May has been a great month for me so far. I’ve been on a couple trips with TFF Legends and I have been catching a lot of big hybrids and big white bass on my home lake. I recently had a trip where we boated 34 hybrid including a 7 pounder and 30 BIG white bass. Today was another great day! We boated 10 Hybrid and 52 White bass including a 17” white.

This got me wondering…what size constitutes a magnum white bass???

15” has long been the standard for a magnum white.

I can go with 14.5 to 15 inches.

& great fish !

It all depends on the lake that you are on but, I agree a 15 inch fish is good on any lake. That 17 incher is definitely a great fish. 👍

I like the 15” number!! Texas gives a “Big Fish Award” for a white bass over 15”.

In Michigan, where I used to fish for them, a 16” white bass (silver bass) gives you a master angler award. They have a specific size length for each species in that program.

Champion Fish, are you saying a smaller lake could have a different qualification for a magnum? Or what would change the qualification?

Windbreaker, I concur with those who have suggested 15" is "magnum" status. For those who participate in TPWD's Angler Recognition Program, the minimum length required for a white bass to earn a "Big Fish" certificate on their way toward freshwater "Elite Angler" status, is 15".

If you look over the records for both kept fish and for catch-and-release fish, you'll see most lake record white bass hit around the 18" mark and around 3 pounds -- a "super magnum" approaching the proportions of a hybrid striper.

It doesn’t have to be necessarily a small lake. I fish Tawakoni, Ray Hubbard, Lavon and Tawakoni by far has magnum fish in it compared to the other 2 lakes. I have been told it’s the minerals and vitamins for lack of a better terminology that are in the Sabine River that the shad eat and grow in and in turn the sandbass eat the shad, therefore they grow bigger. Now whether that is true or not, I am no scientist but, I do catch a lot of 16-17 inch sandbass at Tawakoni and not at the other 2 lakes.

CoachW Eric, for me 14 inches and plus are mags. I can catch em all day and not get bored. My PB is 17.25" caught on Tawokoni over a decade ago via DS.

Did great on the heavier spinner lure you gave me in "deeper" 20 to 30 fow yesterday at Tawakoni. The magnums showed up good and they slammed that lure hard on the retrieve, amost every cast for over an hr. And a few legal hibbies to boot. Total 170, the count was not close to prior week when you joined me, DC and Cliff, but the quality was best this Spring for me. Lots of big "silver bass' lol

14” is close to 15” and is still a quality fish. Glad to hear that the bait is catching!

I took some folks out on Saturday, we offered a vertical presentation as the fish were right underneath us for an hour or so. I was catching every drop with my homemade bait because I could get my blade to spin right up off the bottom. My friends were struggling to catch because they couldn’t get their blade to spin as quickly as I could. I switched them out for a Mepps and Bam! Fish on! The fish would only hit it right away off the bottom. We ended up with over 60 fish and 10 of those were hybrids over 5lbs.

That makes sense. Thanks for the great info. I fish Waurika lake and it has big fish in it. Seems like we are always catching bigger white bass. I wonder if the same concept applies here. Or if there is just such low fishing pressure that it allows them to grow more. Either way, I am okay with it!

I agree…15” is a good number. Especially since it is “Big Fish” worthy.

Solid 17 incher from PK

Gborg, nice fish!