Giant Bass Caught Near LaGrange

A Spartanburg, S.C. teenager caught a largemouth bass the day after Christmas that will stand as the family’s personal best.

In a story released last week from lakerecord.net, the bass reportedly weighed 18 pounds on a Moultrie scale, one used more commonly for weighing deer.

Hayden Lee, 16, was on a hunting trip outside of LaGrange with his dad Rick and decided to do some fishing between his hunts. The article states, “(Hayden) remembered the pond from previous trips to the area and decided to bring along his fishing rod. Hayden’s decision paid off in a big way around noon, when on his first cast of the day with his Zoom watermelon-seed lizard, he hooked up with the beast. After landing the fish and taking it to a nearby Moultrie brand spring scale at the deer camp, the Lee’s were in awe when the needle stopped right at 18 pounds.”

GON owns the Georgia’s Biggest Bass of All-time list, and if Hayden would have taken the proper steps in getting his fish certified, it would have been considered as an addition to that list. The current top-three bass on GON’s Georgia’s Biggest Bass of All-time list are below:

1. 22-lbs., 4-ozs., George Perry (1932)
2. 18-lbs., 1-ozs., Ron Petzelt (1987)
3. 17-lbs., 14-ozs., Nickey Rich (1965)

To be considered for GON’s Georgia’s Biggest Bass of All-time list, a bass must be weighed on certified scales and weigh at least 14 pounds, be caught legally by rod and reel in a manner consistent with state game and fish regulations and have at least two witnesses present at the weighing who are at least 18 years old and are not members of the angler’s immediate family nor have a close personal relationship with the angler.

The lakerecord.net article continues, “For now though Hayden is just happy that he owns the family record. His father reports that his younger son caught a giant largemouth in their home state of South Carolina last year and older brother Hayden had to hear about it all year long, but after yesterday, he has the bragging rights now.”

GON is not certain what happened to the big bass, whether it was let go or will be mounted on a wall in Spartanburg.