# Big Trout



## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

Anyone know if this is legit?

Bo Patrick of Bishop is the angler. This photo is from a cell phone but you get the idea. Caught Saturday 5/15 somewhere north of the mouth of Baffin. 34" long over 12 lbs. Maybe the 2nd or 3rd largest Spec ever caught along the Texas coast


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## Eltruchador (Apr 8, 2005)

Holly Cow!!! That is a true monster!!!

Photo looks legit. to me, any photo experts out there??


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## JShupe (Oct 17, 2004)

*Fat Girl*

That is one FAT GIRL..... would love to hear the story on her... Troy, where did you come up with the photo maybe that source would know more on the story...

But man is that a BIG LADY.....

Jode
Laguna Rods


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## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

*Photo source*

Came in email. From a friend of a friend of a friend....

Looks real to me. Real big!


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## Fishdaze (Nov 16, 2004)

WOW!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to hear the story on this one.


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## RussellG (Jun 23, 2004)

Dang that is a PIG...I'll be after her sister tomorrow!

rg


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

oh yeah.....that's the fish I lost last week. RIGHT! I wish!!! That's one HUGE speck. Hope we get the story on it.

Kelly


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## Rockfish (May 21, 2004)

Thats no Spec. Its got to be a small tarpon or ling or something else.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

If that pic was real , that fish would weigh 20 lbs.


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## Hevy Dee (May 26, 2004)

*Nice Fish, BUT .....*

...... the extended arm pose (XAP) always distorts the size of the fish, when done properly, lol. Everytime I see a trout displayed with the XAP, I'm skeptical of the reported stats. Perhaps J still has his "average pine needle" handy for an accurate measurement, hehe. Anyway you slice it, it seems to be a nice pig though. - HD


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

Big Trout...

It's hard to tell how big fish are when you hold them out, show no fingers, elbows in, and the picture is dark. Cell phone cameras are horrible at depth perception, look how big his elbow and shirt sleeve is. 

Regardless...that's a big trout.


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## Neverenough (May 24, 2004)

That thing is a hog. Hard to tell how big but its big


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## WBHB (May 26, 2004)

That's the one I am looking for.


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## TexasDux (May 21, 2004)

*Why all the skeptics?... don't be hatin lol*

Check out the site Corpusfishing.com, go to the message board and click on "big trout" .


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## Tight Knot (Sep 8, 2004)

Who cares how is holding her,that my friends is a great fish.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

That's Weird...

On Corpusfishing.com he said "undisclosed location", I mean really...could we get the bay system. haha jk


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## Hevy Dee (May 26, 2004)

*Dux,*

I simply have a bad case of sow envy, lol. Awesome fish. If I ever get one like that, I'll give away all my stuff and call it good. - HD

BTW, I also wouldn't do an XAP with my pictures. I'll be hugging it like a first girlfriend.


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## TexasDux (May 21, 2004)

yeah I used XAP on my avatar pic, thats really a 2# grouper, not #50 LOL!

After my last 2 trips to Baffin and PM my trout gear may be on the 2cool classifieds! lol


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## OZGRAMS (Feb 28, 2005)

Too bad he didn't catch it on the 28th......


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## MouletteRouge (Aug 11, 2004)

Looks like a speck to me...A very big one at that...Could be some Northeasterner playing a trick on us Texas Boys with a big weakfish though..weakfish look just like a speck, minus the specks...But on first looking at it...looks to be a 10 pounder plus, even if it is held out like it is...Very good fish regardless...


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## MouletteRouge (Aug 11, 2004)

If we could see the license plate, maybe it would help...


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

OZGRAMS said:


> Too bad he didn't catch it on the 28th......


I've always been afraid to fish the few weeks before STAR begins for just that reason.


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## Shaky (May 21, 2004)

Thats so big its almost ugly! But if I had been that lucky it sure would have ended up on my wall!

Great fish!


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## bullred123 (Apr 16, 2005)

if that is a real pic i have to agree with redfish it's 20lbs or better but i think it's Bullsh##


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

it could also be a white seabass from california - they look kinda like a speck and get very big.


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## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

*Looks real to me*

The more I look at it....seems legit. Certainly a trout, not corvina. Looks like your typical ol' Texas boy to me.


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## boat_money (May 21, 2004)

*looks good to me...*

heckuva trout. someone who's better than me at editing see if you can get some better definition and read what's on the bulletin board.

i tried to make it brighter.


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## gut hooked (Mar 23, 2005)

if you google the name and city, you will such a person does live in bishop texas...this only proves that such a person exists, not that the person named is the person in the photo; it certainly does nothing to substantiate the existence of the rhino......but someone could call and find out...........


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## west Galv. (Apr 28, 2005)

why kill it !


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## Jimmy (Mar 2, 2005)

I don't care who you are. If you caught it, it would be hanging from your wall! It would definitely be on mine!


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## SaltwaterAg (Oct 7, 2004)

some guy posted on corpusfishing forum and said his buddy caught a big fish but didn't know how to post it. he emailed it to a guy and he posted it. looks authentic, but you never know.


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## LongRodMaster (Mar 5, 2005)

Yeah I have to admit if I caught her she would have gone home with me just to make sure weighed it on a certified scale.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

The EAP or extended arm photo does not apply to this photo if you examine the pic you can see that the mans elbow is almost at his lowest rib which means that his arm really is not extended that far maybe 12" / 15". You can also see how much he is straining to hold this beauty. Would have been cool to just get measurements for the mount and release it those are the genes we want to keep breeding.


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## Ragman (May 21, 2004)

I would just kiss her, thank her, and send her on her way! JMO, but once it's in my head, that's good enough for me unless I'm going to eat it.

If it is real, I bet his knees got weak once he recovered from the shock of the size when he got her close..

I hope it's real, because she would have passed those genes on.


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## boat_money (May 21, 2004)

ok, this thread is one reason people keep big trout. half don't believe he caught it even with the pic. i ate my 30 incher. i plan on releasing the next 30 incher, but if i caught a 34"er, i think i might have to keep it, drive it around to everyone's house i know that would care, just to have witnesses. but really i rarely fish with anyone that has a camera so cpr would be a tough decision. imagine the disbelief this guy would have gotten if someone didn't have a cell phone camera. then 3/4ths of us wouldn't believe the story.


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## Junebug (May 24, 2004)

Can't say if I'd kill a fish that big or not. I'd love to say to the PC fishing world I'd take a pic and let her swim, but in reality I'm just not sure.

To each his own, he didn't break any laws so more power to him. Congrats on one heck of a fish!

It's a sad day when someone catches a fish of a lifetime and gets negative comments about it.

~JB


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## JS (May 27, 2004)

That trout has had the same genes since it came out of the egg sac. It has spawned many, many, many times over since it was 12 or 13 inches long and its genes haven't changed with age or size. There are hundreds if not thousands of trout out there carrying her genes as we speak, so let's give this guy a break. She's a rare one but she has done her part and then some, spawning wise. 

Incredible fish and it definitely would have went on my wall if I were so fortunate.

Jim


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## Ragman (May 21, 2004)

Personally, I don't care about the PC fishing world. My response was just what I would do.

If it's what he wants, I hope his taxidermist makes the most beautiful mount!

Hopefully, someone will have this guy post a report.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

Like Boat Money I ate the 30" Trout I caught but only because she was DAL due to being hooked deep. A 34" Trout 12#'s is amazing and I can only hope I get to break the 10# mark before my fishing days are over.

Hope it's for real but I don't see any spots due to the poor image. Corvina? Possibly, but congratulations to the guy if it's for real.

TH


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

Troutboy 05 asked, "why kill it" and that is a fair question, but before we get too deep into that discussion I'd like to offer a few other points to ponder.

-First of all we don't have the all the facts, maybe he tried to revive her but was not successful.

-Harvesting from the top does not endanger the base. This is a simple statistical and biological fact and is therefore the premise for nearly all fish and game management.

-We should never be embarrassed or discouraged to collect a career-best specimen as a trophy. Whether we drive around and show it to our buddies and then fry it, or take it to the taxidermist, is not important.

-Releasing the fish after weigh, measure, and photograph would have been cool, especially if somebody else could have caught her at a later date... kind of like Share-A-Trophy, but that's rather hopeful on the releaser's part, (I've done it with a bunch of 6, 7 and 8-pounders but never one that nice.) I would not criticize the guy who decided to keep her though, the fish was likely 9 or 10 years old and very near the end of her life. She has made a wonderful contribution to the fishery during her 7 or 8 spawning seasons and likely would have succumbed to natural causes or predation during her next year. According to TPWD data, the odds for her getting where she is are miniscule, achieving another year in the wild would be highly unlikely.

-Finally... back to the comment of "Why kill it?" (And I am in way attacking or chiding Troutboy 05 here) -- I have a counter for you. "What's more injurious to the fishery... keeping this fish as a trophy or whacking a daily limit of 10 head at 20-inches every chance?" If the fish would be released as part of our conservation logic, then let's make sure we apply our logic logically.

"Just Keep Five!" 
Good fishing to you. 
EJ


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## Tsip (May 21, 2004)

Some of Baffin's trout don't carry the spots that the rest of the species does. Just in case there are any shaking heads out there, I'll post a pic of one.

Heck of a fish, but it still doesn't top Rowland's. That one may very well last "forever".

Tsip


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## pkredfish (Jan 14, 2005)

Yeh, three of the trout I caught this morning barely had any spots, and they were only on the fins. Congrats to the guy that caught that fish, I am truly jelouse.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

*Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children. *

*- Ancient Indian Proverb *


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

Me next,, heading to corpus at noon friday....looking for her sister.


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## Sight Cast (May 24, 2004)

Well said Everett, I tried calling back last night after you called me (about Scott's old cabin.) I'll be down Fri afternoon, stop by. Chris Condon


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## JS (May 27, 2004)

Gary - is that a cryptic way saying he should have released the fish?

EJ - good post. This is reminiscent of the SSWG days, and the question still remains to be answered - do we want a trophy fishery or do we just want a bunch of "decent keepers"? There is no consensus, of course.

Jim


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## texan279 (Oct 13, 2004)

I'm not trying to hijack this thread or anything, and I am no where near the fisherman most of you here are, I guess I am what some of you guys consider a "weekend fisherman", but what is with all the people freaking out over people keeping trophy fish. Some here seem to think it's ok to keep a mess of decent sized fish and a mortal sin to keep one trophy fish. Do some people not realize for all of the decent sized fish that are boxed that some of those could grow into trophy fish. Just MO but I don't think anyone should say anything about anyone keeping any legal fish unless they practice CPR 100% of the time. And by the way, this post is not meant to offend anyone, it is not aimed at any one person, just my thoughts on the matter. Oh yeah, and that is one helluva fish by the way.


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## Transport22 (Dec 2, 2004)

I am envious of this fisherman. This is a great accomplishment and therefore, I refer to him as "MR." Bo Patrick in my book. It would be nice to know about his rig and style of fishing. 

Mr. Patrick - if you are reading this, please consider sending me a PM.


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## Sight Cast (May 24, 2004)

I am envious of Texan 279 avatar of the stormtrooper. I'm crying. Too funny. Screw the trout.


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## Capt Black (May 21, 2004)

*This One Is Legit.....*

Bo is a neighbor of a friend of mine, Steve Morales. I talked to Steve this afternoon and got the inside scoop. The pic is real as is the fish. And it was caught in........................................... the mouth LOL. Congrats on the fish Bo. I hope to catch her sister soon.

As for keeping her, I guarantee you I would have kept that one. Later, Aubrey


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

Great fish, but believe me it is not in the top 2-3 caught on the texas coast. If it is, I would have been there 2 times already. But, not to take away from her beauty, because she is a beautiful girl and only a very small % of anglers will ever have the excitement of catchig one.


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

Just look at my avatar, the one on the left is 32 1/2 and the other one is just over 34". I wish I could locate the picture of her laying across my icebox just to show her size and length. Pretty incredible when she will hang off a cooler that measures 32".


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

If the pic is real , and I dont disbelieve bassfreaks, Its a hellofa fish.
But it looks much heavier than 12 lbs the way hes holding it as compared to stew tx1's fissh. And I know the state record is 13 plus from baffin and world record 15 plus from the banana river. This fish looks 18 to 20 to me, and I know its not. 
Congrats Big trout catcher.


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## Reel Bender (Sep 30, 2004)

I have a question, hopefully some of you can answer.

A guy posted a report & pic last week, I think, about keeping a 24" inch Trout and got blasted pretty good.

So what you can't keep a 24", but its Ok to keep over 30"??????????????


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## flatsfats (May 21, 2004)

thats a heckuva trout. i'm very curious as to her weight. 

lets not start the cpr stuff again. taking a 34" trout is kinda like taking a monster old white muzzled buck. they are in their twilight years and a trophy in the truest sense. when you've outwitted either one it is an accomplishment that i admire. as stated above they have made their contributions to the gene pool many times over.

WTG Bo!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Castaway Kay (May 21, 2004)

Did anybody read the Vince Stiglich report this morning? There was a differant big fish caught in Galveston.

http://www.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?wcd=71852


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## Reel Bender (Sep 30, 2004)

I am not trying to start anything, I am just trying to learn the difference.


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

Short story RB: you can keep whatever you want that is legal to keep. Don't worry about what everyone thinks.


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## Capt. John Havens (May 28, 2004)

stew1tx said:


> Just look at my avatar, the one on the left is 32 1/2 and the other one is just over 34". I wish I could locate the picture of her laying across my icebox just to show her size and length. Pretty incredible when she will hang off a cooler that measures 32".


Just curious what the weights were on the fish you describe? Also what were they caught on?


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

Better yet, what bay system, gps coords, etc.


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## BertS (May 21, 2004)

Havens said:


> Just curious what the weights were on the fish you describe? Also what were they caught on?


croakers.......lol


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## McTrout (May 22, 2004)

Hey guys.

My old neighbor from Bishop just called. He was fishing with BO when that fish was caught. He said it was probably a 32 and went between 10.5 & 11 lbs. Amazing how rumors start. Anyway, these guys know what they're doing, throw lures, and release a lot of big fish. They also had other big ones that day...shin deep on a Norton Bull Minnow.

Anyway, that 's the story. Great fish, a "donkey" as he described it.


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## Retriever (Dec 17, 2004)

*StewTX Fantastic Trout*

Congrats on two true trophies..............would love to see additional pics.

Tight Lines!


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## Redfish (Dec 27, 2004)

Here's another pic from corpusfishing.com...


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## boat_money (May 21, 2004)

it some how doesn't look nearly as big in the 2nd pic.


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## Redfish (Dec 27, 2004)

Anyone know the size of the truck in the back? I may be wrong but he looks like a small guy.


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## Sight Cast (May 24, 2004)

Arm is FULLY extended.


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## fishnlab (Jul 10, 2004)

that's exactly what I was thinking, Redfish. 

Judging by the size of the fisherman in relation to the truck, and the extension of the arm for the picture, I believe that trout is 17.25"....if it's a trout at all.


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## Flynm (Mar 22, 2005)

F150...


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## iflyabeech (May 23, 2005)

Ha, I grew up fishing with Bo and my dad. I believe my dad is probobly the one who is McTrout's buddy from Bishop. They fish all over Baffin, so you fellers can forget about the hoax theories! I haven't talked to my dad about this yet, but I am sure he was with Bo when he caught this fish, and they probobly caught a few more like it if I know them!


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## Sight Cast (May 24, 2004)

Bro, the freaken fish goes from his thighs to his knees... 18" at most.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

What a much of envious nay sayers. This good fisherman catches >30" trout and y'all just have to hammer about how he took the picture. The guy that caught this fish has not made any claim as to length and weight. It's a big trout - end of story. Wish I had caught it. Congrats on the catch, Later!

Facts: he was not soaking coakers, it was over 30", and he does not care if you believe it or not! Some of y'all that are doubting the catch still only deam of catching one close to this size. Heck even Capt'n Black supported this catch and Aurbrey has caught more big trout the past few years any of us.


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

Sorry Flak, I'm with the rest. Sc your right on, and look at his fingers.


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## poolguy (May 24, 2005)

I know the guy personally and have fished with him a few times. He knows his stuff and wouldnt BS about it.


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## gatorbait (May 21, 2004)

*Who cares?*

Cmon guys jeez. Its just a fish, a nice fish but dad gum lets let it go. Kind of reminds me of a post a few years ago where someone had a "reported" huge speck and everyone was measureing everything in the picture to try to legitimize the photo. Who cares, the guy caught a nice fish. It wasnt the first and wont be the last. Sometimes folks around here act like a bunch of cackling women! No offense ladies! 

Zac


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

HEHEHE, yea, don't worry I get the same flack all the time about big trout. The one on the left actually weighed more than the 34" fish. She went 10.2 if I remember right, and the big girl went 10 even on an old POS scale. So, I will never know the true weights, and that is ok with me. I have eaten bigger, when I was a kid I ate a fat 33" trout. Back when I was fishing for food and not sport. Those particular fish were winter fish with no roe in them so legitimate contenders for state records, and WERE NOT CAUGHT ON CROAKS like that soaker Berts said hehehehe. Both on Mirrolures.


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## allicat (May 20, 2004)

Zac Zac Zac .... you aught to know by now that the women around here dont do nearly as much cackling as the men do :slimer:


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## gatorbait (May 21, 2004)

*HaHa*

You got that right.

Z


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## Larry Bozka (Nov 2, 2004)

What an incredible fish. I got word that this fellow may have weighed it at Brown's Bait Camp in Riviera, so I called over there and spoke with Mrs. Brown this (Thursday) morning. She was not aware of the catch, and neither did she recognize the name of the angler.

If anyone knows anything about the specifics, I'd sure appreciate getting the word.

Good fishing to all ...

Boz


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## Fishin-Inc (May 27, 2004)

*cuz*

Just cuz it's slow and preholiday business is a little off.

Gotta love the first time posters.
Going out of their way to register just to support their buddies on a message board. All we need is a little span.

How about a black salty commercial?


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## Fishin-Inc (May 27, 2004)

*oops*

SPAM the word is spam.
Where's Shawn when you need them.


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

what'd I do now?


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## Fishin-Inc (May 27, 2004)

*heck*

You're fast. Just jackin with ya.
Thanks for the offer of Rockport a few weeks ago.
My family and fishing has me booked.
It's been fun. L8tr Inc.


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

you didn't miss much, my trip to rockport got cancelled at the last minute.

Maybe next time.


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