How In The World To Catch 17Lbs Bass....twice???? 2024
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
I saw Butch Brown on another video on YouTube catch a 17lbs. pig. Then I found this one too. Unreal......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-mkjcR3TUI
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
I saw one also that he said was 19.8. The bait he uses is bigger than some of the dinks I've caught. LOL
Where in the world would he catch these monsters? Looks like somewhere you would see Jeremy Wade. ;-)
Joe
GoneFishi'n reply :
California. The guy is a living legend. These vids were from a while ago.
wngan9447 reply :
:love-158:
Wow.... I want THAT!
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
Castaic Lagoon, Cali
That dude is on another level from the guys that are on another level.
tomustang reply :
Location location location.
Shame though, not even monster bass will get me back in california.
tbone1993 reply :
I think it is about mentality too. I dont think he went out there with a tournament mentality or even to catch as many bass as possible. I feel that he had a musky fishing mentality. Meaning that he might go out and not see any big bass or even catch them after a thousand casts the same with musky. I know I dont have the patience for big swimbaits but he shows how they produce big fish. Location matters too though.
AK-Jax86 reply :
Monster fish! I caught one that could be compared to this beast, I have a BR member witness lol, but my mono snapped after she got caught up in weeds. I go to this spot 2 times a week trying to hook into her again I keep getting her sisters though
WRB reply :
Butch is fishing his signature DEPS side swimmers the past few years and doing good, trying to duplicate his annual catch of over 100 DD bass using Huds.
We have gone through a 5 year period of not having regular planted rainbow trout in some SoCal lakes, including the lagoon. The lagoon gets an occasional plant in the winter months, not like the in the past when plants were weekly. Casitas doesn't get any DFW stocked 6" to 12" rainbows anymore and that has had an impact on our trophy bass fishing.
In about a month it should be swimbait time again out west and Butch will be making more videos!
Tom
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
They are unreal fish too! Just look at the girth of those bellies. Those bass must be over 10 years old and look gorgeous.
CPBassFishing reply :
He's caught at least three that size to the best of my knowledge. A 19.8, an 18.5, and that 17lber in the video.
WRB reply :
Butch Brown's PB is 19.3 lbs to the best of my knowledge.On 10/8/2013 at 2:26 AM, CPBassFishing said:He's caught at least three that size to the best of my knowledge. A 19.8, an 18.5, and that 17lber in the video.
My top 5 are;
17.4 Casitac
17.4 Castas
17.6 Castiac
18.6 Casitas
19.3 Castaic
Butch catches close to a100 DD's a year, since 2000 and I am lucky to 5 a year since 1995. Next time I talk to Butch will ask him how many 17+ he had caught, my guess a lot more than I have!
Tom
1234567 reply :
Tom I'd love to hear how you caught your 19.3! Didn't it come n a jig. It would be very interesting to know how you got her from cast to working the jig and feeling the bite to the boat. Very few people could tell a story about a bass that large being caught!
NEjitterbugger reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 3:24 AM, WRB said:Butch Brown's PB is 19.3 lbs to the best of my knowledge.
My top 5 are;
17.4 Casitac
17.4 Castas
17.6 Castiac
18.6 Casitas
19.3 Castaic
Butch catches close to a100 DD's a year, since 2000 and I am lucky to 5 a year since 1995. Next time I talk to Butch will ask him how many 17+ he had caught, my guess a lot more than I have!
Tom
Not that I don't believe you, but do you have any pictures of any of your monsters?!?!
Wayne P. reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 4:30 AM, NEjitterbugger said:Not that I don't believe you, but do you have any pictures of any of your monsters?!?!
Did you look at his avatar?
NEjitterbugger reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 4:45 AM, Wayne P. said:Did you look at his avatar?
I think that is a mount of one of his big ones...
WRB reply :
All 5 giant bass listed are jig fish caught between Jan to Mar, pre spawner's, that is when the girls are catchable out west.
The mount is my 19.3, the live bass photo isn't very good quality, although it's somewhere on this site.
Butch gets his bass into the boat a lot faster then I can, much heavier tackle.
These giant bass are strong and will jump occasionally. I fish with light line 10# to 14# FC with a 5 power jig rod, Daiwa TD HTSA older reels that I plan to retire this year and my own hair jigs with custom pork trailers. The depth is usually about 12' to 20' range, casting around 90' to 120', due to clear water and wary big bass. I use my reel and sweep hook set, only way to get a hook set at long distances.
Lot of hours between big bass strikes, decades on the water.
Keep attention to details, knots, hook points, line, best rods you can afford and smooth casting retrieving reels, a high quality FC line.
Don't loose focus on each cast, it can be exhausting trying to keep your concentration.
Good luck.
Tom
DogBone_384 reply :
CRACKERS...... bigger than my cats!
Dwight Hottle reply :
Tom why don't you comment about why you chose your screen name WRB? I'm sure there a few curious members that would like to know .
NEjitterbugger reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 7:35 AM, Dwight Hottle said:Tom why don't you comment about why you chose your screen name WRB? I'm sure there a few curious members that would like to know .
World Record Bass?
In search of? Lost it?
00 mod reply :
I will post one of Tom's pictures tomorrow. I have it on my work computer!
Jeff
Brian Needham reply :
I know Butch is a "legend" and all, I cant discount that or the fish he has caught ..... but from the videos I have seen I don't care for the attitude.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 8:53 AM, Brian Needham said:I know Butch is a "legend" and all, I cant discount that or the fish he has caught ..... but from the videos I have seen I don't care for the attitude.
Dwight Hottle reply :
I don' t get the attitude comment from his videos. Everyone I have seen he comes across as a blue collar guy that really gets excited with big fish. His excitement almost gets in the way of finishing the video. What behavior have you noticed that I haven't picked up on?
bigbill reply :
Guys, gals, kids, I been seeing bigger bass swimming by me than my PB of 10#. If I see and have bigger bass here than you have to have them where you are too. You need to fish for them different. These bigger gals don't do the 9 to 5pm shift. My PB was caught around 5am in the twilite two feet from shore. I was making parallel to the shoreline casts along side the drop off. After fishing from the springtime prespawn everyday for 3months till I get burned out. I was eating, sleeping and fishing. I'd be up at 3:00am fishing by 3:30/4:00am when it's still dark. In bed by 8pm then repeat it 24/7 for three months+ till I can't drag myself out of bed anymore. I feel sometimes I caught this bigger bass too soon. I never expected to catch this big gal nor lose two more in the process. Then I'm a water watcher too besides watching behind my lure all the time too. I notice these big bass appear like ghosts then there gone. Now why do we have bigger bass? There not being caught because I feel in the smaller bodies I fish at no me really targets bass correctly anyway. I see everyone throwing one spinner bait for hours for nothing. Or live night crawlers being used knotted up on a hook. Most bass fisherman don't know to hook the nightcrawler by the head and let the length dangle the way it would
if it was dropped in the water naturally not knotted up. These big bass didn't get big by being stupid. There very smart. To back up my we have bigger bass here story is we have a lake in Lakeville with an Indian name. They have a weed chopper there they use when the weeds get out of have. The chopper killed a 12# bass. No one person caught on
that we have big bass here too and there not being caught. I started fishing in the
early morning to get away from the crowds of fishermen at one of my spots at night. I
just couldn't catch anything bigger than 4# to 5# bass at night. I figured all the noise was driving and keeping the bigger fish away. Fishing in the early am I got rid of the drinks and started catching the larger bass. I was averaging more numbers of 2#, 3#, 4, 5#, 6# bass. With some smaller ones inbetween but not that many like at night. You need to look for the right combination of conditions to fish at. One spot that has open water or a channel, near weeds for cover or a rocky point, or the flats, etc. In one spot or area were you can cast to these spots from shore or a boat. But I prefer to fish from shore. Where I can be very stealthy. Plus there's nothing disturbing the water. I handle my rod setups and tackle box very quiet making no noise. I'm so quiet it's like I'm not there.
Once you find your place and spot to fish at fish it hard. Your fishing more often will pay off. Keep going, stay motivated, never day never just have fun fishing. Sooner or later you will get a surprise. I start with topwater lures in the dark. Then it's deeper cranks since my channel is 10' deep. Then I go to shallow cranks next. After that it's any different lure, size and color. Throw a variety of lures and practice your presentations too with each different lure. Keep on honing all the different presentations.
The bass will interrupt you more and more. Try all your lures that's why we have them.
Each one is unique to its own presentation too. Whether it's a slow reel, a twitch, a 1, 2, 3, pause etc. Try every presentation till you learn what's the best presentation for success with that lure. It's our skill level that matters. Never give up. Bigbill
I leave my ego at home. Remember your polarized glass and scan the water too. Don't beat yourself up inbetween, keep your eye on the prize.
From the bigger bass I'm seeing here you have to have bigger bass where you are too. All these many baby bass aren't coming from the smaller bass the bass population is kept up from the bigger bass.
aceman387 reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 6:01 AM, WRB said:All 5 giant bass listed are jig fish caught between Jan to Mar, pre spawner's, that is when the girls are catchable out west.
The mount is my 19.3, the live bass photo isn't very good quality, although it's somewhere on this site.
Butch gets his bass into the boat a lot faster then I can, much heavier tackle.
These giant bass are strong and will jump occasionally. I fish with light line 10# to 14# FC with a 5 power jig rod, Daiwa TD HTSA older reels that I plan to retire this year and my own hair jigs with custom pork trailers. The depth is usually about 12' to 20' range, casting around 90' to 120', due to clear water and wary big bass. I use my reel and sweep hook set, only way to get a hook set at long distances.
Lot of hours between big bass strikes, decades on the water.
Keep attention to details, knots, hook points, line, best rods you can afford and smooth casting retrieving reels, a high quality FC line.
Don't loose focus on each cast, it can be exhausting trying to keep your concentration.
Good luck.
Tom
Have you ever thought about writing a book Tom? It would be good reading.
Bluebasser86 reply :
This video makes me sick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwWblafrE_w
bigbill reply :
Moby Bass? You should reach down to pick up one in the twilite? I never seen a bass that big before till now. The only place I ever seen fish that big was in the saltwater.
My mentor, my older brother before he passed away always told me to stay going and sooner or later they would turn on. He never talked to me about whales.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 8:53 AM, Brian Needham said:I know Butch is a "legend" and all, I cant discount that or the fish he has caught ..... but from the videos I have seen I don't care for the attitude.
I had the same feeling initially too but trust me, it is/was off base. Very good dude.
He's humble, helpful and one hell of a stick. Not just with swimbaits either. 
Don't forget the age old saying, "It ain't bragging if you back it up."
Brian Needham reply :
Fair point Speed, and coming from I guy like you, I may very well be mistaken.
I wouldn't even be classified as a novice in the swimbait world, so I defer to you.
thanks for the info.
00 mod reply :
One of Tom's big bass, he will tell you which one and the story!
Jeff
Diggy reply :
I think he is lathering up his swimbaits in KC Masterpiece or Sweet Baby Rays.....has to be the difference!
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
^ Ah, the good ol' days.
I've seen a couple of Tom's pics. Legit, 100%.
5 Dollar Fishing Game reply :
Bluebasser86, that video is NUTS!!!
WRB reply :
That is my 18.6 lb FLMB from Casitas back in '81. Hair jig w/ pork trailer, 12 lb Trilene XT, 4500C, Lamiglas jig rod. This bass was a pre spawner in 17' of water off a major point. Made a long cast and she ate the jig on the fall. Although it's tail was so worn, it did jumped a body length out of water...spectacular! This bass also made a run under the boat and out the other side for nearly 20 yards. I thought this bass was a world record bases on the head and shoulders until it was in the boat. Very exciting bass, old girl that had lost some weight but still had a lot of grit.
A rent boat angler took the picture as I was getting ready to release this bass and didn't get a copy until several years later, otherwise no picture of this bass.
Tom
David P reply :
Check out Mike Long, he's another one of the big bass legends. He's got TWO over 20lbs! And hundreds over 10.
It takes a specific dedication, skill, knowledge, etc.
buzzed bait reply :
Videos of Butch are unreal
Tom those numbers of yours are unreal!! Awesome!
senile1 reply :
Anglers like Butch and Tom deserve their kudos for lots of hard work to catch bass that the vast majority of us only dream about. Most of us would be happy to catch a DD one day. Butch catches 5 in a day. Of course their area has more DD bass, but the majority of California fisherman aren't catching these behemoths. These guys are elite in that regard.
WRB reply :
There are a lot if dedicated trophy bass anglers around the country. California, Florida, Texas are 3 states that have or had giant bass populations, bass over 15 lbs. the bottom line is you must have giant bass populations is good numbers to be able to catch numbers of these very rare bass. You can spend a life time trying to catch a DD bass and not achieve that goal if the lakes you fish never produce bass over 10 lbs.
Fish Chris is another member of this site who consistantly caught giant bass, Big O is catching lots of DD's and just a matter of time until that elusive 15+ strikes. Big O is spending lots of time targeting big bass and that is the key; gotta fish for them where they live.
I started fishing for the world record bass back in the 50's when I read the story about George Perry's 22.25 world record from Montgomery lake, GA in 1932. The summer I graduated from high school, packed up my car and drove from California to Georgia's Montgomery lake to fish for WRB, the lake wasn't there anymore, dried up! So I fished Florida's lakes and rivers for a few weeks and learned something; summer wasn't a good time to fish for big bass and Florida had lots of bugs, snakes and alligators.
At the same time period Orville Ball was stocking Miramar and Upper Otay lakes in San Deigo with FLMB!
Returned home, went back to school and keep fishing for that world record bass, came close and believe I had potential fish hooked, just didn't put one in the boat....still trying for a 20+!
Tom
00 mod reply :
On 10/9/2013 at 10:53 PM, WRB said:Big O is catching lots of DD's and just a matter of time until that elusive 15+ strikes. Big O is spending lots of time targeting big bass and that is the key; gotta fish for them where they live.
I am not 100%, but I think Big-O has one over 15. Hopefully he will chime in here.....
Jeff
WRB reply :
Jeff, thank you for posting that ugly photo.On 10/9/2013 at 11:44 PM, 00 mod said:I am not 100%, but I think Big-O has one over 15. Hopefully he will chime in here.....
Jeff
I am going by the statement made in rigging RsgeTail Thumper worms; my Pb is 14+ lbs.
Like to read Big O's commits, he is a good big bass man and can give some good advice to those trying to catch these giant bass.
Tom
PS, that's a giant smallie in your a avatar, details?
Ryan Nichols reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 6:01 AM, WRB said:All 5 giant bass listed are jig fish caught between Jan to Mar, pre spawner's, that is when the girls are catchable out west.
The mount is my 19.3, the live bass photo isn't very good quality, although it's somewhere on this site.
Butch gets his bass into the boat a lot faster then I can, much heavier tackle.
These giant bass are strong and will jump occasionally. I fish with light line 10# to 14# FC with a 5 power jig rod, Daiwa TD HTSA older reels that I plan to retire this year and my own hair jigs with custom pork trailers. The depth is usually about 12' to 20' range, casting around 90' to 120', due to clear water and wary big bass. I use my reel and sweep hook set, only way to get a hook set at long distances.
Lot of hours between big bass strikes, decades on the water.
Keep attention to details, knots, hook points, line, best rods you can afford and smooth casting retrieving reels, a high quality FC line.
Don't loose focus on each cast, it can be exhausting trying to keep your concentration.
Good luck.
Tom
When you are catching these fish, do you KNOW they are down there when you're fishing for them? IE do you find 'em on the sonar? Or do you KNOW the spot has big fish, and you just happen to hit a DD on that particular day? Just wondering to what level of specific intention are you fishing for a DD and do you think it requires specifically fishing for them to get 'em.
bgraham91 reply :
On 10/8/2013 at 3:24 AM, WRB said:Butch Brown's PB is 19.3 lbs to the best of my knowledge.
My top 5 are;
17.4 Casitac
17.4 Castas
17.6 Castiac
18.6 Casitas
19.3 Castaic
Butch catches close to a100 DD's a year, since 2000 and I am lucky to 5 a year since 1995. Next time I talk to Butch will ask him how many 17+ he had caught, my guess a lot more than I have!
Tom
I'm coming next March for guide lol. Congrats on the nice fish.
J Francho reply :
On 10/10/2013 at 1:45 AM, Ryan Nichols said:When you are catching these fish, do you KNOW they are down there when you're fishing for them? IE do you find 'em on the sonar? Or do you KNOW the spot has big fish, and you just happen to hit a DD on that particular day? Just wondering to what level of specific intention are you fishing for a DD and do you think it requires specifically fishing for them to get 'em.
Bill Murphy's Pursuit of Giant Bass book would be an excellent primer in learning what is different about the very largest fish in a particular lake. I know one of the bigest things I key on on are structure that SHOULD hold fish, but I very infrequently catch on. Big bass are territorial, and feed rarely. So you are basically hauling wate while fishing them. I know Tom believes, as pointed out in his "Misconceptions" thread, that some fish can only be caught during the prespawn or spawn. I tend to agree, but this doesn't discourage me from continuing to work these spots. A few have succumbed to the lure of the jig and the swimbait.....
J Francho reply :
On 10/10/2013 at 12:20 AM, WRB said:PS, that's a giant smallie in your a avatar, details?
I think that's one of my fish.....Jeff just superimposed his ugly mutt face over mine, lol.
WRB reply :
Giant bass are top predators where they live and tend to repeat feeding habits and locations seasonally. Like must predators they are dominate where I fish, unless the lake is shared with striped bass. Casitas doesn't have stripers, Castaic now has stripers, but not when I was catching giants there. This is important because you need to know what fish is dominate, allowing the bass to go where ever it wants to go. With practice you can look at a good topo map and have a good idea where pre spawner's and spawner's will be located based on the type of lake and prey available.On 10/10/2013 at 1:45 AM, Ryan Nichols said:When you are catching these fish, do you KNOW they are down there when you're fishing for them? IE do you find 'em on the sonar? Or do you KNOW the spot has big fish, and you just happen to hit a DD on that particular day? Just wondering to what level of specific intention are you fishing for a DD and do you think it requires specifically fishing for them to get 'em.
To answer your question, I always approach a spot thinking there is big bass in the area. This means you do not want to alert the fish to your presence or spook them, they can be very wary, a learned response is they stop feeding and move into deeper water. Slow down a approach with stealth, like you are stocking a trophy animal, because you are!
I try to visualize the bass looking for prey, then present my lure to mimic that prey anticipating the strike. If anything feels odd, I crank the reel a few turns quickly and set the hook if there is any resistance. This is my normal approach to high % locations, I only meter the area with sonar after I have fished the spot to determine if any bass are there or suspended nearby. If I meter bass, then I return anywhere from a few minutes or hours depending on what I metered. I usually have a milk run of known spots and fish each one with the same approach, if knowone is fishing the spot.
Keep in mind these lakes are small and high pressured by knowledgable bass anglers, often a few pros. There are very few secrets today, so you just blank out the other boats and keep focused. Bad weather is your freind during pre spawn, it keeps a lot of anglers off the water and quites down the ecosystem. Fewer boats increases your odds and the bass tend to stay active for longer time periods.
Every giant bass that I have caught wasn't a loner, it was feeding with other big bass, unlike the popular thinking big bas are loners. If you catch a big bass, keep fishing!
Tom
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
<----Taking notes.
Thanks for taking the time to explain in such detail.
J Francho reply :
Tom....stupid question time....
What about lakes where bass are NOT the top predator? What happens when species that commonly intersect a bass's like musky and northerns?
WRB reply :
My first experience with lakes that had both pike and muskies was Lake of The Woods in Ontaario.. Being a bass angler I found the big muskies where big bass should be located, musky was the top dog there. The pike tend to be more od a school fish and roamed around more, however also used the prime outside weed edges, reefs, points and island ends where wind current or raising or flailing water levels tended to stack up the baitfish. The locals didn't think Lake of the Woods had any big LMB, only rarely caught any, mostly Smallmouths. I started to see some LMB along the inside weed breaks, open water between the weed beds and shoreline in shallow water. I caught several 4 to 6 lb LMB with soft plastic worms T-rigged along the inside weed breaks, knowone was fishing for them!On 10/10/2013 at 3:46 AM, J Francho said:Tom....stupid question time....
What about lakes where bass are NOT the top predator? What happens when species that commonly intersect a bass's like musky and northerns?
Striped bass are school feeders and faster than LMB and also tend to take over the best feeding zones. If lakes have stripers, the big bass tend to be tighter structure or cover. The bass will mix in with stripers feeding on big schools of baitfish, but they have a hard time competing with a school of big stripers.
Tom
bigbill reply :
I caught large chain pickerel like 29" to 32" where I have caught DD bass plus big salmon too. Like I said before these small places get the winter runoff from larger lakes. I'm not sure how big our bass can be up in the northeast but I'm convinced in what I have caught and what swims by me at the drop offs like they own the place. I didn't think
about catching nor targeting no bass till I pulled up my little 10lber. She had a mouth that made me happy I wasn't a small duck on the water. I just go to fish now in the same spots if a bigger one bites so be it. I still believe in what I'm seeing and caught in the bigger bass, that we have bigger bass across our country and there not being caught or targeted. It was on my fishing frenzy of fishing 24/7 non stop every early am.
You need to be motivated and decaded to bass fishing. I eat and sleep bass fishing when I'm in my frenzy, that means no TV and bed early. Just stay going and fish hard.
My hats off to the fisherman who catch the bigger ones too. I know the hard work it takes and the dedication you put in.
Like I said before the smaller bass aren't keeping the bass population up its these bigger gals who are making the millions of bass fry and I hope they grow up to be like mommy too only bigger.
Just stay fishing no matter where you live in any pond or lake just stay going as much as you can. Bigbill
00 mod reply :
On 10/10/2013 at 12:20 AM, WRB said:PS, that's a giant smallie in your a avatar, details?
Check out this thread.....
http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/124731-emergency-trip-to-erie/?hl=+emergency
On 10/10/2013 at 1:59 AM, J Francho said:I think that's one of my fish.....Jeff just superimposed his ugly mutt face over mine, lol.
You wish!
Jeff
J Francho reply :
Thanks for that, Tom.
J Francho reply :
On 10/10/2013 at 5:19 AM, 00 mod said:You wish!
Jeff
OK, you're not a mutt face. Sorry, Jeff. 
kickerfish1 reply :
WRB, Thanks for being kind of enough to share your thoughts on bigger bass. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Keep it up, and hopefully that 20+ will come your way. Good luck my friend!
1234567 reply :
^ +1
CroakHunter reply :
Yes I know, bringing a 4 year old thread back to life. But there is so much good information and so much entertaining knowledge that I couldn't help but comment.
Chowderhead reply :
On 8/12/2017 at 2:27 PM, CroakHunter said:Yes I know, bringing a 4 year old thread back to life. But there is so much good information and so much entertaining knowledge that I couldn't help but comment.
Agreed - great thread. Thank you for bringing it back.
Mosster47 reply :
With the water shortages in southern California and DFW all but stopping the trout planting mixed with an old gene pool the magic is just about over out there. DD fish will still be caught, but the true giants will be very few and far between.
We seem to be in the era of giant smallmouth and spotted bass though.
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