everywhere for a variety of reasons.

tigger

For years, I was told the only way to hook a live shiner was up through the bottom of its mouth and out near its eyes, that was the one method to keep them alive the longest. Nowadays, I hook a shiner any way I think will maintain the hook the longest. Sometimes that is behind the head, sometimes, under the dorsal fin. I don't think it matters and I've caught bass on totally dead, totally mangled shiners … even ones that have been bitten in half. All of this suspect info because live shiners have become ungodly expensive and the days of discarding one because it has crapped out in your bait tank are over. At $2.00 a shiner, two of us fishing three times a week and 2 dozen a trip, we were splitting almost $600.00 a month on live shiners! My advice? Use it until you lose it and get sporting and fish artificials! Good luck!

JimRed Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area

I never bought shiners for bait. It’s always been easy enough to catch a few, and I usually fish them where I catch them.

HopeFaithLOVE Loc: Burkesville Kentucky

Here in Tennessee and Kentucky, on Dale Hollow Lake. To keep the fish (talking about Bass) as a trophy it has to be over 21 Inches. As far as pounds go, i've been told the pounds does not matter as long as it is over 21 inches.

GlennMc928 Loc: Tualatin OR

Out here on the Calif The record is a 18.62 pound largemouth bass coming out of the Calif Delta and a 5 Lb to 8 Pound being very much the average size out here.