A couple of calls to the Fish Lab:

[Mark B.]

1. Angler from Andover says that he may have caught the new NJ State Record Largemouth Bass. It is in his fridge, and he believes, over 10 lbs. I tell him that it has to be over 10 lbs. 14oz. & I forward him the State Record Fish Application. Haven’t heard back from him.

2. Angler says he caught (on a fly) & released a 50” muskie @ Mountain Lake. Might have been a new NJ State Record, but he didn’t want to kill it. I am awaiting photos to submit for a Skillful Angler Award.

[The Birdman]

I just submitted to skillfull angler award my 52.75 inch musky i caught last month (john).
Ive fished mountain many times, i would be surprised to see that heavy of a fish get caught there especially this time of year. Looking at the coldwater report Scott C prepared mountain would be one of my last choices to target a state rec musky.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Wow!!!!!!! Let's see the pics! Congrats to the angler on a big fish! State record, doubtful!!!:cool:

[Jigman13]

Holy crap John! That's a monster fish. Let's see the pics!!!

[thmyorke1]

Congrats on that musky man, and A+ for releasing it :)

[Eskimo]

.

I guess a ten pound bass is plausible on certain private waters. I'm curious as to how this pans out.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/36/c6/7c/36c67cf603670d027a5a2ed3b04f81a6.png

.

[dboyd101]

.

I guess a ten pound bass is plausible on certain private waters. I'm curious as to how this pans out.

What is the rule on stocked fish?

[skippy]

Any updates on these fish?

[Skunk City]

What is the rule on stocked fish?

State record Hybrid came out of Culver's Lake, which is private...

[Mark B.]

Any updates on these fish?

No.

Perhaps, just fish stories. We get a lot of those.

[njmultispecies]

Did he really have to kill a 10lb largie? I mean, think of all the eggs she will produce every year.

[Eskimo]

.

Did he really have to kill a 10lb largie? I mean, think of all the eggs she will produce every year.

Clint Eastwood said in Unforgiven, "It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."

That's how I feel about killing a bass. When you kill a big cow bass like that - you take away everything she was ever going be and all that she was going to create. She would have grown into an even bigger bass, laid thousand of eggs that contained her superior genetics, and would be the catch-of-a-lifetime for every lucky angler that caught her and placed her back in the water.

But alas, she is dead. Now she is just a pile of rotting fishy flesh sitting in some dope's refrigerator while he learns it's not a record and he can't afford to get it mounted. It'll probably be out in the trash by next week. :(

There is a guy in Trenton who claims he grew out a bass to nine pounds in a 500 gallon aquarium, then released it. I can't vouch for the veracity of that story, but that is what he said.


.

[Lard Almighty]

.



Clint Eastwood said in Unforgiven, "It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."

That's how I feel about killing a bass. When you kill a big cow bass like that - you take away everything she was ever going be and all that she was going to create. She would have grown into an even bigger bass, laid thousand of eggs that contained her superior genetics, and would be the catch-of-a-lifetime for every lucky angler that caught her and placed her back in the water.

But alas, she is dead. Now she is just a pile of rotting fishy flesh sitting in some dope's refrigerator while he learns it's not a record and he can't afford to get it mounted. It'll probably be out in the trash by next week. :(

There is a guy in Trenton who claims he grew out a bass to nine pounds in a 500 gallon aquarium, then released it. I can't vouch for the veracity of that story, but that is what he said.


.If it's any consolation, that bass spawned several times before it was killed, so its genetics (and its 10-pounder potential) are well established in the fishery from which it was taken. Also, a 10-lb northern strain largemouth is already nearing the end of its life. Not saying killing it is the best thing to do, but it's not a disaster, either.

[Rich196]

I dont care what anyone says.... DONT KILL A 10LB LARGEMOUTH!!!

[Mark B.]

A number of years ago, the NJ State Record Black Crappie was caught in private farm pond by an angler who was missing one of his ring fingers.

So we used to say, “That fish was hand fed: 1/8 oz. jig sweetened with a ring finger.”

[Dave B.]

I recall Bob S. telling me of an angler who tried to pass off a Lake Ontario Chinook salmon as a brown trout, claiming to have caught it in NJ. Just one of MANY stories he had of 'anglers' trying to claim some record or another. Sure do miss that man!