Top 20 Largemouth Bass for Louisiana

[Mike Cork]

BASS, LARGEMOUTH
(Micropterus salmoides)

1) 15.97 – Greg Wiggins, Caney Lake, February 1994
2) 15.54 – Tommy Foster, Caney Lake, February 1993
3) 15.53 – Fred Kennedy, Caney Lake, October 1993
4) 15.42 – Bryan Smith, Caney Lake, March 1993
5) 15.38 – Thomas J. Robertson, Baton Rouge University Lake, June 1992
6) 15.33 – Johnny Harper, Caney Lake, July 1996
7) 15.31 – Ed Stellner, Lake D'Arbonne, February 2000
15.15 – Chris Roberts, Caney Lake, February 1995
9) 15.05 – Brett Fontenot, Miller's Lake, March 1998
10) 14.87 – Keith Stokes, Caney Lake, May 1994
11) 14.83 – Dana Walker, Caney Lake, March 1993
12) 14.75 – Debbie Lee, Caney Lake, March 1995
13) 14.68 – Kraig Welborn, Toledo Bend Reservoir, March 1998
14) 14.58 – Louis Byrd, Caney Lake, April 1996
15) 14.57 – Michael Thrift, Caney Lake, September 1995
16) 14.55 – Sonny Watson, Caney Lake, March 1993
17) 14.48 – Kevin Watson, Caney Lake, March 1993
18) 14.39 – Kenneth Walker, Caney Lake, March 31, 2001 *
19) 14.34 – Tommy Goss, Caney Lake, May 1994
20) 14.31 – Brian Davis, Caney Lake, March 1992

Before everyone starts jumping on me, there has been a 16 pounder caught on Caddo Lake three times in the last 15 years of so. This fish was considered a Texas caught fish.

Anyone local to NW Louisiana knows about the 14 pounder caught on Black Bayou Hosston as well, it didn't quite make the list.

This list is not from LDW&F but from a resource I stumbled over. I do have a direct line to the Fisheries Biologist here in Louisiana and will be putting in a call to see if I can get an official list.

[CRosh324]

So, 8 out of the top 10 came off Caney and D'Arbonne and 4 of those 8 were caught in February and the pro's will be there this weekend.  Wonder if we'll see some studs show up on the scales??? 

[TNDiver]

Also almost all caught in the early to mid 1990's

[Mike Cork]

Caney was a beast of a lake in the 90's. The hydrilla was amped, just like a bass fisherman wants it. But the land owners hated it and they put a ton of grass carp in it (if one is good three is better). Well the sterilized grass carp ate all the grass and then were seen laying on their sides to eat the land owners grass. I've seen video of the carp going crazy over grass clippings.

Fast forward late 2000's and they started having Carp rodeo's, bow hunts with bounties on the carp. Fast forward to 2015 or so and the hydrilla is coming back. Our annual UBCS was on Caney a couple years ago and the vegetation was looking good. Not great, not awesome, but definitely coming back. Bass in the 8-10 range are becoming common again. A recent tournament took 31 pounds to win.

Another factor, I believe anyway, in the giant bass is the extremely large populations of large bream around the lake. When we were there, every pocket had huge bream beds with bream up to 10 inches running around in them. It was amazing to see.

Big forage base, decent vegetation, and very fertile river basin, yeah it's a bass factory and hopefully we see some giants. Gonna depend on the weather. February in Louisiana is a crap shoot. Last year in the end of Feb we had 3 inches of ice with 8 inches of snow and a 10 days below 20 degrees and nights at zero. Every fifth carport in the area collapsed

[TNDiver]

It amazes me how they (Who ever you want to put in that place) try to fix one problem and often times create another bigger problem. 

You would think they would learn and really evaluate introducing any species, including plants (Think Kudzu) the possible worst case scenarios and really evaluate if it is worth it.

[Mike Cork]

I totally agree "they" never investigate or research enough. The grass carp issue around here is senate driven. Lots of political employees live or have camp houses around the lakes and they influence via bills and proclamations some of what happens. Not near as bad lately. I hear it's absolutely horrible when it comes to duck hunting, but that's another story.

But when the right person finds out that grass carp eat hydrilla they demand grass carp. Then they hear that a lake the size of Caney should have 200 introduced and it will take a two years to get the problem under control (vegetation should be controlled not eradicated). This right person will demand that 800 are introduced thinking the problem will be fixed in 6 months instead of 2 years. This way the lake will be good to go   before his weekly visit to his lake house this summer. Never thinking about the long term.

[caddyjoe77]

I totally agree "they" never investigate or research enough. The grass carp issue around here is senate driven. Lots of political employees live or have camp houses around the lakes and they influence via bills and proclamations some of what happens. Not near as bad lately. I hear it's absolutely horrible when it comes to duck hunting, but that's another story.

But when the right person finds out that grass carp eat hydrilla they demand grass carp. Then they hear that a lake the size of Caney should have 200 introduced and it will take a two years to get the problem under control (vegetation should be controlled not eradicated). This right person will demand that 800 are introduced thinking the problem will be fixed in 6 months instead of 2 years. This way the lake will be good to go   before his weekly visit to his lake house this summer. Never thinking about the long term.

whats good for the fat goose is almost never good for the skinny gander.   

[Mike Cork]

Between the politics and then folks thinking "If 2 is good 8 is great", a lot of things have been screwed up in Louisiana. But when LDWF gets left alone to manage a lake they have done some amazing work. We have one that just opened up and it's been amazing. I haven't got to fish it as it's too far away...

[Blacknredflake]

Is that Millers lake the same.one by Chicot park and Ville Platte

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[Mike Cork]

Not sure, but I doubt there are many Millers Lakes in Louisiana, that would be like saying black bayou in California.

[CRosh324]

well, just shooting from the hip here, but last name Fontenot, I'd venture to guess it was around the Ville Platte area!  LOL!

[Blacknredflake]

well, just shooting from the hip here, but last name Fontenot, I'd venture to guess it was around the Ville Platte area!  LOL!

Haha i mean its gotta be.  Just wild that big of a fish to come out that tiny little shallow lake lol.

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