The post Cecil has with the pic is why I will never put my name on a record from my own pond. 11 days ago I caught a 16-1/8" YP that was 2lbs 11oz and another 14-1/4" weighing 1lb 10 oz (per my scale). The wife catching what she did, damn right I'll let her take it..
She set up her rod, baited it, done it all. She caught 2 nearly identical fish sunday and the reason we kept this one was it was hooked a bit deep and I was afraid it wouldn't make it. I tanked the fish in sedative and salt because I don't want to just fillet a fish like this, I wanted to see if we could save it. When it became obvious it was going to survive I said lets weigh and measure for my records. When I told her it appears to be about a good 5-6oz over State record, her eye lit up and she said "I want it!" no way in hell would I deny her of that. It has brought something out of her that surprised me and that is her new-found interest of exactly what I do down there, connected the dots you might say. This is the first time in 4-1/2 years (since I built the pond) that she has got to fish it. Once or maybe twice a year she goes fishing with me, so I have absolutely no regret to letting her have that seat.