Man I get skunked every time I go there...whereabouts were you on the lake? I am going there tomorrow after Hawg Quest!

Did you leave the small ones to grow to record size and keep this beast?

small one takes forever for it to grow to become record size, mybe the one in the pic had a chance to grow to record size. guess we will never know would we. catch and release please!

Does bass even taste good?

A picture in your living room and you claim to be a catch and release fisherman? I hope your next pic shows 20 gallon cooler and an aerator or I don't believe it. Good goin, now you'll never catch a state record IF IT WAS INDEED KEPT !!

Nice fish,Here we go again. if he did keep it, it is legal . if he cpr'd it so much the better. Don't come down on him just because he doesn't meet your standards. It's not the end of the world. I have been listening to the same argument since 1975 some C&R and some don't, end of story. It's almost as if you guys want to drive away anybody who doesn't fish by your rules. Is that so You can have this forum all to yourselves, that's what's going to happen . Think about it

One more thing as long as I'm putting my 2 cents in. In the past it was customary to keep the lunker bass and release the dinks. It has only been in the past few years that thinking has been reversed. I don't know how old this gentleman is or where he learned his fishing ethics but just maybe its the way he was taught

????????????nicefsh????????did it get put back???????????

yup. I knew when this got posted it would get the usual responses. sgpwayne put it as good as I could. Stop nagging anglers about catch and releasing fish. If it's legal to do so then an angler can keep it. period. If you want to express your support for catch and release, then do it on your own fishing reports, or in the appropriate forum discussions. Derogatory comments will be deleted in the future. Thank you. Nice fish JustBassin00.

Oh what controversy!! Another fine moment lost in the clouds. This will always happen when people are not measuring up to others standards. It is what it is and it's fruitless to have such waste of energy on these matters. Congrats on your catch, I am just a little jealous. Life will go on, and so will the fish.

Too bad it didnt get released, but its his choice as long as he follow the regs. More importantly is the fact that he reports that as a 9.5 No way thats 9.5 so thats what you aoll should be discussing. If your gonna keep the fish is one thing, but coming on here braggin bout a fish thats clearly 6#'s-61/2#'s max is the disturbing part...

what difference does it make???? If he believes it weighs 9.5 lbs so what . Do you use certified scales to weigh every fish or just maybe there's a time or two when you have guessed the weight. I am pretty sure that a 6.5# would look like 9.5# to a guy that doesnt catch bass very often. Cmon let's cut our members a little slack. If you don't believe him thats your choice but why do you have to put him down in a public forum. When all of you chase the ostracized members away I guess you will turn on each other like in a feeding frenzy to see which one gets to be the winner.

I'm not disturbed, it's a great fish. 9.5? works for me. I didn't weight it...

WOW,..Whata LUNKER,..good catch JustBAsssin!

BB

Awesome bass!! Especially for that lake!

It's funny, last time I fished there I didn't see 30 boats on the water trying to get their turn catching THAT exact fish?? Also, I can remember some time back reading in the Everett Herald about a kid that caught an 8.5lber out of Serene, don't remember him being hanged?! Lighten up, perhaps if you all had applied yourselves a bit more it could have been YOU in the pick and YOUR decision to keep or release it?? Who cares about the exact weight....it's a HOG, and as far as I can tell, bigger than anyone else has posted on here in quite some time!!

I suggest reeling in your jealousy and getting out there and catching your own!

For the record....my personal best out of Serene 4.5lbs, (I can admit it) and congratulations JustBassin00 on one heck of a quality bass!! Great job!! Alive or dead, thanks for sharing your report, and I hope you enjoy telling the story for years to come!! If I get a 9.5lber on the West Side in WA State, it is wall bound too!!

Oh, and JustBassin00.....do not expect to be alone the next time you go fish Lake Serene now that you've let the cat out of the bag....trust me, I know all too well!!

Tight lines to you, and dry eyes to the rest :p

fishtimidator,

Just FYI...When you do catch your trophy Westside bass, there are several companies that make beautiful fiberglass replicas that don't require harvesting the fish. Take length and girth measurements, a few good photos and they can match the exact size and coloration of your catch. Fiberglass replicas are more affordable and last indefinitely, where a skin mount will have a tendency to deteriorate over time.

Thats a good idea Tag. I'm gonna keep that in mind. JustBassin, I'm jealous of that thing, mainly because I have never done well on that lake. I have hit it 3 or 4 times this year too.

Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how desperate bass fishermen can get! PLEEEASE don't harvest one, cause I may never catch it!! :(.... Boo hooo!!

Try consulting a biologist who would be more than happy to tell you that a Western Washington Largemouth Bass is reaching the end of it's lifespan anywhere between 9-12lbs!! Oh, but I suppose they shouldn't just die on their own, cause that's bad for fishing?? Or God forbid somebody actually enjoys the way they taste?!

Deal with it, fishing mortality is a fact of life!! How many bass do you think died last year by ski boats, eagles, cormorants, or otters?? I know tiger muskie eat them, and trout and perch gorge themselves on bass fry EVERY YEAR!! How about the "bassmaster wannabee's" that have to tote bass around in their livewell all day until they catch another one, just so they can hold one in each hand and look oh so cool in the photo they post?? Don't deny it, I have witnessed that firsthand on several occasions!!! Are they all treating the fish right in their livewells?? Keeping the water cool, and adding anti-stress agents?? I HIGHLY doubt it!!!!! They are the first ones I think of whenever I see a dead 3 pounder without a mark on it in any given lake!! Catch photo and release if your gonna do it, do it right!!

Now don't get me wrong, I have played the 100% catch and release game for 35 years including numerous 6-7 and 8+lb bass on many west side lakes, (except for the one Panther Lake 3.5lber that I had to eat cause it was mortally hooked 15 years ago). Oh well, my apologies for "ruining" Panther Lake!!

You can keep your plastic re-created bath toys thanks! I will have a professional live mount of my first....and only my first....west side bass that goes 9.5 or better!! And good, let it age, weather and deteriorate....cause I'm gonna too!! As a matter of fact, I would probably want to be buried with it!!

Take Midol for any cramps that idea may cause, and try reading Bassmaster Magazine and drinking warm milk before bed to help with any sleeplessness, I am sure, that in time you will come to grips with the fact that in your lifetime a man that caught and released thousands of bass over his own lifetime actually kept one as a trophy.....trust me, it will all be o.k..

Wow. I think about zero bass die from ski boats. I think you might be the one needing a mydol with that rant.

Mr. Tagwatson360 is a true angling gentleman that deserves my apology for the "rant" I last posted! This sport needs more anglers with his insight and temperment.

Now if you'll kindly excuse me, I am off to take that Midol.....

I am in the market for a house on lake Serene.....that picture might have just sealed the deal!

21 comments because 1 guy kept a bass?you guys need to grow up!nobody says anything about keeping a big steelhead or a giant triploid or maybe a big catfish,so what!most of you guys are defently wannabees and never seen real bassin.i grew up in calif where the the big boys hang!maybe its his first bass and thinks they are good eatin