What is a "big bass" in your neck of the woods. 2024

ww2farmer reply :

Lets face it a 10lb bass is a big bass any where, but some places, while still beeing excellant for bass fishing, just don't produce double digit bass on a regular basis. I am from western NY state, here is what I and many others consider to be the bench marks for Largemouth bass size in our region.

less than 1lb = dink

1 to 1.5 lb average size keeper

1.5 to 3lbs above average respectable size bass

3+ to 5lbs these are pretty big bass for around here, not uncommen, but you don't catch them left and right either.

5+ to 7lbs, real big bass around here, bragging size.

7+ to 9lbs, true hogs, for some the fish of a lifetime

9+ to 11lbs, monsters, not many around here, any one who fishes in NY will agree.

11+ and we are talking possable state record (our record is 11-14 I think).

What are the standards in your region? Smallmouth guys post your thoughts too.

alhuff reply :

8-10lbs i would say is a big bass.....

Alfred

Ridgerunner7 reply :

Here in Michigan 5lb is big, 6lb is real big, anything bigger is huge. Very few 7lbers caught, but once in a great while you'll hear of an 8,9, or 10. State record 11-15 caught through the ice.

BassMaster_1 reply :

Western NY huh? Im from Rochester so, you know the deal. Biggest bass I have caught was 24inchs 5#12oz, according to the digital scale I have. But I think its off anywhere from a half a lb to 1lb. I weighed my buddies 10# downrigger ball and it was 9#. Anyways it was big! I got it in late August, wish it was early April, full ov eggs. My dad dropped one at the boat that I guess was one of those once and a life time fish, upper 8's or 9's. Heartbreaker!!

bassmasta7 reply :

5lbs and up is worth telling about.

senile1 reply :

I'm from Northwestern Missouri where the record largemouth is 13 lbs 14 oz. The record smallmouth is 7 lbs 2 oz. I normally fish for largemouth. There are occasions where bass over 10 lbs have been caught in Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Lake. Generally, a bass of this size is mammoth in Missouri. Reports of 6 - 8 lb'ers are common every year in all of the bigger lakes and in farm ponds, but I myself have never broken the 7 lb barrier. This is frustrating, but I have every intention of changing this in the near future. 8-)

knkfiend reply :

while ive heard of big ones here in PA, ive yet to see them. i consider a big fish anything over 3 lbs. then again , ive only been fishing for about 4 months. my PB is probably in the 4-5 lb region, and ive only caught 2 over 2 pounds.

anyone wanna take me where bigger fish are?? :-/

Matt Fly reply :

The first one of the day, it gets the goose egg of the board, after that, 12 lbs is a good one in Tx.

Hookem

Matt

Raul reply :

8-12 pounds is a big fish

13+ now that 's what we 're talking about.

KillerTomato reply :

6 lbs and up is pretty big on my lake

Brian_Reeves reply :

Central TX (Stillhouse lake)

1lb-Dink

1.5-3lb-Decent fish

3-5lb- Average Good fish

5-7lb- Better than average good fish

8lb-9lb-Lunker

10lb+ You know the deal

Darold_31 reply :

I mostly fish Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. 2-3#'s is a good chunk. 3-6#'s is a good one. 6-10#'s gets a picture and anything over 10#'s gets a replica. My PB is 9.13lbs. and there are way bigger ones than that out there. Toledo and Sam rayburn are full of 1.5-3# fish.

KU_Bassmaster. reply :

3 lbs - Fun

4 lbs - Getting There

5 lbs + - Big

Valascus reply :

I am in the Saint Louis, MO area. I would say 3 lbs is decent in my book. Anything 5 and over is big for this area.

bamabassin reply :

Mobile Tensaw delta,Ala. South deltarackish water,no bigger than 5 lbs.AlabamaTombigbee rivers further north 7.5 lbs.Although a 9 lbs bass holds the tournament record here.

guest reply :

where I live, 8 lbs. is considered a quality fish, and 10 or more a biggun.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

4-5 is a lunker here.

bassclown reply :

Md. state record is only in the 11 lb. range. anytime i hook something 3lbs. or bigger i'm happy. my largest catch is a touch over 7 lbs. i caught it at a small local state park pond.

cajun1977. reply :

greenfish 5pounds plus

brown fish 6 pounds plus

Captain Cali reply :

10+

senko_77 reply :

i would say 7-8 is a big bass in Ga

Daniel My Brother reply :

I fished with a guide on Table Rock lake last year (Branson, MO). This guy fishes 4 to 12 hours a day, every day. Still, his biggest bass ever was just 8lbs 12 oz.

I fish Southern Illinois.

I'll catch a few 5+ pounders every year.

I've caught a few over 6 lifetime.

I've got friends who've caught 7s.

I've heard stories of 8s.

I've seen pictures of 10s, from the power plant lakes (coffeen and Egypt).

If I caught an 8 pounder, I'd think I'd faint.

KYbass1276 reply :

Quote
10+

Shouldn't that zero been a five there capt.

abelfisher reply :

Anything I catch over 3# is a big bass! ;D

Captain Cali reply :

Quote

Quote
10+

Shouldn't that zero been a five there capt.

Nope. 8-14 is "big". 15+ is huge. 20+ is a monster and not the norm for most of the year. Yes...I know I'm getting technical.

I might change my view after a few more years of fishing.

Mattlures reply :

I think CC nailed it. Even though we have giant bass an 8lber is still a big fish. You should see the trout guys look at me when I pull in an 8 in front of them they all think I just caught a 15lber. The bench mark is still 10. Thats where the counting starts. When your at the highest level 15lbs is where the counting starts. I am not at that level.

Fish Chris reply :

Now this is an interesting question, because if you ask a whole lot of Nor Cal guys who fish tournies, or who fish with normal "numbers" techniques, they would probably tell you that an 8 lb'er is pretty darn big, and that a 10 lb'er was a hawg !

But you asked, "what was a big fish for the area"...... Well, hardly a trip goes by that I don't 'see' a 10 to 12 lb'er... or 2, or 3 of them (I tend to sight more big ones than most guys, because of my oddball positioning up in the shallows). Of course catching them can be quite a different story :-)

So I guess what I'm saying is, a 10 lb'er, or even a 12 is not really that big for this area, but it is "very big" for most of the guys that fish in this area.

The top end size in many / most of our best trophy bass lakes seems to be somewhere around 18 lbs.

Personaly speaking, I have caught several fish in the 8 to 9 1/2 lb range, that I did not even bother to photograph, in the last couple years..... then when I get a low 10, I might feel like, "Okay..... I guess I have to get a few shots, as I have a photo of every other 10 plus I have ever caught, so I can't ruin that record now"...... But for me to get all whacky, jittery, dry mouthed, and just generally freaked out, it needs to be a 15 plus.

As always, I have to reiterate, "anybody" who lives here, who fishes as much as I do, and who fishes specifically for big fish, would catch at least as many, and probably more double digit bass than I have. I have just been really fortunate / blessed... or whatever you want to call it.

Great fishing to you guys,

Peace,

Fish

mudcatwilly reply :

Out here in California, I think something like 23 of the 25 largest bass on record have been caught here. 6 pounds and up is a big fish anywhere, but usually only fish greater than 12 pounds or so get mentioned in the California Bass magazines.

Rattlinrogue reply :

A lot of 7,8,and 9 pouders are caught down here,but the magic number is 10!

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

You California guys need to come spend a summer with me. Reality check is free, I won't even charge you to see how we struggle in the cold! We got 5 lbrs that are probably 12 yrs old!

But on the other side of it, you won't catch a 1000+ Bluefin off Malibu so I guess we're even

But then again,...you do have those roosterfish which are a blast in the surf,....oh,...I don't know,...

It's all relative and it's all fishing so,...it's all good!

telecaster reply :

3+4 pound fish would be considered pretty big in Nh.5pounds real big.anything over that HOG. Biggest fish I ever caught was just over 5pounds according to one of those old Zebco springy scales ;D Ya know whats strange I've caught more fish this year in the 3to4 pound range than I can remember,even with this wacked-out weather we've been havin up here.Could be cuz I'm trying some differant things that I've learned,reading this forum 8-) catch a fish for pete's sake...

Bankbeater reply :

Below 1 pound is a dink.

1 to 3 pounds is about average.

3 to 5 pounds is above average.

5 pounds and up is a hawg.

deadeye32. reply :

id say here in indiana 6 pounds is braggin rights, but 7 and up is huge

Jerkbate reply :

RR lives in south MS & I live in north MS. We also have a lot of 7-9 pounders caught with 10+ being the magic number.

cart7t reply :

In Missouri? 5 - 6 1/2lbs is a nice run of the mill big bass. A fish from 6 1/2 to 8 is a braggin size bass and anything over 8 is mountable.

splat_baseball51 reply :

bass standards for wnc, what bass?

BassMaster_1 reply :

Seems that no matter where you are everyone is about the same. Except your chances are much better down south to get a monster.

directlink reply :

11-15lbs is a big bass here in AZ. State record is 17lbs.

guest reply :

The Arkansas record is 16-4, from Mallard lake, and the largest largemouth caught on Lake Ouachita in recent years is a little over 11 pounds. My personal best here is still 8-3, considered a big bass for some time after the LMBV struck, though now a 9#er is big. When growing up on this lake and fishing hard in the 60s nobody bragged over an 8 pound bass, a ten pounder something to tell about. We ate no telling how many bass 7-8 pounds in size back then, so catching one like that isn't really a big deal fo those of us who remember the good old days. Just as the largemouths were rebounding after the virus in the 90s a decision to stock stripers stopped trophy potential here for largemouths, the emphasis on catching a state & world record 15 striper. Many in the 40-50 pound range are hauled out frequently. They eat up a lot of forage needed by the black bass.

Jim

.ghoti. reply :

Here, in the middle of Illinois, anything over 5 is worth talking about. An 8 is a giant.

Other. reply :

You have a better chance of winning the lottery then catching a 5lb bass in the local lakes i fish in.

roadwarrior reply :

To answer the specific question, "What is a big bass?", I think 5lbs is the answer here in the Mid South. As others have said, 10 lbs is the magic number, but a big bass is still anything over 5 lbs.

what reply :

Quote
where I live, 8 lbs. is considered a quality fish, and 10 or more a biggun.

lemme guess SE florida

me too same standards.

slappy reply :

man ....... i need to move ::)here in pa. i would say anything 2.5 and up you tell your buddies about but, of course if you don't have a picture they think it was only 1.5 i really need to move

langs15 reply :

here in North NJ for my lake(s) that I fish in, 6 lbs. in a monster! Our average is 2-3 which you almost always catch. I have seen a 8+ punder though, but I think I am the only one..

jbass reply :

Living in California, near Clear Lake, I'd have to say 11 to 14 lbs. is really big.

RoLo reply :

I feel that any bass over 6 lbs is Big.

You feel that any bass over 12 lbs is Big.

I'll bet I'm catching more Big Bass than you

Roger

Troutfisher reply :

Here, a biggie is 5lbs or more. The state record is 12 lbs and something, so you can see how a 5lber would be big.

Usually, a bass 10lbs or more makes the local papers.

langs15 reply :

rolo, that image is just wrong!

Troutfisher reply :

I agree; weird. ;D

RoLo reply :

Since no one likes my Jive Hippo, he'll be put to pasture

But you've got to admit it, he's got a great sense of timing.

Troutfisher reply :

Awww, it's ok, you can put it back.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

J-Salvati reply :

I agree with what and Avid

iceintheveins reply :

In Colorado bass 10 pounds or over are uncommon. They would be more common if the Colorado Division Of Wildlife didn't let people keep every mature bass over 15" though. It takes about 5 years in Colorado for a bass to reach maturity, and then once it reaches maturity, the DOW allows harvest. All this does is selectively breed smaller bass by removing the bigger ones. Minimum length limits are biologically meant to be used for fast growing fish, not slow growing ones.

Under a pound - runt

1 - 2 pounds - average

3 - 5 pounds - Nice Bass. Not rare though, just takes more work to get them that size. In good lakes you will catch several per trip usually in that range

6 - 10 pounds - uncommon, takes a lot of work

Over 10 pounds - rare

mcbass reply :

In Maine, 5lbs isn't THAT rare since most of the lakes aren't pressured too much. I'd say 6 lbs is notable. 7 and 8 pounders are the real noteworthy fish. Anything 5+ gets put on the website..if I remembered my camera that day! That's Largemouth.

For Smallies, 5 lbs is very nice, but again, not as rare as you'd think...depends on the lake I guess. The lake I live on has WAY more 5# smallies than 5# largemouth...but there are many lakes where this is the other way around.

ben23 reply :

GEEZ

I NEED TO MOVE!

here in MD i consider anything 4+ is a big fish, and i still get excited every 3 pounder that i catch

but 7 pounders- i have caught a few (check avatar)

and i have seen a couple 10+, and one definate state record, but didnt even get a chance to throw at her before she swam away

i want to move to florida, thats why I'm trying to go to some college down there!!!!

BEN

GODBLESS

Troutfisher reply :

Quote
In Colorado bass 10 pounds or over are uncommon. They would be more common if the Colorado Division Of Wildlife didn't let people keep every mature bass over 15" though. It takes about 5 years in Colorado for a bass to reach maturity, and then once it reaches maturity, the DOW allows harvest. All this does is selectively breed smaller bass by removing the bigger ones. Minimum length limits are biologically meant to be used for fast growing fish, not slow growing ones.
Under a pound - runt

1 - 2 pounds - average

3 - 5 pounds - Nice Bass. Not rare though, just takes more work to get them that size. In good lakes you will catch several per trip usually in that range

6 - 10 pounds - uncommon, takes a lot of work

Over 10 pounds - rare

Almost identical to here in WV.

vtbassin reply :

Over 3 pounds is a good fish over 5 is a big fish ;D

I kind of like RoLo's idea of catching more big fish due to what you think is a big fish : Sooo from now on I think over 2.5 is big and I think my big fish catch rate is going up 8-)

10467

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