Texas fisherman reels in one of the heaviest largemouth bass in state history
Texas fisherman Jason Conn caught the 8th-heaviest largemouth bass in the state from O.H. Ivie Lake, which weighed 17 pounds: See the photo
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A fisherman in Texas has caught the eighth-heaviest largemouth bass in the Lone Star State.
Jason Conn, a professional bass fisherman and fishing guide who operates from Lake Fork, reeled in a 17.03-pound largemouth bass from O.H. Ivie Lake, according to an announcement issued by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
O.H. Ivie Lake is a reservoir that sits 55 miles east of San Angelo, Texas, and is open to anglers who are seeking bass, catfish and crappie.
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The lake is partnered with Toyota ShareLunker, a fishing program that selectively breeds and stocks largemouth bass with permission from the Texas Parks and Wildlife, so anglers can catch "bigger and better" fish, according to the Texas ShareLunker website.
Texas Parks and Wildlife names professional bass fisherman Jason Conn as a "top 50" largemouth bass angler with his recent 17.03-pound catch notching eighth place. (Texas Parks and Wildlife )
"Jason Conn just caught a top 50 largemouth bass from O.H. Ivie," Texas Parks and Wildlife wrote in a tweet on Monday, Feb. 13.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"ShareLunker 642 weighed in at 17.03 lbs and is one of the largest Lunkers to hit the scales in Texas history," the wildlife agency continued. "His Legacy Class Lunker is the 8th heaviest Texas largemouth bass of all time. Amazing! Congrats!"
Conn told Fox News Digital that the bass measured 27 inches in length. It reportedly took him about 45 seconds to reel the fish in.
"It’s an amazing feeling having the 8th largest bass in Texas history," Conn said. "It’s been one long adrenaline rush, and I’m still on cloud nine."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I’ve fished bass fished my entire life and the goal has always been to catch the state record," he continued. "I almost got that done and I have to thank God for making that possible."
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Texas Parks and Wildlife has a "Top 50 Largemouth Bass" list that documents the rank, the body of water, weight, length, date and name of the angler who caught each mentioned bass.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Largemouth bass are a carnivorous freshwater game fish that can be found in various bodies of water in North America. (iStock)
The previous angler who held eighth place was Earl Crawford, who reportedly caught a 16.9-pound largemouth bass that measured 27.66 inches in length on Feb. 16, 1986. It was reeled in from Lake Pinkston, a fishing reservoir in East Texas.
Four other anglers have caught heavy largemouth bass from O.H. Ivie Lake, including Jerry Bales (16.08 pounds, April 2010), Kyle Hall (16.10 pounds, March 2022), Joe McKay (16.40 pounds, February 2021) and Brodey Davis (17.06 pounds, February 2022).
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Conn’s name has yet to be added to the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Top 50 Largemouth Bass list online, but he has been acknowledged by the agency’s social media accounts and online pressroom.
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The angler who reportedly holds the overall state record for the heaviest largemouth bass is Barry St. Clair, who caught an 18.18-pound, 25.5-inch bass from Lake Fork on Jan. 24, 1992.