Tournament angler Troy Diede of Sioux Falls, S.D. has officially caught the largest smallmouth bass in South Dakota history. His July catch from Lake Oahe has just been approved by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks as an official state record. The monster fish measured 20 3/4 inches and weighed 7 pounds, 4.7 ounces.
How it all happened
According to a comprehensive writeup from Christopher Decker on Bassmaster.com, the huge smallmouth ate a soft-plastic bait rigged on a Eco Pro Tungsten Shroom Head.
Diede was actually having a tough time finding bites the previous day and upon changing areas, he boated a 6.39-pound smallmouth which was his personal best at the time. As it turns out, he caught this state-record fish just 100 yards away the next day.
Best of all? It was released alive and healthy.
The fish was officially weighed and measured and upon completion, Diede put the fish back into his “highly oxygenated” livewell and immediately released it in the same spot from which he caught it. The big smallmouth swam away without a problem.
Congratulations on the catch, Troy!
