Keith Lusher 01.08.26
A Central California kayak angler closed out the 2025 freshwater season with one of the biggest largemouth bass reported anywhere in the country, landing a massive 16-pound, 1-ounce fish after weeks of grinding through tough conditions.
Max Lee, a 31-year-old angler from Clovis, California, said persistent fog had blanketed the Central Valley for weeks, limiting sunlight and keeping fish inactive. He spent much of November and early December fishing a heavily pressured reservoir, waiting for the right window.
That window finally opened when the sun broke through the fog just enough to change the mood of the lake. Lee said the improving conditions caused big bass to suspend and become easier to identify using forward-facing sonar.
“I was searching for just one big fish,” Lee said. “When the fog started lifting and the sun warmed the water, I saw a single fish suspended about 15 feet down over deeper water.”
The bass appeared alone with no bait nearby. Lee made a long cast of roughly 130 feet using a homemade 6-inch minnow-style soft plastic on a 3/16-ounce jig head. He slowed the lure’s fall as it approached the fish, watching the entire presentation unfold on his sonar.
The bite came quickly.
“As soon as it took the lure, I just tightened up and hooked it,” Lee said.
The bass stayed deep during the short fight, surfacing only once before Lee landed it by hand beside his kayak. Cold water temperatures around 50 degrees likely reduced the fish’s ability to fight, allowing him to land it in under a minute.
Lee weighed the bass on a handheld tournament scale at just over 16 pounds and measured it at 27 inches long. Photos were taken quickly, with the fish out of the water for less than a minute before being released.
A fellow kayak angler, Joseph Tax, helped document the catch before the bass swam off strongly.
While some anglers online speculated about the location, Lee declined to name the lake, noting it is public water managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and receives heavy fishing pressure.
“I consider it my home lake,” Lee said. “I believe there are bigger bass in there.”
Despite the trophy-class catch, Lee has no plans for a replica mount. He said he is holding out for a 17-pounder he believes is still swimming somewhere in that same foggy California reservoir.
Trending Products
