The Story of Matt's 17 Lber!

Ever wonder what it would be like to catch a 17 lb bass? You sure didn't dream it would go like this! Matt's 17 lber had every opportunity to escape but somehow, against all odds she found her way to the net!

Matt takes you back to 2005 on little Rancho Seco Lake in Northern California. He had spent years trying to learn how to catch bass on a swimbait unsuccessfully but this day would be different! Bolstered by twin 11 lbers the week before, Matt returned to the lake with a renewed confidence.

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In the midst of everything going wrong, the fish of a lifetime finally bit! Everything that could go wrong went wrong, but somehow it worked out in the end. The fish weighed as heavy as 17.8 lbs but Matt was comfortable with the consistent weight of 17.2 lbs. 

What makes this fish so special (aside from the obvious) is that she became the impetus for Tacticalbassin. She permanently changed the course of Matt's life, ultimately bringing us here. If you'd like to read the article on Bassmaster click here. 

The gear Matt SHOULD have been using...

Huddleston Deluxe 8" Rainbow Trout

Rod #1-956
Rod #2- 807

Reel #1 (Round Option)
Reel #2 (Low Profile Option)

Line- 65 or 80 lb Braided Sufix 832

Leader- 30 lb Maxima

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My 17 lber... the untold story

Every successful angler sets goals to help stay on track but somewhere out there in the distance, even farther than the tangible is the intangible. The intangible consists of things too far fetched to even be called goals, they are left in the realm of dreams. One of my dreams was to someday log on to bassmaster and see a picture of me holding a giant bass. Thanks to Dan O'Sullivan I got to see one of my dreams come to fruition. Thank you DanO for doing a great write up and telling the untold story of my biggest bass. A lot of people know that I caught her but even some of my close friends didn't know the details of the catch. I'd like to think I've come a long way from then but then again, maybe not. Afterall, I've hooked a lot of big bass with a rod and reel but none as big as her. DanO wrote it best when he titled the article "Help From Above." There is no doubt in my mind I was meant to catch that fish. I did everything wrong! From the single size 1 treble to the light line, to the light action rod, I couldn't have made poorer decisions but it just goes to show you that when its your time, there is no stopping the inevitable. All I can say is while I did everything wrong, I still managed to be in the right place at the right time, during the right feeding window. Bassmaster.com Article Check it out, I'd love to hear your thoughts! And yes, I assure you the story is true.