Archive for 'Bass'

Largemouth Bass

Carl Pruitt set the Washington State record on April 9, 1977 when he pulled in a largemouth that tipped the scale at 11lbs-9oz. Banks Lake continues to be a favorite honey hole for many anglers, but seeing bass this size is a very rare opportunity in the Pacific Northwest, especially on a body of water that is host to numerous bass fishing tournaments each year.

Smallmouth Bass

Ray Wonocott reeled in the Washington State record on April 23, 1966 on the Columbia River with a confirmed weight of 8lbs-12oz. This highly adaptable and unforgiving species has continued to impress sport anglers all over the world, and with several quality lakes in Washington State, I would say that this record will be tough to beat, but not impossible.

No matter which species you’re after in Washington State,  these official measurements are impressive and it’s no wonder both records still remain intact. The key to both of these records are their timing; April is a very important month as “the spawn” is only a few months away.

The sport of bass fishing will continue to grow, and let’s hope that the largemouth and smallmouth continue to grow as well.

Change to HD for clearest picture.

You've never seen a fishing show like this!

There are very few television personalities that I truly enjoy watching, and Mike de Avila is sitting on top of the list. Lunkerville is about us anglers, and to truly appreciate the concept of the show, you need to understand the hype of this down-to-earth host, Mike D.

Lunkerville debuted in 2004 and has won numerous awards since, including a CINE Golden Eagle in 2009. For those who don’t know, why is it every producer’s dream to win a CINE Golden Eagle?

The CINE Golden Eagle has a 50+ year history of recognizing excellence in TV and film.  It’s as prestigious as an Emmy or Oscar in my opinion. Past recipients include Ken Burns, Stephen Spielberg, Ron Howard, Robert Zemeckis, Mike Nichols, Martin Scorcese and Mel Brooks.  So for Lunkerville to win this award tells me the judges appreciate the story telling in the show. I don’t know that any other fishing program was won this ward, so I am honored and thrilled to have been chosen.

Mike,  you have dedicated so much time and an unmatched work ethic to get Lunkerville where it is today. For your fans, what is one aspect of your life that you have had to sacrifice for the show?

I can’t say that I’ve sacrificed anything.  To the contrary: the show has given me so much.  It’s a creative outlet for me, like filmmaking is, but now I get to make a 13 “mini-films” every year.  Producing and directing a feature film takes years to accomplish and often when it’s done, there is little or no distribution, so it doesn’t get seen.  Lunkerville is available to over 25 million homes through WFN, which makes the process incredibly gratifying because people are watching and enjoying the show.

Speaking of everyday people, which guest has given you the most valuable fishing advice or recommendations?

Hmmm. I like to say that every guest who has a passion for bass fishing has something to teach me.  Picking one particular guest is difficult. But I have to say that one of my recent guests, “Ronnie the Jighead”, taught me a ton about jig fishing.  This was one of the few episodes where I operated the camera and didn’t fish, which I enjoy doing every once in a while, especially if we’re on a small boat.

Your favorite lure is a stickbait (soft plastic worm). What has been your most successful presentation beyond ‘ole faithful?

I love the pop-r.  Topwater fishing is so much fun and I’ve had some good success with it.  I also enjoy banging a crank bait off of underwater structure.

I would really like to thank you Mike for taking the time to answer our questions here at FHC Outdoors. For those anglers looking for new Lunkerville episodes or some quality fishing gear, where can they go to catch up on all things Lunkerville?

Thanks for having me Daniel.  You can watch all past episodes at lunkerville.com for free and interact with other anglers in our forums.  We also sell a Tips and Tactics DVD and a Bait Kit there.  And if you want to be considered as a guest on the show, join our facebook page and submit a home video.