Lewiston man breaks Idaho record with 23.5-inch smallmouth bass

CLEARWATER COUNTY, Idaho — A brand new Idaho catch and launch fishing document was set on Tuesday after Travis Wendt of Lewiston hooked an enormous smallmouth bass.

Wendt reeled within the 23.5-inch bass whereas fishing Dworshak Reservoir in north-central Idaho. Two catch and launch information have been damaged on the reservoir, which owns a world-class repute for trophy smallmouth bass. 

In accordance with Idaho Fish and Recreation (IDFG), the earlier smallmouth bass document was set in 2020, after Dustin Shepard hooked a 22.75-inch monster. 

Dworshak Reservoir holds all of Idaho’s licensed weight information for smallmouth bass since 1982, IDFG mentioned. 

Wendt’s catch could compete with Idaho’s current licensed weight document for smallmouth bass. The highest-ranked fish was caught by Dan Steigers in October 2006. Steigers’ catch weighed in at 9.72 kilos. 

In October 1995, Steigers additionally hooked an 8.3-pound fish, which sits at No. 2 on Idaho’s licensed weight information, behind his 2006 smallmouth bass catch. Don Schiefelbein’s 7.35-pound smallmouth bass caught in September 1982 ranks third on the listing. 

IDFG mentioned Wendt launched the record-breaking bass again into the lake after grabbing the picture included on this article. 

“Biologists have realized that large bass in Dworshak have a cyclical sample, associated to the fluctuating numbers of kokanee within the reservoir,” Pure Useful resource Program Coordinator, Martin Koenig wrote. “In years when kokanee are considerable – and normally smaller because of this – they supply the ample meals wanted to develop supersize smallmouth.”

Fish and recreation biologist Eli Felts began to note an abundance of kokanee whereas engaged on Dworshak Reservoir over the past two years. Felts predicted a document bass was probably coming quickly in a March 28 article. 

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