In January 1981 John Alaxender caught a 14.3lb largemouth bass from private Lake Echo which was the new Texas state record. It surpassed the 14.09lb state record caught by Jimmy Kimball in February 1980 from Monticello that set off the new Florida strain state record trophy bass craze. Less than a month later Alaxender broke his own state record with a 15.5lb state record bass from Echo......caught again from a “private lake”, I don’t remember any *asterisk* in the top bass lists with Alaxender’s catch because it was caught on a private lake anymore than I remember an *asterisk* beside Kimball’s name because the fish was a completely different strain of bass than the previous long standing record from Medina(Florida vs northern strain). Technically if a state record bass was caught from Squaw Creek that record would have come from “private waters”. Squaw Creek is a private lake. You have to pay $30 to fish there instead of $1000 but it is no less private. It’s all semantics!

I hope the record is never broken, I hope the St Clair fish stands against the onslaught of science, genetics, breeding, the hatchery in Athens, la perla, lake x and whatever else can be thrown at it. And if it is broken I hope it's a kid under the bridge somewhere and they eat it.

There was a 19.25 shocked up out of Alan Henry about 2 years ago. I’d be willing to bet there are at least 2 or 3 swimming around out there that could break the record. 75% of that lake has never seen a lure cause fisherman don’t think they can live deeper than 30’

I hope the record is never broken, I hope the St Clair fish stands against the onslaught of science, genetics, breeding, the hatchery in Athens, la perla, lake x and whatever else can be thrown at it. And if it is broken I hope it's a kid under the bridge somewhere and they eat it.

Yep, you're right. Dr. Schwarz should have just got some of Mike's 2 year old bass from Camelot Bell, (WAY better genetics than anything swimming in public waters in Texas), and then tried to grow a world record based on a different water quality and different base forage (prawns).

That way, when they did it, it would just be a new World Record from private waters and the State of Texas would not have had the opportunity to learn from it or get any of the fingerlings for stocking in public waters.

Perfect idea!

There was no 19.25 shocked out of Alan Henry according to TPWD.

There's no way a 19 was shocked up. We would have heard about it. Photos would have been taken. That darn "science" that we are fighting so hard against here on this forum would have thrown it in our faces!

Now where's my iphone... and my cholesterol pill.....

Here it is Jackson. It is old news now.

Here it is Jackson. It is old news now.

"(WAY better genetics than anything swimming in public waters in Texas)," How do you know? What data proves it?. Most likely, the unlimited supply of forage explains much of the faster growth rates, but they're unlikely to sustain it to get over 18 lbs. Let see what happens.