16+ on Ivie?

Anyone see this? Smallest 16 I've ever seen. Congrats though...

doesnt look 16 but it was weighed on a registered scale

I’ve seen other pics of it and it’s skinny, it doesn’t look anything close to 16 to me but it is a nice fish. I think they need to recertify their scales.

That will beat the current lake record (16.08 lbs. by Jerry Bales in 2010). We will know in due time if it was real. Not doubting it, just stating fact if there is any question.

Ditto, not saying it isn't but sure don't look it.

16 would be 6lbs bigger than anything I’ve caught but it sure looks smaller than some I’ve caught. That’s a certified scale in his hand? It would look more like a 16 if he had a way longer arm. Nice fish for sure though.

I said in another thread it looks 10-12lbs to me, pics can be mofos though, I’m horrible with them. I’m glad that it will pull attention from Choke to Ivie!


Ivie is “on fire”! Everyone rush up there...

They will be on the way!!!

I've been responsible for a few bass over 16lbs. You cant hold em with one hand.
Here's a 15 plus. Ray Hubbard record

That water has to be 40 degrees. Also... third pic looks to be 25 1/4” meaning the fish would have to be 24” in circumference... give or take. I’m not saying I don’t believe it just that the pictures must not do it justice. My 12 was 26.25”.

In the video I saw they said 23 3/4 in girth I think. It could very well be and the pics don’t do it justice. Still a good fish in this cold water.

Looks 9-12 to me from the pics

never ending "no it ain't" game,...let the guy post his fish.

Great fish sir,..!!!

There is a video on Elm Creeks Facebook of them measuring the girth. It looks bigger in the video.

Look closely at the pictures. This was supposedly caught yesterday then why is there no snow in the background. And another thing, the ramp would have still been frozen.

Is this related to the last one faked from there?

Last pic there it looks legit

60 lb limit

I'm wondering about that as well.

Wow...

Big fish but it doesn't look 16 to me. Was it turned over to TPWD?

It’ll be on youtube before you know it. Evidently Millikan and Zark caught it. What seems odd is that I heard through the grapevine that they never called SL but then they were taken measurements for a mount 🤔

No kidding. 21XS lives there. How about it didn’t snow at Ivie?

Elm creek certified scale.

Guys from Nebraska.

I agree.. the question is where did the last picture go?

It didn’t melt off until this afternoon (Friday) Thursday never got above 28 I think and there was snow . We may have gotten two inches here at my house and I live as a crow flies 2-3 miles from elm and it looked like that side of the lake had more snow than we did.

Another from the FB page, looks bigger, not 16lb bigger. But WTH do I know, I can’t catch anything over 7. Looks like some snow in the background.

Yep compare his hands and look at that gut thats a donkey for sure.

Now THAT looks like a 16

I watch Milliken often. He and Zark seem like pretty genuine fellows from what I’ve seen. They both are great sticks, imo. What a pig

I'm 6'5" and used to weigh 260 until diabetes kicked my butt. If my 5'7", 150 pound partner held the same fish it looked a lot bigger. It's hard to get perspective from pictures and we don't know how we big that guy is.

Man what a fish!

The pic at the ramp is a better picture.

Just remember 6th Sense is greatest baits alive....

In some pics it look 16 and others it looks 12.... I watched the video and they measured it at 23 1/2 ( I think) and to me that would not be a 16 lber.. It is a nice fish..

Nice fish. Congratulations to the angler!

Pic from FB looks like a giant. Sources say he called TPWD wanting to turn it into SAL

Gotta say that's a toad, bet Pornstache is jealouse......LOL

I saw them on the water this morning. Beautiful fish and looks like a toad for sure

That you Jerry?

Again....Good for them. I love Ivie in the winter.

Dang that's a toad.

Jeezus that gives perspective. 16 for sure

Damn, you jealous doubters, measured right at 27 and look at the girth on that pig.

Helluva fish no matter what it ends up weighing on the TFF.

Congratulations!!

Congrats to the angler, fish of a lifetime right there.

Pics can be deceiving... I’m one of those guys that makes 6 lb fish look like 3’s if you don’t get the camera at the right angle.

I have caught a fish that big in years.............................

Huge bass. Why didn’t they get that certified by TPWD for the lake record?

Was it not turned in as a SAL?

For the people wondering why it wasn't turned into SAL I doubt driving from 300 miles in the aftermath of a 100 year ice storm was high on priority list of the SAL team. Athens was hit hard and I would imagine it was/is all hands on deck trying to keep the fish at the hatchery alive this week.

Great fish!

They used Elm Creeks certified scale.

I know if I ever caught a over 13 its not going to sal, its going right back. The mortality rate is more than I am willing to be a part of. It very well could be the mortality rate is high due to all the pics, posing, certified scale gathering etc.

Nice fish!

Congrats to the angler

Any details?

What type bait and water depth?

I generally agree, but in this cold weather it would have been fine.

Wow, nice fish. Shure can smell the jelly cooking in the thread. Didn't know anyone was canning this late. Great fish, and shure hope she was released.. prob felt like setting the hook on a stump...

Thx for sharing

Prosise

That’s a corn fed Nebraska big ole boy there.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I’d be a little jealous too if some guy on vacay from Nebraska pulled that out of my home lake.....

Great fish, congrats!!!!

Yessir, it is. I still lurk but since we sold the marina I don`t have much to post about. I think Ivie will turn out alot of good fish this year.

Was nothing jealous about it. Problem was the site that initially posted it on facebook used lousy photos and had the wrong date. 200 posts later before they corrected themselves and put up better picture and a bit more detail

Good to hear you Jerry. Congrats. to the angler on a fish of a life time.

It was certified when caught. This was after a 30 day quarantine in my office and being introduced to bps in gvine. She was over 16lbs when I transported her to Garland a couple years later. Thanks for your concern years later...

Typical tff haters or just jealous... smdh. That's Leonard in the pic. You really think I would just put a new bass on display without knowing she was healthy and risking 13 others over 13lbs??? Wow, typical winter time tff. Get real dude.........

Congrats to the angler, awesome fish!

Look at that eye, I bet it was caught in deep water. I wonder if it survived? I'm no expert on these things but I have a place just outside Elm Creek and Know David and the crew at the store. If he said it was 16.40 I believe him. Good to hear from Jerry also. Congratulations to the angler. No jealously here. If I can't catch one that big I hope somebody else can...................Just My

I bet it wasn't. Eyes like that are common for teens

Exactly. When the doubters first started doubting the eye is what told me they were wrong. You don’t get eyes like that on 7 pounders.

No doubt a teener, what a fish! Congrats to the angler.

I wanna catch it

Congrats

Me too, but you don't want to hold her. Rodeo and bloody palms

Thumbs are for sissies

Right. It’s when the palm of the hand is getting ripped open...that’s a good fish.

Wish the power plant was still running

Update on giant from OH Ivie. I spoke to Kyle Brookshear and he went to get her last night to bring her to Athens. They are working on getting her stabilized due to being caught in ~40 degree water. They have not weighed her at the hatchery yet.

Thanks for the update Ken, and congrats to the angler(s).

Does this pic do the fish justice? Congrats to Mr. McKay on a great fish!

Not sure about the jealousy part, I’ve caught my fair share of bigguns out of here. I actually think it’s a good thing, may put my house on the market for sale, be a good time to do it!

It's the week for teens

Yes sir, Happy Valentines

God has a great sense of humor, so Valentines is the best time to catch a DD and Mother’s Day is the best day for topwater.

Someone will have a good day at Fork this afternoon

Tff winter time. Happens every year, don't worry about it

Wish I loaded up yesterday and went up there, luckily my house is good and had no frozen pipes so I don’t have a mess when I get there. May head out Wednesday and fish Welch Thursday and Friday and wing it on Fork Saturday.

Welch?

IDK how big it was but it was a good fish.

Welsh, autocorrect.

Yea it would for sure! Water is up and the big ones are biting!
I was just poking a little fun at y’all with the jealous comment. I grew up out in Sterling City and spent my summers in Ballinger at my grandparents and spent lots of time on Ivie. Loved fishing there and I am jealous. I’d love to catch a 16# fish out of there!!

Jk, there is a juice plant right down the hwy west.

Looks like a 9-11 pounder to me. Actually, I have no idea, I just needed to have something to say.

Ive learned a long time ago it is impossible to determine weight from a picture.

Sometimes a picture makes a fish look way bigger, sometimes pictures do the fish no justice.

Ive also learned that to avoid being looked at as a prick, i will always give the fishermen the benefit of doubt. If they want to lie about the size of their fish, thats on them, im not gonna lose sleep over it.

People that argue weight just come across as being jealous.

As big as that fish looks from the pic on the ramp, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she doesn't weigh 16+.

Same way I feel.


Congrats to the angler that caught it and I enjoy seeing fish pictures so it was nice to see them shared on here.

I agree, as I said earlier that particular pic looks better than the first pics.

She's in Athens now at the hatchery.

Awesome, here comes the hate....

Yep it is hard to judge the size of most fish, because the anglers arms grow about 5 feet when they take a picture. The Big-Uns just are big.. I bet he had to throw his underwear away when he finally settled down... Imagine loosing a fish like that. That would be a hell of a "fishing story"...

Yep, I need to find the pic of a double digit from Waco a co-worker caught years ago, it had bulgy eyes just like that, and the worst part he ate it

Oh snap! Wish photobucket was still going. I could post a pic of the lake grapevine record. Just over 12lbs when caught. She was like a pet dog to me and was native. She grew close to 20lbs before she died. (Not in my care) miss her just like my labs.

Haven’t seen anything posted about the fish being in Athens on the Sharelunker site.
Also...where’s all the snow and ice in the pic? If it was caught in the last few days, I question the pics.
Either way it’s a nice fish for sure.

I really would have been just fine NEVER reading the 2nd part of this comment 😒

That's a beautiful Ivie fat girl....with big 'ol peepers....hope she survives and continues to procreate a few more years....I'll be happy with one half that size this spring

Just got word from Athens.

They are making sure the fish is healthy & stable before they pull her out to weigh & measure her. Sounds like she is a legit giant but don't have the official weight yet.

His fish, he caught it.

Keep it, release it, mount it, eat it. Whatever.
And you can see snow in the background on another pic that's not shown here.

I say, WTG dude!

Could’ve been our new state record in a few years if she was returned to the lake. Hope she doesn’t die.

Wish it worked that way. Teens have spawned thousands of fry in their lifetime.

A state record is a freak of nature, comparable to a 7ft tall person.

It was caught Friday, see had little snow here and it was melted off Friday afternoon. They had the date wrong in the pic and I believe it to be legit, especially after seeing the pic at the ramp, fish is big and healthy and snow amount is in line with whet I had here at my house and I can see Elm creek Marina from my porch.

In the pic I saw, it looked 16.

TPWD has certified the fish at 16.40 pounds! They are giving her a rest now before they take length & girth measurements.

Congrats to the lucky angler!!

Awesome

Exactly. And 99.9% of those fry will never weight 16+ lbs. SAL is good for stocking our lakes with great genetics but if we continue to remove all these freaks of nature we’ll never see a 18-20 lb fish.

I’m not bashing anyone for donating their fish, it would be a tough decision if I was ever lucky enough to catch a 13lb plus fish.

I see it now! Congrats on the catch! Fish of a lifetime for sure!

This sight has the most judgmental chicks on it i have ever seen . Dude catches a fish ypu could only dream of. First post is some dude on his couch doubting it. Bunch of Nancy's . All you couch cowboys should start a thread apologizing for being a douc$e

What a gorgeous looking fish. Not a blemish on it! Congrats to the angler!

Nice catch Joe. Congrats dude.

99 percent will never reach fingerling stage. Hell of a fish, congrats to the angler. His choice to donate, eat or mount it. Life long dream came true and beers on me for him

Yup that fish was certified and I’m pretty sure that’s the man that caught her on the right.

It’s not just here, it’s Facebook, insta, everywhere. Lots of haters. It’s crazy.

100% agree!

So much jealousy and by so many who never even catch fish or damn sure haven't caught anything of any size.

Anyone got a pic of the 16+ from Canyon a few weeks back?

So it was turned in Where did they hold it until sharelunker could get there?

I would bet the marina that posted the pics

I know Elm Creek has some aeriated tanks in the bait room.

Anyone know what he caught her on?

Awesome fish. Well done!

Same for me.

Such an awesome fish. That guy will NEVER forget this day!!! Way to go man.

So where are the haters now?

I would have crapped my pants once I saw it.. Great fish..

WOW! Congratulations to the angler

Found the bulge eye pics of the one from Waco

WOW!! Those eyes!!!

Sign of a palm thrasher, no thumbs needed

Great fish. Congrats.

No hating here. That is a beautiful, giant, world class fish.

Just heard Ivie has a new Smallmouth Record as of today, weighed 6.6. I saw the picture can anyone confirm the weight?

RIP Ivie the metro mess and lake Fork guys will beat it to death, but they just have so many rooms down there which will help.

oh happy days!

You are correct! Leonard was a friend until, well...I'll let you tell the rest.

I will bite, what happened?

So TPW states this is the 5th SAL of the 2021 season surely a typo.

How do you certify a fish after 30 day quarantine???? Why is it not on a list? The year the 14 was caught at Hubbard over the fence at the discharge we were catching some giants there in all the hydrilla that went all the way to the dam. Oh read the post again. Fish was caught at Hubbard. Kept someplace and then weighed 16 lbs years later.....

Awesome fish!!!

Great fish Joe. Beautiful fish. Congrats!!

Anyone else still laughing at the internet Jockeys that can tell what a fish weighs from a bad picture? Cracks me up, bet that edit post button got wore out in this thread

I’m still cracking up from your “used to work at USGS and I know all about stream and rivers and Ivie won’t catch water”! Comes up 37 ft... who’d a thunk it?

Anyone got a count of how many trailers at Ivie ramp?

May have been 15 at the ramp when I unloaded at elm.

I can’t believe it actually weighed more at Athens the next day by a few ounces . I know a few drops of water can add some ounces on it but I figured it would lose some weight with the stress it had on it . But I guess not goes to show that the TPWD really go above and beyond to take care of these SAL fish .

Once again Texas has produced a beautiful bass. She should make a whole bunch of babies for distribution all around the state/

Heck of a fish - congrats! Looks every bit of 16 to me, but I only catch sand bass these days...

I've had a number of 9s and a couple 10s in my boat. Always look smaller in the pic. JMHO

Garbage post. One big fish coming out of this lake to help support Texas fisheries does zero damage to the lake. That fish has already spawned many times and there are a lot more like her in the lake.

If folks really wanted “trophy” fisheries they would all start taking live well loads of these keeper size fish out of these lakes. Just about all of them are overstocked for true trophy potential.

Congrats to the angler great fish.

More like millions. The whole purpose of the SAL program is to improve OVERALL fishing for the state. It's not to produce a state record. Science & history has proven that Texas native bass rarely grow to more than 7-8 pounds without genetic altering. The addition of Florida genes allow these fish to grow into the teens now.

OH Ivie was impounded 30 years ago.

Not to start an argument but do you think the 16.40 was an original brood fish from 1990?? The previous lake record of 16.08 was caught in April 2010. That fish has been in Heaven for years.

There is a 99.99% chance the 16.40 fish was the product of second or third or even fourth generation fish that have benefited from the genetics from the SAL program over the years.

Once again, a 16 pound fish is a FREAK OF NATURE. Even at Camelot Bell in a "high-fenced" situation where the owner has nothing but pure Floridas with NO competition for their food source, tons of bait, there has not been a fish over 16 pounds caught as of yet. These fish are force fed shad, bluegill, tilapia in the summer, rainbow trout in the winter and intensively culled. CB is 22 years old this year.

This is just an opinion but I think there is a ceiling of how big the fish can grow in NTX and 16 pounds seems to be the point. The climate works against us.

Agree 100% with JR and Ken.

I want to catch that fishes momma....or her big sister will do too, I guess.

There was at least one SAL that was caught at Ivie and put back in the lake after she spawned. and was caught again by another fisherman later and donated to SAL again .

That was the previous lake record 16.08.

I'm wondering where the guy who claimed he's caught multiple fish over 16 pounds and swears you can't hold them with one hand went.

At the gym doing heavy forearm workout.

When I seen that picture on facebook it looked 16 plus to me , congratulations .

Zark is the man...if thats him! LOL i only know him as Zark from MilikenFishing. Seemed like an extremely humble guy who is easy to get along with....plus...I think hes a real good friend and got some of that karma back he's owed from Miliken. OLD video before he was as big as he is now....but iirc Milikens truck broke down a few hours away from zark in the middle of the night and Miliken was stranded. According to the vid, zark drove out fixed it up, drove his [censored] back home and worked the next morning. Thats pretty bad [censored]! Glad to see he stuck it!

Cant wait for the video

Congrats on that giant!. That’s about as big as they get in Texas. That first one pic is terrible- throw your buddy overboard!
But the other pics show a truly massive fish -so don’t throw your buddy overboard! -very easy to see that fish is every bit as much as its certified weight.

He didn't claim he caught them. He worked at BassPro and was in charge of their tank

Lol ....Right!! I can make a 4 lber look 8 and a 10 look 6.

I can tell you guys that I have fished with Joe and Ben and been in several of his videos. We were buddies before he got big when he was still working a full time job. They are absolute hammers on the water and super fun guys to be around. The amount they cut up and talk $hit makes it for a fun day. When I heard Joe had a 16, there was no doubt in my mind. Couldn't of happened to a better dude. I am shocked at all the people judging a fish by it's picture. Some super jealous dudes here.....Cant wait to see the video. They destroyed some BIGGS the day before this giant as well...

I cant stop laughing about the fb shpew you and Barrett had.

Probably live perch.

Guys weren’t jealous at all, the first pics released weren’t flattering.


And why take a picture, if it’s not for judging & looking at...

Lol, I take pictures of fish, my boys at sporting events, etc for the memories. Not for someone behind a keyboard to tell me how big my fish is...LMAO.

Poor guys, it’s going to be real bad for you.

I'm sitting here thinking about all the big bass I've ever caught and have concluded that I suck.

I remember when live water dogs were all the rage here on Ivie.

There were a few 13 plus fish caught on them.

Oh I know that feeling that you have.

so a 16,13,12,12,11,11,10,10 and 2-6 pound smallmouths in the last 2-3 days. i think i have that right

Don’t forget the 5.5 crappie. All fish were caught on an A-rig in 70ft of water.

You forgot about the 9lber and the couple dink 8s that were caught this weekend as well.

You guys crack me up! Look at his hand compared to the fishes mouth in the first pic. Huge fish! Congrats!

Nope on an A rig. All of them.

But was there an appropriate amount of snow and ice in the background?....

Dude got rich this week off a lake guys have fished for decades without the same successes, here come the tears.

I say yall start a YouTube, go to OK and catch SAL's

Hey! I was the one that said that about the snow. Take it easy Mark. I’m getting old and can’t see as well! Lol.
But I gave the man his props and said that was my bad.

Just having fun. Hopefully no one takes any of it seriously.

This guy definitely has some arousal with the Ivie posts...you ever been to the lake?

Nope. Don’t plan on it either! San Angelo and the surrounding are full of meth heads! Different “Texans” out there.

For years it seems like everytime a big fish comes out of ivie it throws the lake fork nut huggers into a tizzy. I have never completely understood why. They dont like it at all.

As a disinterested outsider, that is true. We all know that Fork has produced the most SAL, but some of the Fork guys do get upset if another lake is being talked about.

Bro who are you? I bet you've never even fished the lake. I can guarantee there are plenty of guys around here who have been catching giants on this lake for years. I am not sure what love affair you have with this dude, but I am embarrassed for you. Come fish any local tournament over here and you'll leave with your tail between your legs.

They didn’t like Alan Henry either.

You guys quit trying to get this thread locked, we need everyone to head to Ivie.

So odd, you’d think they’d like having a few less people coming to Fork.

That is what I was thinking as well!

Ahahaha

I have never fished Ivie and probably never will get the chance. I also haven't fished Fork in years. My whole interest in people's decision to drive to a lake after seeing big fish caught there is the psychology of it. In late February with a full moon coming up giant fish might just as easily be caught in Fork, Pines, Caddo, Ray Roberts, Choke Canyon, Rayburn, Hubbard Creek, Amistad, or any number of other lakes.

I just hope I have decent cell coverage at Ivie

You wont

Doesn't matter

Oh you crazy bass fishermen

Now don’t you leave Lake Austin off that list!!! 😄

None of those lakes will put out that number of 13+. Perfect conditions, super cold water.

Exactly, its laughable to act like this lake has not been producing big fish until this year. Luckily there is not much lodging available nearby and all the weak DFW sticks will quickly fall back to there nearby fisheries.

Once Ivie turns back into Ivie, they will lose interest because they will quit catching fish.

More like, once all these fish become accustomed to being chased by livescope, they will no longer bite.

No doubt you guys that have been fishing this lake for years catch big fish what’s laughable is they never even seen the lake until last week and catching multiple sals and busting lake records got all the locals wound up tight! Don’t have a clue who these guys are but very impressive!

There are a couple lakes right now with similar fish just not the same conditions to stack them up.