Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Quetico Forum :: Largemouth in the Q
|
Author | Message Text | ||
DancesWithTrees |
There's a spot in Jean Lake, that I've mentioned in here before, that is absolutely incredible for both largies and smallies. On two different trips, we took huge bass. But as I am researching this, I am starting to think maybe they were even bigger than I thought. One trip, we took in a largemouth that weighed in at 9 pounds. On another trip to the same spot, caught 2 (ate one) that were over 9 pounds, one close to 10, according to the little hand scale we brought. Now, after that trip, I remember seeing that the record largemouth in the US was about 17 pounds. So, while 10 pounds was big, it didn't seem special. But according to the Ontario MNR website, Quetico is basically the northern limit of largemouth bass. And the largest largemouth caught in Ontario was only 10.2 pounds. So, holy crap, we had near-record size fish? Like, just a few ounces short of it? Multiple of them?!?! Have other people fished for largemouth in the park, accidentally or intentionally? How big were they? And how the heck did I stumble upon an apparent school of record-size largies in Quetico of all places??? I realize this sounds like chest-thumping, but I'm being completely honest here, and I think I even have a picture of one of them somewhere. I would have taken more pictures, including the scale, if I knew at the time how big these really were. Is Quetico a secret bass heaven or something? |
||
PINETREE |
|
||
timatkn |
Although largemouth are not uncommon in Quetico, big ones are uncommon. For MN/Ontario 6-8 pounds is a really big fish so what you caught was exceptional. Did you by chance measure the fish? the MN state record largemouth was 8#15 oz. and was 23.5 inches long. So I would expect that a 10# fish would be 24-25 inches. I don't really trust the hand scales---I've seen them off too many times---either too light or too heavy :) BTW even if your scale was off these are exceptional fish. Heck for all we know these fish were heavier. T |
||
AndySG |
quote DancesWithTrees: "Oh I wasn't offended by anyone's responses. IN fact, given how far off it appears I was (even if they were more than 3-4 pounds, still a ways off from 9), I am impressed with the patience you all showed with me. Thanks.quote jeroldharter: "don't worry about it. I only use scales that measure at least 9 lbs. Has improved my results greatly." First off, a Hearty Welcome to the site DancesWithTrees. And, please do not feel embarassed. We here are dedicated to learning from one another, and offering advice to those who need it. Its what we do and I think I speak for the community when I say "Welcome to the BWCA.com Family!" Andy |
||
chipaddler |
quote GeoFisher: " That smallie is a freakin' pig... Look how fat. Hah |
||
GeoFisher |
quote GeoFisher: " Both of these fish came from the same lake, within a few hundred 100 yards or so of each other on different trips, with different folks....imagine that. |
||
walllee |
|
||
GeoFisher |
This smallie was close to 5.....something like 4.7. And this Largemouth was 5.2 |
||
jb in the wild |
Both of these fish are pretty good size around 20" for the Small Mouth and 24" on the Lrg Mouth. They were 6.5 # and 8.5. #. I would guess the weight on yours around 3 to 3.5 #s. Nice fish ether way. BTW those fish were mounted about 25 years ago, so don't yell at me about catch and release. I photo and release now. JB |
||
Dbldppr1250 |
|
||
MCorbett |
I am headed to Quetico this weekend. I am wondering if you mind sharing what weight rod you are using in this picture? I have a 5lb rod, and I am worried it is too light for the action? Thoughts? M. |
||
Ausable |
quote MCorbett: "Hello, Many people would recommend 8-10 pound line. See, for instance, recents threads in the Fishing Forum. Having said that, however, a friend of mine loves fishing for smallmouth with light tackle and 6 pound line. I use 8-pound with a medium power rod (6-12 pound). |
||
Miami1 |
|
||
DancesWithTrees |
And I completely understand people being skeptical - I would be too! I will see if I can find the picture(s), scan them into the computer, and post them (this was back in the early 90's, well before digital photos were commonplace). |
||
PINETREE |
|
||
DancesWithTrees |
quote PINETREE: "A 10 pound bass would probably be 26 inch plus range. OK, that's a good start. So this was probably 6" short of that, give or take. But... Ontario record largemouth bass that was 10.2 pounds, according to the Ontario MNR, was 22 inches long: http://www.ontariofishing.net/fishrecords.html Assuming that site is accurate. I don't know. |
||
timatkn |
T |
||
DancesWithTrees |
Now that I've thoroughly embarrassed myself... I'll just close with... I may be very wrong about those fish (apparently they aren't even largemouth? Even the bigger one? You are telling me there are smallies that long?)... but I sat there and looked at a scale myself, that went above 9 pounds. Or I thought it did. I did say I wasn't exactly a master fisherman! Sorry to have caused a ruckus. Still seems hard for me to believe, even looking at that 10 year old badly scanned picture, that those are smallies, and only 3-4 pounds. But I'll take your word for it, as I am sure most of you are much more experienced than I am. |
||
PINETREE |
quote jb in the wild: " Which state or states did you catch those nice fish? |
||
jb in the wild |
quote PINETREE: "quote jb in the wild: " Lrg Mouth was in Connecticut and the Smallie was here near Elk River in the Mighty Miss. |
||
Springer2 |
|
||
kanoes |
|
||
carmike |
Could the guy holding the fish honestly not tell the difference between 3 lbs and 10 lbs? That's a *big* difference, no matter what species of fish it is. If he went to the grocery store and bought three pounds of apples but was charged for ten, would he not catch the difference?? Sorry for the skepticism, but something seems fishy. :) |
||
QueticoMike |
|
||
joetrain |
~JOE~ |
||
DancesWithTrees |
1. I wasn't the one who caught them. In one case, two of is were fishing, but I only got some relatively small ones. The other, I was being a guide of sorts, just paddling someone into the right spots. 2. Lures used, I don't recall exact details, but they were a smallish Rapala, and a small-medium spinner with a weedless treble. |
||
DancesWithTrees |
Judge away! Crap, I can't get the Add Photo to work, here is the direct link... http://www.middleofsomewhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/MLBass.jpg |
||
PINETREE |
|
||
Wallidave |
|
||
Wallidave |
Only use tape measures nowadays, they don't lie and I don't really care how much a fish weighs anyway. |
||
TomT |
|
||
timatkn |
They are definitely smallies--it isn't a bad picture. No ruckus at all. I still like your story and a good discussion. Largemouth are typically green in color and have a lateral line or stripe down the middle. Smallmouth are brown and have bars. If you close the jaw (your pic the jaw is open so can't use this) the eye of a largemouth will be obviously behind the jaw. T |
||
TomT |
Smallmouth can really vary in weight in the Q. The older ones around 19-21 inches can get a football shape to them and they are very powerful fighters with usually multiple jumps. These are absolutely my favorite fish to catch and with barbless hooks it's quite a challenge to land them. Largemouth are fun to catch too but aren't near as powerful as a smallie pound for pound. |
||
Springer2 |
|
||
jeroldharter |
|
||
DancesWithTrees |
quote jeroldharter: "don't worry about it. I only use scales that measure at least 9 lbs. Has improved my results greatly." Haha, clearly that was the scale I must have been using! |
||
Springer2 |
|
||
GeoFisher |
quote chipaddler: "quote GeoFisher: " Even though it was only around 5.......if I could have gotten that one out of the park.......it would have gone on the wall :) :) Looked GREAT. Later, Geo |
||
jeroldharter |
Just kidding, but based on that ruler you appear to be 40 inches tall. |
||
DancesWithTrees |
quote carmike: "Is this thread for real? I can certainly understand confusing a smallmouth and a largemouth, but confusing a fish that weighs (generously) three pounds with one that weighs nine or ten pounds seems odd to me. Can't blame you for the skepticism. I'd be too. All I can say is, way back then, we weighed out (with one of those very small scales) an 8+ pound bass. The one in the picture is maybe not the exact one, but one of the larger ones we caught. As incredulous as you are, I am equally incredulous that it could weigh only 3 pounds. I am quite sure it was more than that. Considering the provincial record smallie is around 10 pounds, it's obviously unlikely the one we caught was 8-9 pounds, so I was puzzled later as well. Not sure what else to say. Its embarrassing to have to keep rehashing this, but one thing I can assure you is, this was not an intentional exaggeration on my part. |
||
DancesWithTrees |
quote BlackSwanAdventures: "I am just happy you didn't keep and eat a 9 pound bass. Well, for the record, I just assumed they were largemouth because they were so damn big. Also it appears the scale we had must have been awfully friendly, because it was pointed out there was almost no way we caught 8-9 pound smallies. All I can say is, they were bass, and they were really big. We generally don't keep and eat bass much anyway. |
||
BlackSwanAdventures |
Over 2-3 pounds, take photos and release these perfect spawning, not very good to eat fish. Thanks. |