I bumped into a guy at a launch in NW CT last weekend who claimed that a friend of a friend, etc. caught a 12 pound largemouth on a live bluegill. He claims it was in the Register Citizen or Waterbury Republican. Any confirmation on that? If that's the case, that fish was a meal or two away from the state record-

There was a largemouth over 12lbs C&R'd recently in a western ct. lake. I saw a picture of the guy in a boat holding it up. Looked like it had three pounds of trout in its belly. Hard to tell from a picture how big it really is but for a reference go to Pdona's thread on huge bass which shows a picture of a girl holding a 9lb. bass and then picture a bass longer than that and three times fatter. Looked like something from Florida or California. Not my story or trip so that is all I can add but I believe what I heard and saw.

Wonka, I saw the picture of the fish being held by the fisherman in a boat on a lake that I know very well and even recognized the exact spot. Since I didn't weigh it we can argue how big it is but we can't argue that a huge bass was caught. I was told it was weighed by the fisherman on a hand digital scale, similar to what many of us carry in a boat and it registered 12lbs. I have no way of knowing if this weight is exaggerated at all. It was released but the picture has been seen by others besides myself and the fisherman is known locally by people who I trust.
Further, electroshocking trips on these waters have retrieved bass to 8lbs or more that have puked up stocker trout in the holding tank. I have been on these trips.
I would think that a record breaking bass, or at least one over 10lbs, is a solitary creature that inhabits the deeper waters on the outside weed edge or underwater structure and feeds a few times a week on large bluegills, trout, small bass, fall fish, suckers, etc. and therefore is not prone to being caught by a tournament fisherman flippin spinner baits under someone's dock. You have to fish specifically for this one fish, maybe all month for one bite. Just like you hunt a rack buck or fish for a trophy pike or any kind of trophy. My impression is that is what this fisherman was doing, that this was not an accident though it was an extremely rare and once in a lifetime event.
JMHO of course, I am not a bass fisherman so what do I know but I do have 20/20 vision now after cataract surgery.

Arlow, great post. There are bigger largemouth bass in the northeast than people realize. The fish in the picture I saw had a much fatter gut than your picture. I am sure it will come out over time.
You can go bass fishing, and even fish in a bass tournament, but if you want to catch a trophy bass you must change strategies. There is bass fishing and trophy bass fishing and the two sports are as divergent as girls bad mitton is to division one football.

No offense meant at all Buck but if you don't fish for Bass or no anything about it how do you know that these two elements of fishing are drastically different. I have fished many tourney's over the last 20 + years and if the lake permits along w/ seasonal conditions I'm fishing as deep and slow as possible. Many tourney guys do this, fishing for five bites.

I've caught many six's and sevens in tournament situations doing this.

I've got a few eights and one nine, not in tournaments but fishing for them just like I would in a tourney. I'm not saying everyone does this but there are a lot of people that consistently fish for the bigger fish in tournament situations. I would also add that places like Moodus, Pachuag and the like hold some pretty big fish and the average depth is still pretty shallow overall and comparatively.