(CBS-DETROIT) – A Michigan man has now set a state record after catching a so-called “monstrous” white bass on Lake St. Clair last month.
Scott Smith, of Adrian, was fishing with a friend on April 25 when he caught a white bass weighing 2 pounds, 5.92 ounces and measuring 16.25 inches. This record-breaking fish was their last catch of the day.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Cindy Cordo caught the previous state record white bass at Bear Lake in Muskegon County in 2015. It weighed 2 pounds and measured 13.57 inches.
Cleyo Harris, a fisheries biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, confirmed that Smith’s catch was the new record.
“I’ve been fishing in Michigan for almost 65 years,” Smith said. “I grew up fishing the Detroit River. As kids we would ride our bikes there, cast a line with our bait and ‘wheel’ the catch home.”
However, this catch is not Smith’s first record. The angler’s first world record came from the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame for a rainbow trout in 1996.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Now he holds 53 world records – a mix of line class and all-tackle awards – in fly fishing and has competed in fishing tournaments around the world.
“Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time, and sometimes you’re just lucky.”
Although Smith has set many world records, this is his first state record.
“Sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time, and sometimes you’re just lucky.”
In addition to being a dentist and fly fishing guide, Smith has been a fly fishing instructor in Northern Michigan for 35 years.
