Story by Todd Goade | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Everyone who loves to fish has some sort of story of 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 follow. It’s an amazing feeling to catch a bass but its 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 personal best bass twice—two largemouths that weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces. One came from Lake Lanier in Georgia, and one from Lake Fork in Texas. I came close recently at Santee Cooper, catching a 9-12 on the first day of competition at this year’s NPFL’s event—the fourth largest bass in NPFL history so far. But for this column I’ll talk about the Lanier fish.
I graduated from college in 1991, went to Louisiana for four months of management training in the restaurant business, then relocating to the Atlanta area to work at one of the restaurants there. I lived in an apartment off Jimmy Carter Boulevard, and my Stratos bass 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 blade spinnerbait that was chartreuse and white because the water was a little stained in this pocket. I hadn’t gone 150 yards when I threw up in a patch of shoreline grass. As I was reeling it back, the line jumped about a foot. I set the hook, and the fish immediately came out of the water, so I saw just how big it was. I managed to wrestle it to the boat, lip it and bring it in.
I was shaking like a leaf. 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 and pointed me to a hanging scale covered in rust. I quickly put the fish on it, and the scale read 12 pounds. I didn’t think that was correct, but I was also busy thinking “You just caught a 12-pound bass!”
As luck would have it, a DNR agent that was on the lake pulled in as I was putting the fish back in my livewell to get a picture later. I asked him if he had scales, and he said yes. 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. I released the fish at the dock, and I’ll never forget her swimming off out of sight.
Thank you, big bass! Those types of memories will never fade, and I remember it like it was yesterday. If you see me out and about stop me and tell me about your biggest bass. Those are the kinds of memories that keep us coming back for more.
Tight Lines!
Todd Goade – Angler Profile
