What does Beau catch? If walleye, I’m jealous!
OTOH, last Thursday evening I had a moment of real fun:
(copy / pasted from my e-mail to my local fisheries biologist, with slight edits / deletions specific to the pond I was at)
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...I had a quite large LMB inhale an 8” redear* I had on a stringer. Not surprisingly the redear went in head first (end of tail fin still visible) and as I was pulling the stringer in, the redear’s fins sort of stuck in the LMB’s mouth / throat. So, I had the bass halfway up on the bank B4 the redear finally pulled out, tail first. Mr.(?) Bass was not so large that the redear could have “turned” in the LMB’s mouth, but, I got a pretty good look: There seemed to be some gape left: I’d guess the bass was good for maybe a redear close to 9” long. Pretty darn impressive for a pond bass: I’ve certainly never caught a LMB that big, anywhere!
*Measurement after I took the redear home. Right at 8” or a sliver more.
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I must admit, I don’t know if a largemouth bass that big is actually “good” for a pond. You generally want the predators taking out the small panfish, not the 8” bluegill and redear. But, LMB that big out of a somewhat turbid pond are not going to taste good, and would likely be high in mercury too. I’d not want to get it mounted unless it was a state record, and I don’t think this fish was THAT big.* Nor would it have been caught on hook and line - legally I might have to release it anyway.
*Granted I’m not sure what the weight of an LMB that can chow down on 8” redear would be. ;-)
Well, it’s a moot dilemma because the fish got away anyway. But if it hangs around a certain bit of “structure” I might go after it deliberately... :-)
Walleye, Muskies and Northerns. The Walleye they keep to eat, the others are just for pictures, then released. I think they’re looking for the 48” or above, which are pretty rare, even up in Canada.
Best fish I ever caught was a Large Mouth Bass. Man, that thing was a fighter! But, it was off season - I was just fishing for pan fish, so I had to let her go. :(
I like Walleye, but my favorite fish is the Haddock he caught up in Alaska. He’s one busy Retiree - but he deserves it. I’ve known him since we were both 28; he’s always been a hard worker. We met again when we were both 50, both after long-term marriages. He was widowed, I had been divorced for a few years.