I came across this video on youtube. How big do you think the fish is?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLW1BCtWxqc

12 or 13 pounds

hard to say from the shot and the dark footage,but one things for sure that net boy would have been swimmin'!

A real good fish, but real hard to tell how big. Other than the Perry record I think all the others close to recod size have been from trout stocked lakes. My guess would be no since I dont think they stock trout in El Salto. I have seen that quite a few times.

Leave the beds alone and protect the spawn that aint real fishin.
Rich

Hard to tell from the video but I would agree that it looked like it had a long way to grow to be considered a world record class fish. Other then Perry's fish there was a bass that weighed over 20 Lbs caught at Lake Hodges back in the 198?. I'm not sure if they ever began planting trout in Lake Hodges but I am sure that the lake had never received any trout plants back in the 80's when the lake Record Bass was caught. If I'm not mistaken the fish was caught on a live crawdad.


JerryG

whatever happened to netting from your knees? and that wind up! was he trying to catch it in the air!?

Owie. What a lame net job. And what a lame net. You go all that way to try and catch the grande bass, and they bring a little bitty net. Must not read calfishing.com :)

My armchair quarterback guess would be 15-16lbs.

I agree with Rob. That net is WAY too small. You thinmk they would know better. I get people asking me all the time. "why do you need a net that big?" Well that video answers the question prety good.

Funny that about nets... You only really care about the net when the fish is giant. But most all bass nets are made for 6lbers. I like to be sporting and all, but if I have a giant bass 5 feet from the boat I feel like I deserve to ketch him :)

Not only that but have even been, Not so confident in your net man? A regualr pasrtner of mine tried to scoop up another friends 40-50lb cat tail first and the fish ended up getting away. Even though He learned his lesson I WONT let him touch my net. I'll do it myself! He is a champion with a gaff but I just dont feel good about him netting my fish. A giant net eases my conserns a little.
BTW Rob I sent you a PM. It seems I am too stupid to make the gallery work for me AGAIN. help

I also use my giant net when fishing the open bay bass tournament. I use light line and a 3-4lb sandy can break 8lb test if your not careful. Also when the bastard sealions are chasing your big salty bass putting that net in the water while you bring the fish to the net usualy keeps them from taking your fish right at the boat. My buddy actualy jabed the net right into ones head as he was going to steal my fish. He defended the sandy and scooped it up in one motion. He is my my favorite net man!

what net do you use?

I think its this one. I bought it a while ago. I would recomend a diferent netting material though. One that wont cout the fins. I am verry carefull when I lift the fish up in the net to make sure its laying flat and the net wont cut into the tail. If was to buy anotherone I would get one with rubber or a soft mesh netting. The size of the net is great.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_58185_100011006_100000000_100011000_100-11-6

Stowmaster nets are great, as they collapse and give you more room if you have a smaller boat. Plus the coating on the bag is super thick.

http://www.stowmaster.net/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=4

Of course, I use the giant muskie net myself, which brings up something I see on you tube all the time that irks me in the same way. Muskies getting netted by tiny uncoated nets. I would understand if they were bass or walleye fishermen who caught an incidental muskie. Nothing wrong with that, but most of the time I see that they are using muskie lures and still have a tiny net. If you are specifically targeting big fish, why would you buy all the lures, rods and reels required, but still cheap out on a net? Frustrating thing to see, and worse, to catch a fish after it has been through this ordeal, with split fins, and scars on it. Probably about as bad as when someone catches a bass, but doesn't have any pliers on hand to get the hooks out of a deeply hooked fish.

love it!!! Just another story of a big fish lost, add a little RMD (Roland Martin disease) to that and you have a World Record story LOL!!!!!

Don.

They would of known what the fish weighed with proper techniques. People who are new to fishing watch this carefully and do not forget the mistakes that are made, be an asset to your partner not a hindrance.

Even though it didn’t come into play the guy on the bow needed to take a step back and give the angler room, the same with the net guy. When the fish moved to the stern the net man needed to get out of the way and let the angler gain control of the fish. If an angler does not have control of a fish why does the net man think he can have control. A net man needs to stay away from the angler or be ready to immediately get out of his way, for the angler needs to do his best to keep the fish in front of him. And most of all, if you are netting a fish for me, and you block my view of the fish with the net, be prepared to get thrown overboard.

Henry

It's EL SALTO!! It's a local Mexican Guide as 'netman', from what I've seen on EVERY El Salto show, is they 'have to' have them in the boat, and that's not the first 'botched' net job either!(A friend who used to take groups down there told me, if you don't tip them well, the incentive to find/land big fish is not there .....) I'm not sure they 'get' how 'IMPORTANT' a BIG MUTHA BASS is to us, how HARD we have worked, and that for some of us, very little else matters.....All that said, 18 lbs. max... do you think the "unofficial" (it's official in MY book!) Long/Dickerson/Weakley would have come that far out of the water... or even COULD have??? I'd be interested in thoughts...