Delaware Angler Smashes State Record for Largemouth Bass
OutdoorHub Reporters 02.24.16
Sometimes it is the last cast that has the most favorable results, and that certainly seemed to be the case for AJ Klein after he caught a 11.10-pound largemouth bass from Wagamons Pond recently. Some anglers may not think that 11 pounds is anything more than above average, but in Delaware, it is a state record that any angler can be proud of.
“I was slow rolling a Bleeding Shad Strike King Premier Plus spinnerbait, letting it drop and bounce along on the bottom,” Klein told Wired2Fish. “On one of the drops the fish hit. It was a subtle hit, and I set the hook and thought I was snagged. Two seconds later my line dropped, and I had a crazy fight on my hands. It lasted for 2 minutes. I was fishing with Joe Lattis out of his boat, using a Daiwa Megaforce rod I bought on eBay. I was using an Abu Garcia Hank Parker baitcaster with 14-pound Berkley monofilament line.”
According to Delaware 105.9 FM, Klein was able to bring the fish to a certified scale and have it measured by a state game warden, who recognized it as the new record. Delaware’s previous record for largemouth bass belonged to a 10-pound, 10-ounce fish also caught in Wagamons pond. Klein’s fish measured 27 inches long and had a girth of 20.5 inches.
“To be honest, I thought I was hung up,” the angler recalled to StrikeKing. “It was just dead weight. Then suddenly, the weight began to move. After an intense two-minute battle, I landed the big bass.”
Klein added that he had only been fishing for less than two years before his record catch. He was able to keep the fish alive using his boat’s livewell and oxygenator before releasing it safely. Perhaps one day, another angler will break Klein’s record with the same fish.
