The state record is out there. It lives in Caddo Lake near Goat island where no bass boat would dare to go. It is feeding on adult gizzard shad.

You have left out Amistad. Over the 35 years of fishing this lake I have seen two Bass in the 25 lb class. They are very close to over 100 ft of water and are concentrating heavily on the pound Shad or Bass that she just knocked out. Neither fish would pay any attention to my Spook and I missed being able to snag the pray before she took it and disappeared. I was really shock up both time. These fish were 5 years apart and 2 miles apart. I was top watering these areas when I heard the explosion and was trying to snag the Bass and Shad as they were doing that dying quiver on the surface. I was within 5 yards of both fish as they took the pray. It is harder than you thank to get a hook in a floating Shad or Bass and I truly believe that is the only way you are going to catch a World Record.

You have left out Amistad. Over the 35 years of fishing this lake I have seen two Bass in the 25 lb class. They are very close to over 100 ft of water and are concentrating heavily on the pound Shad or Bass that she just knocked out. Neither fish would pay any attention to my Spook and I missed being able to snag the pray before she took it and disappeared. I was really shock up both time. These fish were 5 years apart and 2 miles apart. I was top watering these areas when I heard the explosion and was trying to snag the Bass and Shad as they were doing that dying quiver on the surface. I was within 5 yards of both fish as they took the pray. It is harder than you thank to get a hook in a floating Shad or Bass and I truly believe that is the only way you are going to catch a World Record.

They swim right up to the bass like, "Oh hello, can you give me directions to the trout farm?"

I have serious doubts about an 18+ in our Texas waters. Don't get me wrong. Nothing would make me prouder of Texas than for someone to catch a 20 pound bass in ANY LAKE, public or private in the Lone Star State!

Private land owners have been trying to grow an 18+ since the beginning of time and nobody has done it yet. I truly believe there is a ceiling of about 16 pounds for largemouth bass here in NTX. The weather gets too hot in the summer & too cold in the winter for optimum growth. At one point 20 years ago I would have bet my last dollar there was a 20 pounder living in Fork. Not any more!

We've had this debate many times on here. The reason Cali has grown several 20+ pound bass is pretty simple. The weather is much milder than NTX. The water temp at Lake Casitas never drops below 55 in the winter and never gets above 80 in the summer. The bass there live in air conditioned comfort - they live longer & are less stressed so they get bigger.

Plus they stock rainbow trout from Oct thru March for the locals to catch. Those trout are farm raised and have never seen another fish in their lives except for a mirror image trout so they have no fear of any predators. There is a video floating around of several DD bass under a dock at a Cali marina waiting for the trout truck. The truck shows up & dumps the trout and the feeding begins. It's not even what I would call a frenzy. The stupid trout have no fear of the bass. Some of the trout even after being engulfed & released by a bass won't flee for their lives.

They swim right up to the bass like, "Oh hello, can you give me directions to the trout farm?" They are such easy prey for the bass. They expend virtually no energy to eat those protein-rich trout. That's why they get so big in Cali.

I have serious doubts about an 18+ in our Texas waters. Don't get me wrong. Nothing would make me prouder of Texas than for someone to catch a 20 pound bass in ANY LAKE, public or private in the Lone Star State!

Private land owners have been trying to grow an 18+ since the beginning of time and nobody has done it yet. I truly believe there is a ceiling of about 16 pounds for largemouth bass here in NTX. The weather gets too hot in the summer & too cold in the winter for optimum growth. At one point 20 years ago I would have bet my last dollar there was a 20 pounder living in Fork. Not any more!

We've had this debate many times on here. The reason Cali has grown several 20+ pound bass is pretty simple. The weather is much milder than NTX. The water temp at Lake Casitas never drops below 55 in the winter and never gets above 80 in the summer. The bass there live in air conditioned comfort - they live longer & are less stressed so they get bigger.

Plus they stock rainbow trout from Oct thru March for the locals to catch. Those trout are farm raised and have never seen another fish in their lives except for a mirror image trout so they have no fear of any predators. There is a video floating around of several DD bass under a dock at a Cali marina waiting for the trout truck. The truck shows up & dumps the trout and the feeding begins. It's not even what I would call a frenzy. The stupid trout have no fear of the bass. Some of the trout even after being engulfed & released by a bass won't flee for their lives.

They swim right up to the bass like, "Oh hello, can you give me directions to the trout farm?" They are such easy prey for the bass. They expend virtually no energy to eat those protein-rich trout. That's why they get so big in Cali.

^^^^^ This ^^^^ I grew up fishing Caddo lake and I promise you she's in there! If you've never fished Caddo you wouldn't understand...