Originally Posted by jpsdad
Fishing Rod, A record fish a freak? Maybe so. Lots of things come together to make a record fish. Three things that come to mind ...

1. long life/survival
2. Above average appetite
3. Dominance to get better than its fair share of food.

It stands to reason competition is relatively low relative to the supply of food in any water that produces large fish but these traits would set some fish apart. Its not sensible compare growth without standardizing treatments of course.

My comment was obviously too succinct to communicate my meaning.

Obviously, the things you cite are critical for developing a "record" fish.

Snipe has only stocked 175(?) YP of the cohort that are producing state records. Would an electrofishing survey show 10-20% are already records? I suspect many of these fish will continue to push out the state record for several more years.

I also believe that several other people on Pond Boss have raised YP in their ponds that and have created numerous fish that would shatter their existing state records.

My conclusion is that none of these pre-existing state record YP were extraordinary at all.

The point that I failed to convey was that SOME records do appear to be extraordinary! (I was hoping some of our experts that intensively raise fish might expand or rebut that observation based on their expertise.)

The Minnesota YP record fish of 3# 4oz does appear to be extraordinary. I think the U.S. record LMB from 1932 also appears to be extraordinary.

Imagine if you gave me the following assignment: "Search the archives of Pond Boss and estimate the number of YP that have been raised by members that exceed their respective state records. Consider that record LMB are far more highly sought than record YP, and that pond owners have spent tens of millions of dollars in pursuit of record LMB. The original world record LMB was caught in 1932. Estimate the number of times since 2000 that private pond owners in Florida and Texas have bested the world record."

If I had no "outside" knowledge about LMB, I would probably predict that the record had been broken several hundred times.

Obviously, my incorrect answer would make me a dumba$$.

When I reach dumba$$ conclusions, I like to know WHY I am so wrong.

If any of the experts care to expand on my "off topic" discussion, I think it could be an enlightening discussion.

Basically, the record U.S. LMB has stood for 90 years, DESPITE our best efforts to beat it. The world record YP of 4# 3oz was caught in NJ in 1865.

My question is: were these two fish extraordinary in some "individual" sense, or was there just a perfect confluence of the 3 key environmental factors (+ more?) cited by jpsdad that created these record fish?


Kenny,

I don't want to stomp on your thread. I think(?) your intention was to post a good story about your wife and add to our longstanding pursuit of trying to produce record fish. If my question follows in the "spirit" of your OP, then I would like to leave it up and read the responses. If you want me to remove it, could you send my a brief PM to do so?