11-lb. Oconee Bass!

James Buice Jr., of Decatur, and a friend from South Carolina hadn’t caught a fish yet on Oct. 27, 1990 at Lake Oconee, when James got the strike of a lifetime.

The two had just come in from deer hunting and were fishing the rip-rap along the Highway 278 bridge up the Oconee River when an 11-lb. bass hit James’ red/blue Zoom worm.

“I thought I was hung,” said James. “I was pulling it in and the fish didn’t fight until it was about 15 feet from the boat.”

The big bass made two strong runs under the pontoon boat, but James’ 12-lb. test line held, and he soon had the lunker in the boat.

James Buice Jr. with his 11-lb. Oconee bass.