# Nice bass through the ice!!!



## duckhunter25hp (Apr 13, 2007)

Pretty good story to go along with this fish check it out!!!

This is my buddies story below.

Enjoyed this beautiful day out on a local farm pond and man was the action hot! Started out catching 8 plus inch bluegills and a few smaller bass. Was jigging a firetiger diamond lure tipped with a waxworm when the "piggy", as I like to call them, hit my lure. The fight was on and I knew that I had something other than a crappie or bluegill. It was taking drag and diving like crazy. I yelled to my brother to come help me because I didnt know if it would fit through the 6 inch hole. He pulled my vexilar out of the water and rolled his sleeves up to plung down the hole when it appeared. Finally after about ten minutes of taking drag and numerous runs under the ice, the lunker appeared in the bottom of my hole. It had a mouth wider than my brothers hand, a personnal best largemouth bass! Measuring in at 23 inches long and was 16 3/4 inches around its belly. Oh did I mention that it was landed using 3# testline, I was amazed. What a great way to end an incredible day on the ice.










*edit:

I've put the story directly on this site. Please don't cross post to another forum. Thanks.

Ryan*


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Wow, thats a huge bass.


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## snow (Dec 7, 2007)

Indeed a beauty,why did ya keep it? Curious...


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## Gildog (Jan 30, 2007)

snow said:


> Indeed a beauty,why did ya keep it? Curious...


DID you keep it? If so, I'm sure you put a scale to it, not just a tape measure...


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## duckhunter25hp (Apr 13, 2007)

I didn't keep it my buddy did. He is putting it on the wall.


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

duckhunter25hp said:


> I didn't keep it my buddy did. He is putting it on the wall.


You should explain to him that he could have let the fish live and had it on the wall at the same time. Got to love graphite mounts. After putting multiple species on the wall over the years, I think graphite look better. I know they sure hold up better.


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## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

I would wager that nearly of 99% of all bass caught in the North country are released. Almost nobody cares to eat them. There is no harm in keeping ONE rare fish that a guy deems a trophy.

Frankly, I think replica mounts are a joke. 'Gee, this plastic fish is JUST LIKE the fish I caught that one day'. :eyeroll:


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

Bagman said:


> Frankly, I think replica mounts are a joke. 'Gee, this plastic fish is JUST LIKE the fish I caught that one day'. :eyeroll:


Bagman, I hear that arguement once in a while. I've noticed a trend as well. Usually the guys that think replicas are a joke are the guys that have to think they are better than the rest of us and have to outdo us.

They are usually the bigger liars to. That's why they don't like replicas. Cause they know they lie about the fish they catch, so they think I need to lie about the fish i catch.

Got news for you buddy. That fish isn't on the wall for your enjoyment. It's on the wall for mine. To remind me of that day and trip. I couldn't care less if you think I had a bigger fish made up for the wall.

Why kill a fish that you aren't going to eat? I don't need to kill just to say I did it. I'm proud to know that fish is still alive or I ate it (steelhead and King Salmon).


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Keeping fish or not is a personal choice. Maybe there were other outside factors on why he kept it. Bass taste like every other fish out there. Throw them in a frying pan with sunnie's, crappie, perch and walleye, hell even pike and a guy can't tell the difference.


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## snow (Dec 7, 2007)

Actually I concure,replica's will last a lifetime.


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## huntingdude16 (Jul 17, 2007)

> Bagman, I hear that arguement once in a while. I've noticed a trend as well. Usually the guys that think replicas are a joke are the guys that have to think they are better than the rest of us and have to outdo us.
> 
> They are usually the bigger liars to. That's why they don't like replicas. Cause they know they lie about the fish they catch, so they think I need to lie about the fish i catch.
> 
> Got news for you buddy. That fish isn't on the wall for your enjoyment. It's on the wall for mine. To remind me of that day and trip. I couldn't care less if you think I had a bigger fish made up for the wall.


Or heres an idea. Maybe, just maybe the guys that think their a joke for honest reasons? Did you ever consider that?

I'm guessing not.


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## ileddog (Dec 1, 2008)

LOL I Love opinions. So I wanna voice mine.

MOST now I said MOST Trophy fish, (MOST) are near there life expectancy so I see no harm in keeping them, and MOST Largemouth will not get much over 10 lbs, exspecially in the Dakotas. Thats why the state record in South Dakota is 9. Keep the fish hang it on the wall, your buddies wall, hell hang it on my wall. 23 inch Largemouth in the winter probably 5 1/2 lbs MAYBE 6, 7-8 years old.

Next. Keepin a fat lazy old fish isnt hurting the fish population one bit. I catch and release everything except wall hangers and 4 15-18 inch spring walleye every year. These people that go out and "HARVEST" their limit of 14-20 inch walleye, 5-8 inch perch, 3/4 to 1 1/4 lb crappie, KILL the shear population of fish in a lake. You have 1000 fisherman every year do what I just said and you will have lakes like a couple lakes in my area. HUGE fish or fish sticks and the numbers get smaller and smaller because the prime breeding stock is whipped out in 2 years. Even intense stocking programs will fail in lakes like these. 2 years ago in a lake in my area, a couple fishin buddies of mine and I caught 5 Walleyes over 10 lbs. The biggest being 11lbs. Thats was in a 1 month time frame, and 100 10-12 inch walleye. No 2,3,4 lbrs, WHY, cause as soon as they hit 14 inches (min length req) POOF gone into someones freezer who probably has enough fish in there to last the next great depression. Then when next spring comes they make room in there freezers for the FRESH fish and throw away half of what they caught last year.

As for graphite mounts, havnt seen one I like. In all fairness their paint jobs were something left to be desired. Ive seen some terrible live mounts as well. Thats also why I take all my fish to the same guy. They always look awesome when there done and I know they always will.

So yeah thats all I got.


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

> These people that go out and "HARVEST" their limit of 14-20 inch walleye, 5-8 inch perch, 3/4 to 1 1/4 lb crappie, KILL the shear population of fish in a lake. You have 1000 fisherman every year do what I just said and you will have lakes like a couple lakes in my area. HUGE fish or fish sticks and the numbers get smaller and smaller because the prime breeding stock is whipped out in 2 years. Even intense stocking programs will fail in lakes like these. 2 years ago in a lake in my area, a couple fishin buddies of mine and I caught 5 Walleyes over 10 lbs. The biggest being 11lbs. Thats was in a 1 month time frame, and 100 10-12 inch walleye. No 2,3,4 lbrs, WHY, cause as soon as they hit 14 inches (min length req) POOF gone into someones freezer who probably has enough fish in there to last the next great depression. Then when next spring comes they make room in there freezers for the FRESH fish and throw away half of what they caught last year.


That is definately true. I can't argue that at all.



> As for graphite mounts, havnt seen one I like. In all fairness their paint jobs were something left to be desired. Ive seen some terrible live mounts as well. Thats also why I take all my fish to the same guy. They always look awesome when there done and I know they always will.


 This is true as well. A good artist can do wonders no matter if it's real or graphite.


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## nita (Dec 11, 2008)

Im sorry if I offend someone but in my opinion a 5lb bass is nothing spectacular. They really arent that uncommon. If you get into any good tournament there will be a bunch teams that have caught a 5lb'er. Also, I agree with the graphite mounts. They are, in my opinion, the best way to go. You get to have a souvenir to keep the memory for yourslef and those involved and the fish lives. Be realistic...most people aren't going to eat a bass that big because they are older and dont taste so good. And I beg to differ about every fish tasting the same. Find someone who likes catfish and they dont like to many other fish. And a walleye taste a whole lot different than any other fish and the same goes for a pike. Actually every fish taste at least a little different than others just some taste more different than others. It's just that all of the brim(pan fish) taste pretty close to the same. Just my two cents.


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## cavedude (Oct 20, 2006)

Since when were people not content with a picture of a "wall hanger". I am just speaking my opinion as well as the others. I forgot my camera fishing one day and left my buddy a voicemail telling him to bring his camera because I was going to catch a big walleye. He didnt get my voicemail soon enough and didnt bring his camera. Sure enough I caught a walleye that was pushing 8+lbs pitching jigs on the Red River. I guess I couldve kept it but decided to let it go. I think its strange that people need a mount of a fish to "remember" their story. eace:


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## ileddog (Dec 1, 2008)

I woulda let the 8 pounder go too. No need to down grade. Take a pic and let her go, I agree. But if its your first trophy walleye it is something that will make you proud forever. Everyone after that is just another PA. My next Walleye mount will have to be 11lbs or bigger. I do set limits. Im not going to hang 10 9 pound walleyes on my wall. My first mount was a 10 lbr. Next has to be an 11, 12 and so on.

As for 5 lb bass not being that uncommon? Where are you fishing I would LOVE to know. Im located in NE SD. So as long as I dont have to drive 200 miles or its some private land Im all for it. The reason the trophy size is set at 5lbs is because apparently their not as common as you think. Florida, Kentucky, down South yeah a 5lbr is a BABY. Next how many of those 5 pounders are caught through the ice? Same goes there I have a 5 lbr on the wall next will be a 6, 7, and so on.


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## snow (Dec 7, 2007)

Well sadly we can agree to disagree,its to easy for some folks to keep larger fish for whatever reason,usually bragin rights or no law saying they can't,rather than practice "CPR" photo's like replica's will last a lifetime.

Whatever the argument is for keeping big fish,one day will come where we'll see "slots" for every species because folks just don't use common sense.


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## ileddog (Dec 1, 2008)

Every lake I fish has slots. Do you know why? To protect the BREEDING STOCK. Not the fat 12 lbs walleyes that lay in the current. In most lakes, except for those BEAUTIFUL, Healthy Minnesota lakes which fish will live longer and be healtier, Walleyes will not live much past the 10-13 lb range in MOST SD waters. The water gets to warm in the summers because the bodies are not deep enough, and depleat in oxygen in the winter, because the lakes arent deep enough, and that stresses the fish. Which in bigger, and older fish can have fatal results. Does anyone know what the deepest lake is EAST RIVER South Dakota? How deep is it? Now Minnesota lakes, (POPULAR ONES) can support BIG eyes cause the waters are deep and big. 
I just seen you were from Minnesota thats why I am comparing. 

Anyone that would like to argue any of my points can, BUT first talk to your local GFP, DNR, Hatcheries, biologist, ask them and see what they say.


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## snow (Dec 7, 2007)

I agree,slots do help protect the breeding stock,as far as the popular walleye lakes of MN,Mille Laces is not only huge but only has a avg depth of 10ft,and look at URL,deepest part of the upper lake is only 14ft,I don't by your theory. IF so,why do the bass get so huge down south? aside of no winter to slow the fish growth,surely she gets really hot for those shallow southern lakes.

My point we should be mindful of our resource for the future.


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## Buck25 (Mar 27, 2008)

ruger1 said:


> Bagman said:
> 
> 
> > Frankly, I think replica mounts are a joke. 'Gee, this plastic fish is JUST LIKE the fish I caught that one day'. :eyeroll:
> ...


HAHA i like how your freaking out on this guy, stereotyping him and calling him liar that thinks he's better than everyone else just because he doesn't like replica mounts.

Why does someone always have to turn peoples' posts of stuff they are proud of into an arguement criticizing them for something that is totally an opinianated thing?
those people seem to me like the ones that think are better than everybody thinking that everything they do is always right. And wanting an award for it or something.


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

> Buck25HAHA said:
> 
> 
> > i like how your freaking out on this guy, stereotyping him and calling him liar that thinks he's better than everyone else just because he doesn't like replica mounts.


[/quote]

Not freaking out. Just making a stereotypical observation. We all know there is a starndard deviation when it comes to stereotyping.


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## ileddog (Dec 1, 2008)

snow said:


> I agree,slots do help protect the breeding stock,as far as the popular walleye lakes of MN,Mille Laces is not only huge but only has a avg depth of 10ft,and look at URL,deepest part of the upper lake is only 14ft,I don't by your theory. IF so,why do the bass get so huge down south? aside of no winter to slow the fish growth,surely she gets really hot for those shallow southern lakes.
> 
> My point we should be mindful of our resource for the future.


Largemouth do OK in warm waters unlike a Walleye. Largemouth will seek out shaded areas on hot days. As far as I know there bodies are more apt to handle warm bodies. Also the reason they get much larger in the south is mostly do to the freezing. They stay active and feed heavily all year around in the south. Largemouth slow down considerably when temps drop below 50. So imagine how lathargic those guys are under the ice. They feed alot less then in water temp between 55-70.

To Mile Laces. How is this lake fed? If its spring fed or river fed its getting a constant flow of O2. A couple lake around here are victims of the Army Corp of Engineers. The shut of Natural inlets for developement. hus not the constant flow of O2 into the lakes. So when the ice hits, what the water has for O2 has to last all winter. Thus stressing our fish.


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## Gildog (Jan 30, 2007)

personal decision to keep a big one or let him go, if it's allowed by law...

One thing that is certain, is if you keep a large one for the wall (or the pan), no one else will have the chance to experience the thrill of catching it...perhaps someone's child or grandchild, that might be the highlight of their young life.

(or an eagle, or seagull eating the carcass...no one will ever know)


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## ileddog (Dec 1, 2008)

Snow my friend. What I am saying are not theories. They are biological fact. As I said talk to DNR or GAME FISH and see if they disagree with me.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

WOW! Paint me green and call me jealous, that thing is a pigbeast! Congrats on a super fish! My brother caught an 18 a couple weeks ago, that thing was battling him hard, I can only imagine a 23. Awesome.


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