On Jan. 12th, 2015, Timothy Little caught and released a 10.38lb Spotted Bass from New Bullards Bar Reservoir (Yuba County). Luckily Tim was ready that day for this rare opportunity, as he had a certified scale on his boat and a witness! After reviewing Tim’s record application, CDFW confirmed that Little’s fish beat the 14 year old previous record of 10.25lbs taken from Pine Flat Lake (Fresno County) by Brian Shishido in 2001.

Black bass are preparing to spawn statewide and that means big fish are within reach of savvy anglers that know how to find them. Get out there and take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and the numerous inland angling opportunities California provides. For more information on how to submit for a state record or to see the current list of California state records please go to http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Fishing/Recognition/SIWR/