New Indiana state record spotted Bass

[kickinbass]

New Indiana state record spotted bass
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Terre Haute man boats state's top spot


A Terre Haute man has broken one of Indiana's longest standing fish records. Larry Hinesley Jr.'s 5-pound, 5-ounce fish recently topped John William Pio's 31-year-old, 5-pound, 1-ounce spotted bass record.

On May 24, Hinesley, of Terre Haute, was fishing a private lake in Vigo County when Indiana's largest recorded spotted bass took his night crawler bait.

Hinesley saw the fish before he cast to it. "I threw every lure in my box but it wouldn't take any of them," Hinesley said. That's when he switched to a live night crawler. The big bass couldn't resist, and struck.

Hinesley tired the fish with an ultra-light Ugly Stick fishing pole strung with 10-pound-test Spider Wire. "It had my drag running like 'whirrrrr' and my rod was bent over double," Hinesley said of the fight. "I was talking to my line the whole time saying 'don't break, don't break.'" The fight lasted five or six minutes.

Hinesley became familiar with spotted bass only three weeks before his date with fishing history when he caught a 3-pound fish that a friend identified as a spotted bass, instead of the more common largemouth bass. Surprised, Hinesley researched spotted bass, including the former state record.

He began to suspect that a new Indiana record was lurking in the lake he normally fished. At 9:30 a.m. on the big day, Hinesley was fishing by himself when he saw the bruiser.

After boating the 5-plus-pounder he called his brother-in-law, who later identified the fish as a huge spotted bass. Hinesley had it weighed on certified scales at the IGA on Locust Street in Terre Haute.

Spotted bass, also known as Kentucky bass or Kentucky spotted bass, are frequently mistaken for other types of bass. According to the book Fishes of the Central United States, the spotted bass was once widely believed to be a hybrid between largemouth and smallmouth bass. Not until 1927 did ichthyologists recognize the species as distinct.

Spotted bass are most successful in waters that are somewhat warmer and siltier than those that support native populations of smallmouth. The fish will sometimes out-compete smallmouth bass in degraded streams.

Photo of Hinesley's record fish:
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/recordfish/bass.htm

[Creel Limit Zero]

I gotta tell you, after looking at that fish, I think I would mistake that for a largemouth too.  Not surprising others do as well.     Sure is a nice fish though. 

[Mike Cork]

That fish is a largemouth. There are certain characteristics that go with a spotted bass. The only one that fish might have is a tooth patch on it's tongue. The record may have been broken and I realize that it is a state site reporting it but that picture is not of a spotted bass. I bet there is more to come on this story, or the picture changes 

[kickinbass]

The spotted bass has a defined spot on the gill and also spots on the belly. This Bass has already been certified as a new state record. I agree it does look like a Largemouth and is hard to tell in the picture but if you look closely you can see the spot on the gill .

[kickinbass]

The spotted bass looks very much like the largemouth bass. However, the spotted bass has a dark spot on the gill cover and spots or streaks on the lower side of the body. The mouth, when closed, does not extend beyond the eye. Also, the spotted bass has a rough tongue patch located in the middle of the tongue while largemouth bass lack the tongue patch

[weirdlittleman]

Here is a pic of the fish 




             

[Warpath]

It's hard enough to tell the difference with them on the end of your thumb, more less in a picture.

If it is a spotted bass, which for argument's sake I will say it is, that is a big spotted bass for us northerners.

Eric

[kickinbass]

I agree its big for up here. But keep in mind its from a private pond. I dont agree with a bass from a private pond should be considered a state record . I think a state record should be recognized only from puclic and state run waters where everyone has access too. But thats just my opinion

[Warpath]

I agree with that as well Don, but I would rather the state recognize both public water fish and private water fish.  We've covered this topic a few times before on here, and everyone has an opinion about it.

Eric

[topcat]

I agree with both of you concerning state records and what waters should be eligible...and I do think that they need to have records for private lakes and ponds.....that is a nice bass in the pic.......our state record for the spotted bass is 8 lbs 2 oz  ........

Topcat