What a fish! I've caught LMB that I thought were big, but this is something on a whole different level.
Catching it by hand is amazing, too. I wonder if it will ever come to the dock to be fed in the future.
One caution: Holding a bass this heavy by the jaw, even hanging straight down, can be dangerous to the fish. My rule of thumb is that anything 5 lb or more should be supported by the belly as well as the jaw. Fish that size are precious commodities and should be treated as such.
What a fish! I've caught LMB that I thought were big, but this is something on a whole different level.
Catching it by hand is amazing, too. I wonder if it will ever come to the dock to be fed in the future.
One caution: Holding a bass this heavy by the jaw, even hanging straight down, can be dangerous to the fish. My rule of thumb is that anything 5 lb or more should be supported by the belly as well as the jaw. Fish that size are precious commodities and should be treated as such.
My guess is that fish probably died within a few days. Poor handling technique, plus they hooked the scale in its gill cover.
Gar King who is a member of this forum and used to post here catches bass by hand. I think he goes by the fish whisperer on YouTube and has lots of videos there.