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Travis Olander 07.19.23
After months of ready, Lea Anne Powell acquired official phrase from the Worldwide Recreation Fish Affiliation (IGFA): In February, she caught the a World Report Largemouth Bass within the 12-pound line class – and she or he did it trolling the waters of what’s now “America’s Greatest Bass Lake,” in line with Bassmaster. Powell hooked the record-breaking Largie at O.H Ivie Lake, about an hour’s drive east of San Angelo, Texas, utilizing nothing greater than a easy spinner rod. Just a few selfies with the lunker wouldn’t suffice for the IGFA to name it a file. Powell defined the intensive course of she needed to undergo to say it.
“The method was pretty intensive. I had to go surfing, fill out an entire bunch of paper work after which I truly needed to mail in a line pattern of the road that was used to catch the fish,” stated Powell. “All of the paper work, images and documentation that I’ve needed to undergo a number of panels and I consider internationally.”
In accordance with Powell, it took round three months to obtain affirmation from the IGFA that her prize catch was, certainly, record-setting. Powell added that her anticipation stored her on the cellphone with officers all through the method.
“I submitted every part in March and it was official on June twenty third,” Powell stated. “I had been driving them insane by calling. I’ve been very anxious you understand, I needed it. Squeaky wheel will get the grease.”
Powell’s World Report Largemouth Bass tipped the scales at 12 kilos, 3 ounces, making it the biggest ever caught within the 12-pound line class. Her file replaces a Bass caught by Sarah Elizabeth Harris at Lake Baccarac, Mexico, in 2021. That fish weighed in at 9 kilos, 1 ounce. The girl angler stated she had, the truth is, caught the fish utilizing 10-pound line, however the IGFA solely categorizes file catches utilizing 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16-pound courses.
Powell says she started fishing after her dad and mom died in 2015. Her dad and mom liked to fish and she or he discovered peace within the apply after her pals requested her to hitch them on a fishing journey. Powell says she continued pursuing the interest thereafter. Powell wasn’t alone when she bagged her file catch in February. Her pal, Dalton Smith, proprietor of Dalton Smith Information Service and an area information for anglers who go to O.H. Ivie Lake, invited her on the fateful journey.
“Earlier than I went to O.H. Ivie with Dalton, I actually had solely caught a 7-pound 8-ounce Largemouth. And I used to be like, cool, if I get an 8 pounder I’m completely satisfied,” stated Powell.
A part of Powell’s profitable hunt got here from a Livescope Smith introduced with him on the journey.
Photograph courtesy of Lea Anne Powell / Dsmithfishing
The underwater sonogram supplies the tough depth and site of fish, permitting anglers to dial of their goal zones and improve their odds of getting bites.
“You may see the fish and may inform what’s huge and you may inform what’s small and we acquired into this space the place (Smith) was seeing a bunch of massive fish,” stated Powell.
On their second day of the journey, Smith used the Livescope to information Powell’s casts to a selected scorching spot on the lake.
“So I casted out about 50 toes from the boat and about 55 toes barely to the left of the place he was,” Powell stated. “I used to be attempting to be taught this complete Livescope sonogram and I used to be like, ‘OK, I feel I’ve a follower.’”
Powell stated her pal didn’t consider the dimensions of the Bass she hooked till she began combating the mammoth in earnest.
“As soon as I set the hook he was like, ‘Oh my God, you caught a large’. However what was loopy is we have been each freaking out as a result of it was hooked 45 toes from the boat and 15 toes down on 10-pound line with a spinning rod,” stated Powell. “Which, if anyone is aware of fishing in any respect, that’s a really hectic scenario and anytime I’d get her near the boat, she would begin taking off and stored nosing down so I used to be having to regulate the drag when she would take off operating.”
After getting the Bass topside, Powell knew they have been in brief on time and wanted to shortly take the trophy fish to Elm Creek RV Park close by, the place an IGFA-certified scale might present a dependable measurement to confirm her new file.
“My pal advised me about doing the data and every part and I had no concept it might be classed as such nevertheless it seems it may,” stated Powell.
Powell says she desires to encourage youthful ladies anglers to get out on the water, as they might be the subsequent to catch a file fish.
“I’m simply attempting to encourage extra individuals to get out and fish,” Powell stated. “I’ve had a lot discouragement being a woman angler and I don’t let that cease me. For each ‘no’ I’m getting advised and each phrase of discouragement, it pushes me and drives me to go more durable and go quicker and deeper into my tournaments.
“You may’t make a file, you possibly can’t catch a fish except you could have a line within the water and do what you possibly can to not let any negativity get you down. Flip these negatives into positives and allow them to encourage you to get on the market and fish and simply catch ’em up!”
Need to bag some lunkers your self? Learn our secrets and techniques to Bass fishing success.
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