Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Everyone who loves to fish has some sort of story about their biggest fish. They remember exactly where they were at, the exact time, the cast they made, the lure they used, the fight, the landing, and then the wow moments that followed. It’s an amazing feeling to catch a bass, but it’s even more amazing to catch a big one, a personal best, and possibly the fish of a lifetime.
That is no different for me. I’ve caught my biggest bass twice, both largemouth at 10 pounds 2 ounces. One was at Lake Lanier in Georgia, and one was at Lake Fork in Texas. For this column, I’ll talk about the Lanier fish.
I graduated from college in 1991 and went to Louisiana for four months of management training in the restaurant business, then relocated to the Atlanta area to work at one of the restaurants there. I lived in an apartment off Jimmy Carter Boulevard, and my Stratos boat was sitting in the parking space right next to my truck. When I wasn’t at work or fishing, I was sitting in that boat piddling on something.
This March day I drove to Gainesville and put in at Gainesville Marina. It was overcast and kind of windy (as March on Lanier usually is), so I stayed in the pocket that the marina was in. I was throwing a double Colorado bladed spinnerbait that was chartreuse and white because the water was a little stained. I hadn’t gone 150 yards when I threw up in a patch of shoreline grass and was reeling it back in when the line jumped about a foot. I set the hook, and the fish immediately came out of the water. I thought “Holy s*%t, that’s a biggun!” I managed to wrestle it to the boat and the 15-pound test Trilene Big Game held up. I lipped the fish and put it in the boat.
I was shaking.
Being a 23-year-old kid catching this bass was an unreal feeling for me. I put the fish in the livewell and idled up to the marina store and asked if they had any scales. They said yes. It was a hanging scale that was simply covered in rust. I quickly put the fish in it and the scale read 12 pounds.
Honestly, I didn’t think that was an accurate weight, but my 23-year-old brain kept telling me, “You just caught a 12-pound bass!”
As luck would have it, a DNR agent that was on the lake pulled in just as I was putting the fish back in my livewell to get a picture later. I asked him if he had scales, and he did. On his scales the fish weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces. He said it was one of the biggest largemouth he had seen in a long time from Lanier, which made me even prouder. I was able to get a picture, and I released the fish at the dock.
I’ll never forget watching her swim out of sight.
And if you’re reading this and see me out and about, I hope you’ll stop me and tell me about your biggest bass. As long as we keep reliving those moments, the memories will never fade.
Todd Goade – Angler Profile
