Post By: BaalP Posted: 8/9/2012 11:56:19 PM Points: 27
I was recently checking the record largemouth by each state and was surprised by what I read. Several "normal" bass fishing states (basically excluding blessed states like Florida, California, etc.) have records around 11-13lbs. As I went to look at Colorado's record largemouth I was thinking to myself, "it'll be lucky to even be 10lbs.". To my surprise it was something like 11lbs. 6 oz.! This immediately renewed my hopes of catching a monster bass in CO. As you may know, I fish Pueblo Reservoir almost exclusively and do pretty well on bass there in terms of numbers. I have even caught a couple of 4lb. bass there that I thought was an accomplishment, however I have never really given much thought to there being huge bass in Pueblo until now. What are your thoughts on the possibility of a bass around 10lb. living in the res? Possible? Catchable? If enough people think it's a possibility, I'm going to dedicate the rest of this season to catching a monster bass there .
Reply by: Rivrunnr1 Posted: 8/10/2012 7:28:53 AM Points: 945
Sure there are bass around 10lb. Plenty. I got my dad into one last night. Here it is. My 5 that I caught were merely 6-8lbs. But those are nice bass too. :)
Reply by: bluecollarguy Posted: 8/10/2012 7:45:48 AM Points: 43
Years ago there was a discussion online about why Pueblo didn't pump out those bigger bass but i can't remember the consensus. You would assume they would be there but you def don't see or hear about them...heck if anyone is going to come across one it's going to be Cmarbles and i'm sure he'll let us know when he does!
Speaking of the Colorado record if you have ever have the chance to fish Echo Canyon you'll be amazed at the mountain setting and find it hard to believe a bass over 11 pounds was pulled out of there.
Reply by: BaalP Posted: 8/10/2012 9:42:58 AM Points: 27
It sounds like the general consensus is there are not 10ish lb. largemouth bass in Pueblo. I am curious as to why most people think this? I don't disagree, but the big bass hunter in me wants to believe that with a body of water as large as Pueblo, the forage base Pueblo has including shad, sunfish, and crayfish, and the relatively low numbers of anglers that target big bass specifically, there COULD be a few whoppers there. It makes sense to me on paper, but I understand other factors go into a bass reaching 10lbs. besides those listed above. Well, I would love more responses as I am curious to what others think. However, cmarbles, if you don't think so, then it makes me skeptical towards huge bass at the res...
Reply by: Coyute Posted: 8/10/2012 9:53:29 AM Points: 3155
I figure there are a few DD black bass in there. What is a drag IMO are all the sub 15 inchers in there. It seems like once a bass gets to the legal limit - they end up on stringers - and to me - that's lame.
Reply by: nightangler Posted: 8/10/2012 10:02:17 AM Points: 1278
I think Pueblo has the potential for HUGE bass... Just because people haven't caught them doesn't mean they aren't in there. My thoughts are they only get that big by not getting caught so why must we assume they arent in there because we haven't seen them. Isn't that part of the intrigue, the thought my next cast might land a 10#er??? Iit sure keeps me going back!!!!
Reply by: nightangler Posted: 8/10/2012 10:04:33 AM Points: 1278
BaalP - I just moved to P-lo West last weekend and live 5 mins from the lake. I am new to bass fishing this year so I am relatively inexperienced, although I have landed my fair share of fish. perhaps we can pig hunt together one of these days...
Reply by: cmarbles Posted: 8/10/2012 11:11:08 AM Points: 3106
As the almighty Riverrunner stated highly doubtful,we both fish the res a few times a week,there are way to many 10-12 in bass there. Look at the places that are know to push out toads( I graciously decline to mention) in colorado,what is stocked there? Frequently..? Bass need a low effort to high payoff ratio in forage to grow that big especially in Colorado with our short growing season.. DD Bass are trout eaters,plain and simple,is there trout in plow rez? yes,But with 11 million wipers stocked yearly the bass have a hell of a time competing for trout
That makes perfect sense, and I know most of you have more experience than me. I didn't realize it was 11 million wipers per year...wow. And yes, I would imagine the wipers pretty much dominate the base shad forage there. I still enjoy Pueblo just because of all the different possible places to fish, and I will continue pursuing bass. Maybe one day someone will pull a behemoth from there. That would be a sight to see.
Nightangler I think it would be sweet to head out and bass fish someday soon. I am a school teacher so now that summer break is over and school is starting back up, my times to go will be limited to weekends. However, I'd be all for it!
The thing people don't get is yes there's goober amounts of shad,but look how many calories are burned to get one,now how many does a bass need to eat? By the time he's swallowed his second shad he's burned the calories from the first its like a bass super diet.
You're best bet for a big bass from p-lo will be in another month and a half when they put the winter feed on and prespawn next year. There is a strong population of 2-4 pounders this year, or that's just want my luck has given me. You may go through 200 smaller fish just to break 5pounds but just keep at it. Keep an eye on the RMTS tourney next weekend and you'll get an idea of what numbers you may need to connect with just for a good fish.
That makes a lot of sense Cam. I relate with the 24" flathead cat I landed this time last year. At the time the state record was only 17-7/8" long but the state record had almost 5 pounds on the one I caught. Shantro and I came to the conclusion that since the lake is so big they spend more energy finding their food which makes them long and skinny like a marathon runner as opposed to short and fat like cats that live in smaller ponds that dont burn the calories that a "marathon runner" would.
BaalP - shoot me an email (pjjonesiii1982@gmail.com) sometime. We can arrange meeting up at the lake...
Everyone knows that there are 10lb+ wipers in Colorado. Only the OP knows for sure, but generally "bass" means SMB/LMB, at least here.
I don't fish for bass much, but I'm skeptical of bass in the double-digit pound range.
Prove me wrong...I'd love to see a picture. Until then, sounds a bit like a bigfoot legend.
Pretty much every phone now has a camera. If you're going after these lunkers, bring a scale. Shouldn't be hard to shut me up. I'd love to be proven wrong.
I think we're all sick of the Miramonte posts, but this really ties in with that discussion. Of course some waters should be managed for bass, especially on the Front Range. But the idea that any waters in the state can sustain bass of the same size and health as what is possible in their native range is pretty suspect.
I won't hold my breath for pictures of a 10# SMB/LMB, or even a 6#.
Cam- our last tournament we only had one 3.5 and a bunch of 2 and 3 pounders. Hit me up after the 18th. We have a full day tourney down there before the RMTS starts. We only have 15 boats launching for ours.
Sorry I can't post pics from my camera right now as my hard drive crashed worse then a crackhead on a 3 month Bender.
I do however have some 3+ pound pics on my phone that's from the springs. With any luck, I. Should have video on the next tourney for you.
I'll send some pics to your email when I get a chance tonight.
The shad population is totally unbelievable. Im sure most of you wouldn't believe it unless you saw it. Shad don't make fish big though. The ninja said it best.
I haven't broken the 5# mark in the res yet.....but have caught several over 4. I've caught smallmouth in the res 21-22 inches. STILL not over 5lb. A fish that long in atown would be 8+ I bet.
I'd say that there are some 10 lbs Largemouth Bass in the Reservior, its just being in the right place at the right time, with the right lure, I didn't think there were musky in there either, and someone caught one outta the river just down from the dam, but I would be the one who catches the new record!!!!
Pueblo Res opened in '77 or '78 if I remember right. I've been fishing it for bass since the early 80's-thats 30 years. Now I may not be the best fisherman around but in all the bass I have caught out of Pueblo my biggest largemouth have been 4 1/2 to 5 lbs.
I've caught literally thousands of bass there and thats been the best I've been able to do. I have caught some bigger ones in other places.
People talk about 10 lb bass but I've never seen a picture of one and never met anyone who has seen a bass that big coming out of Pueblo.
A slot would help produce bigger fish. Too many mouths, not enough good forage-think crawfish.
If you want to catch double digit fish, there are lakes in TX not more than 10 hrs away.
Ron whats up with all this ''WE'' talk im talking YOU! your words were "There is a strong population of 2-4 pounders this year, or that's just want my luck has given me." ...so pics?......I get irritated fast with people who just say things and "sound" like the know what they are saying because they heard it at there bass club meetings..anyway..
I'd say that there are some 10 lbs Largemouth Bass in the Reservior, its just being in the right place at the right time, with the right lure, I didn't think there were musky in there either, and someone caught one outta the river just down from the dam, but I would be the one who catches the new record!!!!---stop smoking that stuff it will kill you
@ Mr.Pink riverunner was just messing around but since you said
"I won't hold my breath for pictures of a 10# SMB/LMB, or even a 6#.
Tight lines...I'd love to be proven wrong." heres a 6.8,6.2 lmb and you can guess on the smallie but id say over 7 all caught this year by his ninjaness...so chew those words slowy...it can be done i just don think @plow
Reply by: thegoodcat Posted: 8/11/2012 9:26:05 AM Points: 68
Also to the person who keeps on repeating on how warmwater fishermen should leave the state, shake my head man. A 5-7lb bass is considered a trophy pretty much everywhere, a dd bass is a catch of a lifetime. I think you've been watching to much tv if you think everyone's crushing 10lbers on the regular basis elsewhere. A 10lb trout lol? I guess you've never heard of Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, or Michigan's fisheries. Maybe you should move there if you want to fish for trout in their natural habitat and not in reservoirs (see what I did there?).
Reply by: Team Galaxy Posted: 8/11/2012 10:33:17 AM Points: 423
Here is the winning couple from our Couples Series this year in Pueblo. The bass he is holding on the left was scaled at 4.76 lbs. A DD bass in Pueblo....Don't think so!
For all those who put in a lot of hours at pueblo and think that the lake doesn't hold a largie or possible smallie that would hit double digits let's not forget the monster sturgeon caught just a few weeks ago that obliterated the record books. Just cause you can't catch it don't mean its not there. There is still a lot of water in plo even when it's down 60 feet and i'm guessing most people aren't throwing what those truly monster bass are eating. If a 5 pounder will eat a ten inch swimbait what do you think a 10lber would chow on?
I am so glad to see all of the great discussion on possible hogs in Pueblo! I think it highly unlikely there are 10lb. largemouth there also, but like many have said, the only way to find out is to get out there yourself and keep fiahing. I know for me, I'm going to take these fall months and really try to explore new spots at the res. I would be so pumped just to get a bass around 5 solid pounds.
Cmarbles, those are some AWESOME bass!
Fishn4tay, when was this record sturgeon caught? I'm assuming it wasn't out of Pueblo...or was it? I am from MI, and you would occasionally hear about some some huge monsters coming from the great lakes. I didn't know sturgeon were out here.
Per evolution, there has to be some bass, somewhere in Pueblo that is just a little bit smarter, a little bit stronger, and a little bit better suited for the conditions. Will this fish be caught? Probably not, but I bet at some point a bass in Pueblo will crest ten pounds.
Hey baalp, sorry for the confusion there are no sturgeon in colorado to my knowledge, I was referencing the one caught in British Columbia a few months ago that shattered the previous books. Its my belief that it is an extremely rare occasion for true trophies to bite, and more often than not when they do bite the angler is ill equipped to bring them in.
Reply by: cmarbles Posted: 8/12/2012 9:59:08 AM Points: 3106
yeup and there is a Loch Ness monster,Sasqautch, and alien life forms that come down and abduct people everday.
what ever you all use as motivation to keep striving for that one fish over 10#@plow,more power to ya,all this is just people opinions, while all of you are searching at plow for a 10#er ill be somewhere else were the chances are better..all of you who are out chasing a fish that size at plow buy a powerball ticket before each trip i bet you win powerball before you break 10# at plow.
