Another near TARP rock bass

[TnCreekMaster]

Fished the stones again today and hooked into this rockie that of course was just barley short of the 10" trophy, measured at 9.6" :( caught and released un harmed along with a handful of white bass and some good gills also released but not into hot grease lol

Happy fishing
TnCreekMaster

[gordonc615]

is the record really just 10"? like seriously? I'd love to have my name in the record book cause I can catch those all day

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[TnCreekMaster]

Is the record really just 10"? like seriously? I'd love to have my name in the record book cause I can catch those all day

Record is not 10" that is just the minimum length for a Tennessee Angler Recognition Program (TARP) fish. The State Record is 2 pounds

[gordonc615]

ahh gotcha! I just recently found out from on older gentlemen that these are great to eat as well. I think I'm going to have to start having some fun with these guys! they are abundant in my local creek

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[Reel Tune]

Congratulations, last year I was fishing with a guy on the Stones and he caught a monster Rock Bass, I forget what the length was but it was the biggest one either one of us had ever seen.

[tsuggs]

Awesome! What were u throwin to catch the redeye ?

[TnCreekMaster]

Lead head and grub

[Alphahawk]

Congrats on your catch. I have one 12 inch Red Eye to my credit. I have caught several at the 10 inch mark...over a four or five year period. I catch a ton of 6-8 inch fish....sometimes going 9 inches. A ten inch Red Eye is a big fish...that is why the 10 inch mark gets one a TARP...it is not that common. Mike Dial is a master of catching these...even he will tell you they are not that common. So for someone to go out and say they can catch them all day.....maybe so....but when I see a 15 fish limit of 10 inch Red Eyes on a measuring board in a pic...then we can talk.


Regards

[TnCreekMaster]

Congrats on your catch. I have one 12 inch Red Eye to my credit. I have caught several at the 10 inch mark...over a four or five year period. I catch a ton of 6-8 inch fish....sometimes going 9 inches. A ten inch Red Eye is a big fish...that is why the 10 inch mark gets one a TARP...it is not that common. Mike Dial is a master of catching these...even he will tell you they are not that common. So for someone to go out and say they can catch them all day.....maybe so....but when I see a 15 fish limit of 10 inch Red Eyes on a measuring board in a pic...then we can talk.


Regards

Agreed and man that 12" rockie had to have been a blast fighting on that ultra light tackle, do you have a pic of that monster alpha

[Alphahawk]

Agreed and man that 12" rockie had to have been a blast fighting on that ultra light tackle, do you have a pic of that monster alpha

No pic of that fish....didn't even have a camera then. Of all the fish I have been blessed to catch I really wish I had a pic of the red eye and a 15 inch shell cracker caught at same spot on Center Hill. Keep up the good fishing...enjoy your reports.


Regards

[gordonc615]

wow yeah I'd have to take a picture of a 15 inch she'll ctacker! I've never seen one that big in my life. I'm stunned

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[Alphahawk]

I am certain that Center Hill has many shell crackers in it that will break the state record....as well as Dale Hollow. A 15 inch shell cracker is nothing compared to the shell crackers in Lake Havasu in Arizona. It would just be another fish. I didn't start taking fish pics until about 6-7 years ago. Now that I am back to fishing out of a boat hope to be able to chase down a couple of 14-15 inch shell crackers. I regularly get into 10-12 inch shell crackers but hope this year I can get into a bunch over 13 inches. Now that I take pics if I get one that big I will have a pic of him laying on a Hawg Trough to show just how big he is.


Regards

[creeksmallie]

Randy,
Warmer weather around the corner. I really believe the flat bite on Center Hill is the best pattern I have found for the shellcracker. Center Hill has some great Rockbass also. I have had a few wading trips where we have caught 5 to 7 Rockbass topping the 10" mark. Any Rockbass in the 10"plus range is an awesome catch!!!! They are great eating!!!