Record Breaking Smallmouth Gets Hooked

One of the largest smallmouth bass ever caught on Lake Erie was caught by father-son fishing duo Gregg and Grant Gallagher on November 7,2022.

Having caught a 10.15-pound smallmouth from Lake Erie on Nov. 3, Gallagher’s name has been spread widely throughout the fishing world. Three days after the catch, Gregg was retrieving the trailer at the same ramp in Port Clinton, Ohio, when a stranger called out.

“I’ve been overwhelmed to say the least,” Gregg said. “I’m a really shy, non-attention seeking person. I went from nobody knowing who I was to being called ‘The Big Bass Guy.’ I didn’t realize the guy was talking to me. I had to think about it for a second.”

Gregg wrote in a Facebook post, “On November 3, my son Grant and I, both teachers, woke up with a surprise day off due to fog. The flat, calm conditions were ideal for our Bass Cat boat to cruise anywhere on Lake Erie.”

After all, Grant put in the hard work to find the behemoth, which ranks among the top five bass ever caught, and he wished his son caught it. The former Bassmaster College Series angler at Adrian College, who also competes in regional events, was delighted to make a mark in fishing, and doubly thrilled to be able to do so with the man who inspired him to fish.

Several years ago, my son and I primarily chased walleye, one of the most popular species around. To find something different, we experimented with casting and jigging instead of trolling to catch walleye. This eventually led us to spend more time specifically pursuing bass.”

Through scouting and graphing, Grant refined a good approach.

They found an unpressured spot on Lake Erie where baitfish and smallmouth fish were abundant thanks to their livescope fish finder.

Gregg recalls what was the most memorable cast of his life, when his bait was hit before it even reached the bottom, and the rod quickly doubled over.

We quickly realized we had just caught the smallmouth of a lifetime. After weighing in the fish, we knew it was approaching at least 9 pounds.” “I honestly thought I hooked into a sheepshead instead of a smallmouth.

Grant’s catch was shown on Bigwater Fishing’s YouTube channel. “Oh my gosh!” he shouted after netting the fish. “Dad, what did you just catch?” Watch the video below.

In the video you can hear the excitement on their voices and as many of you know a 10-pounder smallmouth does not come around that often.

It’s for sure a once in a lifetime catch, one that they will not forget. With This crushing 10- pounder they made it to the state record books.

After landing the trophy bass, contacting Ross Robertson of Bigwater Fishing to get it certified, and weighing in at 10.15 pounds which was bigger than initially thought the duo contacted Lake Erie Fisheries.

Program Administrator for the Ohio DNR Travis Hartman to take the steps to submit this fish for record consideration.

If approved by authorities, it will go down as the Ontario Province record smallmouth bass; currently held by Andy Anderson’s 9.84-pounder from 1954.

According to Wired2Fish.com, it would also be a Great Lakes record and the fourth-biggest smallie ever caught anywhere, measuring in at 23 ¾ inches long with a girth of 19 3/8 inches.

 

Sources: beaumontenterprise Fieldandstream