Trophy Largemouth?

[DJD]

When you consider the thousands and thousands of casts me and my fishing friends have made I would say anything over 6lbs in the Central KY area because they are not that common.

[Bobby Headrick]

I agree with catch em all, what ever is your idea of a trophy is it what it is. I caught one that weighed 11.03 lbs from a small watershep lake in Ky, several years ago, when I called about a reproduction mount I told him her measurements she was 29 in long but only 17 girth as she had just spawned out, if caught before she spawned she would have pushed 15 or better, I let her go but the pics did not come out as it is hard to hold a fish and take a pic and I did not want to keep her out of the water long, she was a beaut and deserved to be released unharmed. I also got a 7+ smallie out of this same lake another trophy, also released unharmed and I got a pic of her. But my best trophy was my first bass a little over 4 lbs, it will always be my trophy, actully the memory makes the best trophy not the size.

[RICHYD4U]

I Would Have To Agree With My Esteemed Colleges....over 6 Lbs In Ky Is "trophy" Size. My Biggest In Ky To Date Is 10.6, Caught At A Ky Fish And Wildlife Preserve Called "peabody"....place Is Full Of Strip Mine Lakes.

Now, When You Go Down South To Florida, That All Changes. When We Fish Lake Okechobee, 6 Lbs Is Average. Trophy Size Down There Starts Around 10+. To Take It Even Further South, To Mazatlan Mexico, The Average Fish Is Around 8 Lbs With A Trophy Being Around 12+. Last Time We Went To El Salto, I Maxed Out On A 13.2 Bucketmouth! I ******* Love That Place! I Can't Wait To Get Back Down There!

As For Ky, 6+ Lbs Is Going To Be A Trophy....so If You Catch One, Enjoy It, Cause It's One Old Fish!

[bevo]

has to be over 12 lbs. Caught plenty of 7 - 10, but only 2 at 11 lbs. My best being 11.3 on KY Lake.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

has to be over 12 lbs. Caught plenty of 7 - 10, but only 2 at 11 lbs. My best being 11.3 on KY Lake.

jeatum?

[SmallmouthChaserGLX]

I think it depends on which state the fish is caught in. For Ky i think a 8lb LM would be a trophy.

I agree with davestewart. It's not only that you live in Kentucky to determine the size of a trophy but where the fish was caught. An 8 in Kentucky lake is definitely a good fish and I would also consider it a trophy.

In-Fisherman has a table by region that denotes trophy fish for their master angler program. I don't remember exactly but I believe that we fall in the southern region where 25 inches or 10 pounds or something denotes a trophy (not certain on numbers). However with the state record being something like 13 pounds that seems a little unreasonable.

Fish grow according to how much food they have, the climate they live in, and the stresses that they are presented with. So, in a lake all these factors would come into play. The climate limits growth to probably (optimistic) around 15 pounds due to growth season. The amount of food and competition for that food would vary from location to location. Ex: Cumberland: large, lots of bait, lots of competition (stipers); Cedar Creek: small, lots of bait, low competition (top preditor). Stresses would also vary greatly. Ex: Laurel: fished everyday by everyone and their brother, his family, and all his acquaintances; small private farm pond: no one but the owner and a few choice guests. The larger lake has the potential to have larger fish and more of them given the chance if the food is there and the pressure isn't.

That being said a trophy from a pond could vary from 5 pounds to 10 pounds depending on the same factors. If its the largest fish in the pond, its a trophy. From a lake the fish could be 5 pounds to 15 pounds for the same reasons.

In the end, a trophy isn't denoted by a length or a weight. It rests squarely in the anglers mind. When I was 4 I caught a 15 inch smallmouth from Lake Cumberland and that was a trophy to me. I have that fish on my wall as it was my first smallmouth bass and to this day that fish is a trophy to me.

[Sore Thumb II]

9lbs or bigger i think is a trophey seen several 7-8s caught

[Col Forbin]

has to be over 12 lbs. Caught plenty of 7 - 10, but only 2 at 11 lbs. My best being 11.3 on KY Lake.

Wow that is not far off the state record!! I wonder what the record is on Ky lake??? That is the biggest I have head of on this lake - would have liked to have seen that one - do you have any pics you could post?

[UYKY]

>8# largemouth

[greenriverman1]

has to be over 12 lbs. Caught plenty of 7 - 10, but only 2 at 11 lbs. My best being 11.3 on KY Lake.

You are one lucky person. I am 52 years old and have fished all of my life and never caught over one 7+lb. Bass. Please post the pics. I am happy that some one here in Kentucky has better luck than I.

DA

[mhall]

7 to 8lb for a green one. Over 5lb for a brown one. My personal goal in fishing is to get a brown one in the boat at 8lb. You wiil hear me screaming from your house when this happens.

[CMIDD]

Man I think we all would go nuts boating an 8lb smallie!