On that fateful day in Jan 1992 when Barry St Clair caught the current state record bass he was surrounded by at least 20 boats, all crappie fishing near the mouth of Little Caney. He was a dairy farmer that worked in Sulfur Springs. He was fishing for crappie to feed his family. I had the chance to speak directly to him at the Big Town Tackle show about 20 years ago. He was working for TPWD at the time.

He told me when he hooked the fish he thought it was a big catfish until he saw it flash at the surface. A man in a bass rig was within 20 feet of him also crappie fishing. He saw the fish roll and realized it was a giant bass. He trolls over to Barry's walk-thru windshield runabout and gets into the boat with a net. He nets the fish and they are both in shock at the size.

Barry's boat does not have a livewell so the angler talks Barry into letting him put it into his bassboat's livewell and tells him to follow him to the Minnow Bucket so they can weigh the fish. It weighs 18.18 and becomes the new Texas state record.

I firmly believe this fish would have wound up on the St. Clair's dinner table had the bass angler not helped land the fish and talk Barry into taking it in to weigh. Nothing against Barry. This is a man that probably made just above minimum wage milking cows for a living.

A week or so later Dallas newspaper does an article on this fish and Barry is quoted saying he knows guys spend thousands of dollars on sophisticated fishfinders, rods & reels and tackle. He says he probably had $14 tied up in the rod & reel & minnow he used to catch the 18 pounder. It was almost like he was poking fun at the guys that spend money on bass fishing. I don't think he was trying to be mean about it. I think he was just stating the facts.

Here's my question:

Does anyone know the guy that netted his fish?

Is Mr. St Clair still in Texas?

I don't know. I called my friend that was his boss at the hatchery in Athens and he said he lost touch with Barry. Barry would be getting on up in age now.

I think it would be cool to see someone interview him.

He spoke at a rotary club I was a member of in the mid 90s. Not a great speaker but it was interesting

Maybe this is the same guy? He lives in Athens and writes books about fishing in Texas.





Maybe this is the same guy? He lives in Athens and writes books about fishing in Texas.

That’s him. I recall when I spoke to him that he was pretty introverted. Probably a much better writer than speaker

I sent him a friend request on Facebook, but it looks like his last post was almost 8 years ago

So how long did Mark Stevenson have the state record? I still hear him calling into KRLD fishing show on Saturday mornings.

Cool Story, sounds like he wasn't much for bass fishing at the time but either got more involved after the catch or just enjoyed all types of fishing

Found his book on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Fishing-Texas-Dr-Barry-Clair-ebook/dp/B011ND7BJA

" About the Author:
Barry St.Clair has been a farmer, rancher, fisheries technician, columnist for Texas Fish and Game magazine, and outdoor columnist for the Athens Daily Review, Corsicana Daily Sun, and Palestine Herald Press. In 1992 at Lake Fork he caught the Texas State record largemouth bass, that weighed in at 18.18 pounds, a record that still stands. - "

What would have Stevenson's bass weighed in February? I would bet 18-19lbs

Know what area St Clair caught his. What area was Ethel caught at

Yes I know the exact tree where Mark caught Ethel

I would agree. Ethel was a freak of nature. The fact that she lived another 10 yrs after being placed in the aquarium in Springfield is a testament to that.