BOISE, Idaho (CBS 2) — A 25-inch, 9.7-pound bass just earned an angler the new Idaho catch and release record for largemouth bass.
J.J. Schillinger, of Post Falls, hooked this monster during the Panhandle Bass Anglers Fall Open tournament in October. He caught the bass in Cave Lake, one of a dozen chain lakes along the Coeur d'Alene River.
Most of the lakes are known for having quality largemouth fishing.
J.J.'s new record bass beat the previous record of23.75 inches set by Dale Stratton at Sawyers Pond near Emmett in May of 2017.
Catch-and-release records were first available starting in 2016. Records are based on the total length of the fish.
"While most are never weighed, this one was weighed during the tournament event at 9.7 lbs," according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. "That puts it within striking distance of the official certified weight record largemouth bass of 10.9 lbs caught in Anderson Lake, another one of the Coeur d'Alene chain lakes nearby."
ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmpaeTlrlwuMCrnp6ln6rBqXnBmqqsZZWWv6%2B%2FjJqloKSVp3qvsdZmoJ2ZmKR6pK3TnJ9mmZ6ZerOxy56YrJ1dp7Kku9GdZJqsXWeCbrXNnJ%2Beq11uhG64waw%3D