Kentucky's new largemouth bass record is a beast!
This spring has been rather quiet for big fish catches. We feel like the coronavirus pandemic might be playing a small role in that. However, we are happy to report that Kentucky has a brand-new largemouth bass record.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife made the announcement in a press release on their website that the giant bass hauled in by Mark Ward on April 19 officially weighs in at 14 pounds, 9.5 ounces. It was 26.8 inches long and had a huge 22.5-inch girth.
Ward decided to head out fishing after work with his wife and daughter on Harlan County's Highsplint Lake. Conditions had been rainy all day, but things finally cleared up just in time for an afternoon of fishing. He was dealing with murky water conditions when he sighted a 4-pounder in the shallows of the tiny six-acre lake.
"I pitched a lizard in there and the 4-pounder showed interest," Ward said in the press release. "Then, another came in and looked like a big log. The 4-pound fish triggered her to pick it up. I set the hook and it was on. Good Friday turned into a great Friday for me."
Catching a fish like this would be a great Friday for anyone. Amazingly, the big fish came on Ward's first cast of the day! The lizard he was using was "junebug-colored" and was six inches long. This new fish breaks the old record by nearly a pound. The old record weighed 13 pounds, 10 ounces and was caught from Wood Creek Lake back in 1984.
The big fish was impressive even to state officials who have seen their share of lunkers.
"When I saw it in person, what first caught my eye were the eyes on that fish were huge," Eastern Fisheries District coordinator Kevin Frey said in the release. "It would look like a shark if you saw it swimming in the water. The thickness of the fish was really impressive."
No arguments here Frey. Congratulations to Ward on his incredible catch from the staff here at Wide Open Spaces!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: ALL 50 LARGEMOUTH BASS STATE RECORDS
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