Another Idaho angler lands a record fish — this time a largemouth bass
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Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman
POST FALLS (Idaho Statesman) — A North Idaho angler has set a state catch-and-release record, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Post Falls resident JJ Schillinger landed the record largemouth bass while competing in the Panhandle Bass Anglers Fall Open tournament on Oct. 19. He was fishing on Cave Lake, one of many small lakes along the Coeur d’Alene River. The area is known for its largemouth bass.
Schillinger’s catch measured 25 inches long and weighed 9.7 pounds. Traditionally, catch-and-release records are based only on length. The previous record largemouth bass was 23.75 inches long, caught by Dale Stratton in May 2017 at Sawyers Pond near Emmett.
The fish also came close to the state weight record for largemouth bass, which is 10.94 pounds. State records don’t say when that fish was caught, but Mrs. M.W. Tayler reeled the fish in from Anderson Lake.
Schillinger isn’t the only Idaho angler to set a record in recent weeks. Last month, 8-year-old Sophie Egizi, of Sandpoint, set a Gerrard rainbow trout record with a 36.5-inch fish caught on Lake Pend Oreille.