Oklahoma Angler Catches State Record Largemouth Bass
OutdoorHub Reporters 03.15.13
There must be something in the water of Cedar Lake in southeast Oklahoma, because it produced the second state record bass in just under a year. Angler Dale Miller, 54, only recently began fishing at the lake and he was pleasantly surprised at his good fortune.
“Last month, I bought a fishing license, and this month I have the state record for the largemouth bass,” Miller said.
Miller owes the catch in part to good friend Josh Walls, who in addition to giving some sage bass fishing advice, loaned him a Hawg Hunter Bait Co. rod with an Abu Garcia Revo reel. Miller then headed down to the lake with his brother Vonnie with expectations of brotherly bonding, but not high hopes of a big catch.
Using the techniques that Walls taught him, Miller felt a bite on his sixth cast into the lake with an Alabama rig.
“My legs were shaking and nervous,” said a smiling Miller. “I couldn’t even hardly stand up. I thought I was going to fall in the water.”
He quickly called his brother over and the two were shocked by the size of the bass. According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), when they brought in on the boat and measured it, the largemouth came in at 14 pounds and 12.3 ounces. The fish was over 26 inches in length and had a girth of 23 inches.
The brothers ended their fishing for the day and drove to an DWC office where the bass was re-measured by state biologists. Miller received word on Thursday that his largemouth bass had been certified as the new state record, beating out the catch by Benny Williams, Jr. nearly a year ago.
Miller couldn’t have been happier, and neither could the bass. The fish was being kept in a tank for the duration of certification and after the announcement came, it was released back into the lake after a quick photo session.
The angler had been presented with different options on what to do with the bass, but Miller stated that he was a firm believer in catch and release. In an interview on Thusday he said, “I thought about it for quite a while last night and this morning, and I just think that putting her back in the lake so that she can spawn one more time maybe.”
A video interview of Dale Miller is available below.
httpv://youtu.be/W-wjKfXRzSY
