Mike's 15 lb. Largemouth Bass Page

My Biggest Largemouth Bass

Hi! My name is Mike. I am 43 year old musician and also a fisherman/field tester. I have been fishing for about 30 to 35 years. I caught this largemouth bass on Dec. 3, 1994 on 8 lb. test line. It was 2.27 lbs. shy of the official Florida state record. It weighed 15 lbs. measured 27 1/2 inches long and had a 22 1/2 inch girth. I've caught several other largemouth bass over 10 lbs. I have a lot of other photos of bass I have released and also 4 largemouth bass I have mounted. My largest are: 15 lbs., 12 1/2 lbs., 11 lbs. 2 ozs. and 10 lbs. Whenever possible Please Practice "Catch & Release".

Before checking out the rest of my page let me take the time to tell you thanks for stopping by and also to let you know that this page is dedicated to all of the diehard largemouth bass fisherman in the world! You know who you are!

*THE DETAILS*

I caught this fish at about 2:30 a.m. in the morning! I spotted the 15 pound bass along with a few small fish holding at the very edge of a patch of lily pads on a sandy submerged point that dropped off from about 5 ft. of water to about 12 ft. of water on one side. The 15 pounder was sitting in about 8 ft. of water just below the drop off. I was using an Eagle electronics Magna II fish finder in the side finder mode.
I landed the mammoth largemouth on a 6' medium action Berkley Limited Edition spinning rod matched up with a size 3 Abu-Garcia spinning reel spooled with Shakespeare Omniflex 8 lb. test line. Attached onto the end of my line (using a Palomar knot) was a Texas rig including an 1/8 oz. rattling Thunder Bullet, 3/0 wide-gap Gamakatsu hook and a 7" black ribbon tail Berkley Power Worm.

*ABOUT MY CHOICE OF LINES* P-Line, Berkley Big Game, Power Pro and Shakespeare Alpha/Omniflex

Yes, I did say Shakespeare Omniflex line and believe me people do question my choice in fishing line when they see my spinning reels spooled with the clear or baby blue stuff.
The truth is though I've tried practically every line on the market (Stren, Berkley, P-Line etc...) for light to medium spinning gear and I like Shakespeare Omniflex the best pound for pound. It's cheaper but it's just as good or better than a lot of the stuff you're paying 3 times as much for!
Also, if you finesse fish a lot like I do you find yourself needing to change your line often to prevent break offs!
Of course I don't use it for baitcasting, I prefer Berkley Big Game and P-Line for that but for spinning the Shakespeare Omniflex and Alpha line works great! Especially for dead sticking and finesse fishing.The clear and baby blue color vanishes in water kinda like a fluorocarbon line and because it's basically saltwater line you've got extra abrasion resistance and strength! I know it's cheaper but as far as spinning line goes it really is a good strong line! I've caught my 15 pounder, 2 ten pounders and at least 20 fish over 7 lbs. on this line.
Also, as I stated earlier because it's so inexpensive per spool you can change it frequently and not get your wallet drained.
By the way, my second choice line for spinning gear is Clear Ande.

*BIG CATCH AWARD LIST*

Take a look at this site http://www.state.fl.us/gfc/ This is the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on the world wide web. When you get to this site click on Freshwater Fishing, then Big Catch at the bottom of the next page, then scroll down and click on Award List, then the list will pop-up then you just click on only the peoples names that are highlighted they are all in A-Z order. You will find my name on the Big Catch Award List (Michael Rushing) along with a picture of my 15 pound bass. Right now I only have one picture on there along with a piece of a newspaper article about my fish. I hope to get more on there soon! Please scroll down and checkout the rest of my info. and clickable links etc... :)
Make sure to stop by MIKE'S BIG BASS PHOTOS at the bottom of the page.

BASSMASTER NEWS FLASH

Checkout the February 2000 issue of Bassmaster magazine! You'll find me on page 105 with a really nice photo and a whole page article I wrote entitled "Fish of a Lifetime."

FAVORITE TIPS AND TACTICS FOR LARGEMOUTH BASS

I prefer to do a lot of night fishing for Bass because the fish aren't really expecting anything to interfere with their nightly feeding rituals.I'll usually go with a 7" to 10" Black Berkley Power Worm rigged with a 3/0 , 4/0 or 5/0 Gamakatsu wide gap hook or an X-Point wide gap hook along with an 1/8 oz., to 3/16 oz. rattling Thunder Bullet for my weight. I usually use medium to medium/heavy spinning gear spooled with 8 to 10 lb. test Berkley Big Game or Shakespeare Omniflex line. I fish this rig real slow casting it out quickly reeling up the slack line and letting it sit. Then I slowly raise my rod tip up from about the 10 o'clock position to about the 11 o'clock position keeping the line taught by reeling up line as I move my rod tip up from 10 o'clock to 11:00 o'clock. It's an up and down retrieve. 10 to 11, 10 to 11...
I'm basically swimming the worm up and letting it flutter back down. But occasionally I will deadstick the worm. This means to move the worm very little at all. Just twitching it every couple of minutes.

Remember! The lighter the line you use the more you'll get bit and usually you'll catch more and bigger fish! But, keep in mind you usually don't want to use lighter line (8 to 10lb. test) around a lot of cover!

I also apply this same technique using heavy line and baitcasting equipment such as: A Mitchell Spidercast Reel spooled with 6 lb. diameter 30 lb. test line along with a 6'6" medium/heavy action Spidercast rod with the tangle free tip. I fish anything from a worm, to a Musky Jitterbug, to a Castaic Shad or Sunfish on this rig. I am also now using the 4" and 6" Castaic swim baits.
I fish the worm basically the same on heavier tackle as I do on light tackle. I fish the Musky Jitterbug casting it out letting all the ripples fade and then starting a very slow cadence ocasionally using a start and stop retrieve.

As far as the Castaic Shad or Sunfish I cast it out and usually use a straight retrieve, or use a stop and go giving the bait an injured look!
I will usually use my Shimano Curado reel spooled with 12 lb. to 20 lb. test Berkley Big Game with a 6'6" medium/heavy action All Star Rod for most of my worm fishing. Especially around heavy cover!
I have several other rigs but I seem to use these three the most! 40% of the time I'll use spinning gear, and the other 60% I'll use baitcasting gear.
Just remember! Never be afraid to experiment!

*FISHING TIPS*

Your best bet will be pretty much anytime during the daylight hours but particularly during the morning and evening if your local weather temp. agrees with you?
Pay attention to approaching fronts from the West.

Also, don't forget to keep up with the moon phases. Three days before and three days after a new or full moon has been kind of the rule of thumb for years. During these periods bass and other gamefish not only bed in the Spring of the year but have been known to be much more aggresive and also tend to feed more often.

Largemouth Bass can be found in deep water as well as shallow water.
You will find them under docks and hanging around most cover such as: grass, lily pads, wood and old tires etc.
This type of cover (especially wood and rubber tires) absorbs heat from the sun during the cooler days of Spring thus drawing the bass in to get a little warmth and set up a nice place to bed and to also ambush prey.

Focus on shallow and deep water during the heat of the day. Look for drop offs and irregular bottom features particularly where deep water is adjacent to the shallows. Throw jigs, Texas and Carolina rigged plastic worms, lizards, tube baits, suspending minnow baits, spinnerbaits and diving and rattling crankbaits just to name a few.
Always rememeber to try and match the hatch. Mimic whatever prey is in your local waters.

As for fishing at night, this is the time that you can really sneak up on some big bass if you can catch the weather right! I usually go with 7" or 10" Black Power Worms, black Jitterbugs and also Moto spring powered lures. I will also use prop baits such as the Smithwick Devil's Horse and big Chugger baits like the Storm Chug Bug. Remember, big baits = big bass at night!

Don't forget during the day you will probably find some great action but keep night fishing in mind. It is especially good after the weather has been really hot for several days and then you get an approaching front! That's the best!
Also, remember at night you will have less people and less boat traffic which ='s more bass!!!

Last but not least whether it's day or night when all else fails try live bait such as crayfish, shad and lake shiners! Whatever is natural to the lakes and ponds you fish. Good Fishing...

*NEW PRODUCTS*

LUCKY CRAFT LURES are taking realism to the next level! The company offers a multitude of very realistic color patterns and lure styles. From their new patented Magic Scale process that is on each and every American Shad finished lure. To their natural Ghost finishes that blend in with the aquatic surroundings. To put it simple. Quite frankly the fish don't stand a chance!
So if you're fishing pressured waters and you are looking for a lure company that will make good on their promises of more and bigger fish you need to look no further! Check out Lucky Craft Lures today! They catch fish when all else fails!
If you want to catch more bass drop them a line today at: WWW.LUCKYCRAFT.COM

GAMAKATSU hooks helped me pierce the jaw of my 15 lb. Largemouth Bass of a Lifetime! Their hooks are sticky sharp and penetrate very fast! I have to honestly say I use Gamakatsu worm and treble hooks 90% of the time! I truly believe they make the best hooks in the world! So if you want to stick fish when you set the hook I suggest you go with the name that every real fisherman knows and trust!
Gamskatsu! It's all you need to know when it comes to world class fishing hooks!
Visit them today at WWW.GAMAKATSU.COM

XPOINT hooks are without a doubt some of the sharpest hooks I've ever used. Forget about hooks with 2 micro cutting edges. XPoint has 4 micro cutting edges, Perfect straight points that stay parallel to line of pull and 110 carbon steel (Others boast 80!)
Test prove XPoint is 7 times sharper than the next best!
Research Results: A major surgical manufactuer tested the penetrability force of various world class fishing hooks in the winter of 1996. What they found suprised everyone involved.
The next best (sharpest) hook to XPoint was Daiichi, a needle point design from Japan. The Daiichi took 350 grams to penetrate from the point to the end of the barb. The XPoint only needed 50 grams. THAT IS 7 TIMES SHARPER.
So check out one of the sharpest hooks in the world today at: WWW.XPOINTHOOKS.COM

ZETABAIT has been around for over a decade!
For plastic baits that produce on a consistent basis consider the Zeta difference!
With so many sizes and colors to choose from it's easy to see how Zetabait continues to produce big bass year, after year!
Drop them a line today at: WWW.ZETABAIT.COM

THUNDER BULLETS precision brass rattling weights are without a doubt some the best weights I've ever used for soft plastics! From the 1/8 oz. rattling weight that I used to catch my 15 lb. largemouth bass, to the bigger 3/8 oz. rattling Thunder Bullets Micro Bubbles weights that release tiny air bubbles. You just can't find a better weight! Thunder Bullets has a complete line of rattling brass weights as well as solid brass from 1/8 oz. all the way up to 1 1/4 oz. they've got it all covered!
Oh, and did I mention they have paint pens that work great to color your weights for clear water applications or to just modify the color of a lure etc...
Thunder Bullets also carries rattling jigs, rattling spinnerbaits, rattling buzzbaits and a complete line of Thunder Gear clothing, patches and decals!
Checkout their great site today at WWW.THUNDERBULLETS.COM and get ready to feel the Thunder!

ANGLERS ARSENAL & WESTERN PLASTICS has your soft plastic needs covered! With innovative styles and colors these baits are hand poured one at a time and if you can imagine it they probably have it!
From curl tail worms available in 4", 5", 6" and 8" sizes. All the way up to 11, 12, and 16" straight tail snakes! They've got it all covered!
These baits are made for those big finicky largemouth and believe me they look and act like the real thing!
They also carry hawg dawgs, craws, small finesse baits and much much more!
So the next time you're out to catch a trophy largemouth bass remember ANGLERS ARSENAL & WESTERN PLASTICS and you won't come home empty handed!
You're into the quality of the experience. Their into the quality of tackle that gets you there!
Visit their great site today at: WWW.ANGLERSARSENAL.COM
"Please Practice Catch and Release"

YAMAMOTO CUSTOM BAITS and KINAMI BAITS are without a doubt the easiest worm you will ever fish. These worms have a special side to side shimmy that no bass can resist!
From the 5" & 7" Senko style baits to the Cut Tail worms if they aren't bitting these baits you might as well go home!
It's just like the commercial says and I qoute: You don't work these baits, They work for you!
Give them a try today at: WWW.YAMAMOTOBAITS.COM

MAKE SURE TO CHECKOUT MY CLICKABLE LINKS BELOW!
Thanks again for stopping by! Tight Lines...Mike

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Cool Fishing Pages

Mike's 15 lb. Largemouth Bass Page 2... the Tallahassee Democrat article
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission "Specialist Award"
Mike's Photography including: Big Bass, the Outdoors and my Recording Studio~

My Favorite Products