I caught my Personal Best Rock Bass today!

I didn't measure the length but it had a huge gut. I'm pretty sure that it was a spawning female full of eggs. Also you can see that the tail was a bit beat up and red from most likely fanning a bed.

She was a beast and weighed in at 15 oz! 1 oz shy of 1 lb and 7 oz shy of tying the state record!

It is my goal to catch the Official Washington State Record Rock Bass! It's ambitious but totally feasible! I'd love to catch the state record Largemouth but I think we can all agree that that would be quite the difficult task that may even be darn near impossible!

My main method of attack was the drop shot. Used with various types of soft plastics in various sizes, colors and also fished with various methods and different presentations. I fished it all over from shallow to deep water, from around structure to open water, around weed edges to rocky areas, and they all produced.

I was working it along a bunch of big rocks when I saw this huge rock bass take in my lure, so I set the hook and the fish is on but shaking a lot. I also managed to get my weight wedged in between the rocks and was snagged. In a matter of seconds she was off the hook but still lingering around in the same area. I had lost a ton of weights already but I somehow managed to save this weight and pry it free. I drop back down right away and start working my bait and I see her dart towards it and take it so I set the hook hard and FISH ON! As I set the hook I yell out to my buddy DUDE I GOT A BIG ONE!! I reel her in and as she is getting closer to the surface and I lift her out of the water we are both like OH MAN THAT'S HUGE!

I busted out my scale and to my surprise, it first registered at 13 oz! And I was like oh man! Then it climbed up within a few seconds to 14 oz then 15 oz and me and my buddy were like COME ON!! 1 MORE OZ!! MAKE IT TO 1 LB! But it stopped and stayed at 15 oz. As much as I wish it hit 1 lb, it was still a Trophy Rock Bass and I was thrilled!

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