I don't understand what the whining is about. Everyone pays money to fish. Boats, rods, etc. aren't free. I fly from Pa twice a year to fish Fork with my brother. Been doin' it for 5 or 6 years. No DD yet. Maybe next year I'll save some of the $4 - $5k I spend for these trips and just fish the Bell. In my eyes it's no different than say goin' to Falcon or buying the new hot swimbaits, in that you are trying to increase your odds at a nice fish.

If I fish the Bell do I get a pass since I own a Pinto, I mean Nitro?

Its nothing like high fence hunting those are pets. That means every stock pond is considered the same way. Dumbest thing I ever seen.

a DD is a DD no matter where you catch it!
I have been blessed to catch 4 over 10 in my life
I must admit - I went to Mexico to catch my biggest - it was 13 she was big but it wasn't even that much fun fighting it - she came up, rolled on her side - and i reeled her in - she had just spawned so you could imagine how big she would have been but she didn't fight at all after the initial hit

The one DD I am most proud of is one I caught on a private/managed lake that I own property on - I used to sneak on it as a kid with one of my best friends that is now a game warden and now we both own property on it that gives us fishing rights and we both have and use input on the stocking and management of the lake

One was caught on the Lakes of Dansbury (which I fished as a guest) and one was caught at a farm pond when i was a teen - a pond that I used to stock for an old man that was a friend of mine

I am proud of all of them - but I have had some 7's and 8's that I am just as proud of.

My goal is to catch one on my hometown lake (Lake Gladewater)where I have been very active in the funding and restocking of the lake (for the last 5 years) - with pure Florida strain bass that should be getting close real soon - I will be most proud of that one when (not if) when that happens

My point is - everyone has an opinion on this topic- but if your goal is to catch a DD - then like many of the comments have said - then you'll need to go where there are a lot of them

I've seen a lot of posts about Falcon and Amistad lately - that's where there are a lot of them - does that cheapen it?

But remember to give back to your fisheries - wherever you like to fish - whether it be restocking or just releasing the big girls back into the lake so others can catch them too - and release them as well

Dottie, the world record bass from Lake Dixon in California was caught several times

Is it less an accomplishment for the person that caught her 2nd or 3rd from the person that caught her first?

Or is it more an accomplishment for the one that caught her right before the spawn when she was fattest and heaviest

You catch a DD - I'll give you a "high five" and I don't care where you catch her - just let her go and let's keep restocking programs going in both private and public lakes for both bass - AND DON'T FORGET SHAD AND OTHER FORAGE FISH!!!!

Man I'm not hating at all but I would much rather fish falcon/amistad for a few weeks and spend the same type of money. It seems there is more sport in larger open waters to me. Would I pass up a chance to go to CB if it were free? Hhhhheeeelllllll noo I wouldn't and be damn proud of any fish I caught out of that 40 acre "pond".

I've never caught a DD, and I dont care where I do. It could come from a 1 acre pond in a public park, but ya know what, it'll still put a big smile on my face . I'm not fishing to live up to anyone else's standard of "accomplishment" only my own.

Every lake, minus one, is man made in Texas....you dug a hole, filled it up with water and dumped some fish in it.

So where do you fish?

Why do you go to a grocery store to buy your food when you can rummage in the wild and do it? I would go at the drop of a hat. and gladly parade around pictures of the fish that were caught and not give a damn about what anybody else thought. Getting a fish to bite, hooking that fish and then landing it is why we go. doesnt matter to me. If youve ever fished in a tank/pond, your comment is invalid. Just my opinion.

hahaha Big Pimpin!!!!

Hey penetratem, you need to go troll someplce else. Don't like ponds huh?

I grew up fishing private ponds and small lakes on my family place and friends places. Just never paid to do it.

"Fake it until you make it"

The Pro staffer

Man, this is a really stupid debate, the DD bass are very few and they don't just grow like that in the wild, most of the big bass come out of lakes and ponds that have been stocked with the right genetics and have the right conditions for this fish.

So if you really look at it, whether is a lake or a pond the only difference I see is that some of this lakes are public and some are private.

I wouldn't care less where it comes from it is hard to hook and land one of this fish, to me that is an accomplishment in it's self

Just wish I had the money to go to camellot bell

I think everyone is calling the Original Poster a hater...he just asked a question. I didn't see the "Hate" in his post....

He seemed to be stating that Bill Dance fishes private waters to film shows and everyone hates him....we have seen the post go on every year on here.

He simply asked why the Bell was any different than what Bill Dance does. I think everyone jumped on the Hater Bandwagon without seeing his true meaning behind the post.

It makes me wonder too why Dance gets hated on but the Bell gets applauses on here?

this poor horse carcass has been pummeled into submission at least 13 times.