I am planning on breaking a lake record this weekend. I have done it before I just did not know a record did not exist yet. So basically all I have to do is catch a fish and submit it. I have a question to other people on here who have records. I plan to bring the fish to a certified scale have it weighed and all that good stuff but does the fish have to be alive or will the record still count if the fish is dead?
I plan to catch it take it to get weighed fill out paperwork, get photos etc and then release it.
The only thing is where I'm fishing the closest certified scale is roughly 10-15 miles from the lake.
I really do not want to tell the lake yet. Sorry.

Thank you in advance!

You can weigh it on non certified scales and then send the scales off to get certified for about $35. You will also need pictures of the fish with a tape measure or board and a witness. Be sure to get a pic of the fish on the scales with the weight visible. It's not hard to get hand held scales certified if they are anywhere close to accurate.

You cannot legally haul water under the zebra mussel laws, so if you want the non C&R record you kill the fish.

Look at Babe Ruth here calling the fish! Let us know how that works out for you.

did not think of that. thank you.

Well, at least he is optimistic

lol. will post about it later.

Honestly all I have to do is catch any keeper size fish of the specific species(you can pretty much guess the species by which forum I'm posting in right now). There is currently no record on this specific lake so anybody can submit the record. I just think it would be cool to have a record on a Lake that I have fished since I was a young kid. 25+years of fishing it.

Look on TPWD at your lakes you fish and you will be amazed at some of the records you probably have probably beaten but never thought about.

Most of the ones I am going to try and create are all on the fly rod & fly.

If you fly fish there's tons of records you could beat/create.

There are a surprising number of lakes without certified records for various species. There are people who go around gathering up lake records just to do it.

Yes!

The strategy makes good sense. Good luck!

If you are fly fishing your way into the record books, you are guaranteed to have fun, size issues notwithstanding.

The ultimate finesse technique!

Brad

I've never really understood the joy in filling a vacant lake record spot with just any keeper fish. When I see that a 3lb bass is the lake record somewhere I just wonder to myself what person would go thru the trouble of getting a small fish certified. Seems pointless unless you just want to see your name on a list.

As for your original question, the bass does not have to be alive to qualify for a lake record, Catch & Release records excepted, of course.

You can't leave the lake without draining your boat, you can keep it in the livewell and have it weighed at any marina or ramp on the lake.

Yup same as trailering tournaments.