A bass that would have re-written the Florida record books was reportedly caught and released on Lake Kissimmee this past Thursday. Dave Ochs, who manages Lake Rosalie Bait and Tackle, was pre-fishing for a tournament on Thursday when he caught the giant. The monster fell victim to a weightless Yamamoto Senko, and pushed an old dial scale to 19.20 pounds according to Ochs.
“It’s absolutely the best Senko on the market,” stated Ochs. “I’ve been fishing it for years, and have caught numerous trophy class bass.”
He took measurements and a quick photo before releasing her back in the water. The fish that measured 27 inches in length and 24 inches in girth was too large to fit in his boat’s livewell, hence the photo and release. It’s not known if a photo of a fish was taken on the scale. If it was, the fish will become eligible for TrophyCatch submission, qualifying Ochs for numerous prizes through the program, including $10,000.00. TrophyCatch is an incentive-based conservation program designed for anglers who catch-and-release largemouth bass heavier than eight pounds, in Florida. It encourages anglers to document their catches and submit to the program to win prizes such as Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and/or Rapala gift cards, discounts on Fitzgerald Rods, and additional entries into a drawing for a new Phoenix 619 Pro bass boat to name a few. Experience Kissimmee is partnered with the program, according to the TrophyCatch website, and will award the angler with the heaviest verified bass of the year $10,000.00, so long as the bass was caught from one of the designated lakes in Osceola County. Lake Kissimmee is on that list.
Had the fish been weighed on a certified scale and verified by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) biologist, it would have eclipsed the current official state record of 17.27 pounds.
Ochs also did a quick estimate on the weight of the fish by using a known formula based on the fish’s length and girth to confirm what his scale stated. There are different formulas to roughly determine the weight of a bass, and depending on what formula is used from FWC’s Florida Bass Weight Calculator, the fish would have weighed anywhere from 14.6 to 19.4 pounds. Regardless of the certification status, Ochs caught the bass of a lifetime and released her to be caught another day.
To learn more about the TrophyCatch program, visit trophycatchflorida.com.
Photo: Dave Ochs
