Okay, so I’m not sure where they keep records of such feats, but Bill Prince’s 5-fish limit of Trinity Lake smallmouth bass that went 27.7 pounds is certainly the California record in my book…
I know, it’s hard to tell from a photo of a replica mount (he let all the bass go) just how big the fish were, but take a look at that 13-inch rainbow trout that’s in there for scale and you’ll get a better idea. Prince was fishing a club tournament on Sept. 30, 2007 when he weighed in a 6.36 pounder, a 6.30 and the three little ones were all 5 plus pounds.
“My smallest was 5.07 pounds,” says Prince. With 27 pounds and change for the day, Prince, of course, won the tourney, but he would have gotten a check on any lake with a sack like that — even a place like Clear Lake that’s famous for huge largemouth.
Bill and his fat chicks...
“I was just kinda focused on fishing that day and then, later, opened the livewell and went ‘son of a ….'” he says. “I caught all the smallies drop-shotting a 4-inch Pro Worm that day…a day I won’t forget!”
No kidding!
If you want to see the shrine in person, drop by Red Bluff Sporting Goods; (530) 529-3877.
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