NYS Largemouth Bass record 1987

New York State record Largemouth Bass picture, John L. Higbie, 11 lbs 4 oz, 1987.



Newspaper articles below from 1987:

From the Albany Times Union:
UNADILLA MAN LANDS RECORD
Section: SPORTS, Page: C16
Date: Sunday, October 11, 1987

John Higbie of Unadilla in Otsego County had an excellent season, catching a bass weighing over eight pounds about a month ago. But little did he know that before the season was over he would land a lunk bass that would dwarf his eight-pounder.
After catching the first largemouth, Higbie took it to the taxidermist, then told all his fishing partners he would never keep another trophy largemouth unless it was larger than that one. Higbie's friends gave him a high quality fish scale and a tape measure just to hold him to his promise.
A month later, Higbie was fishing a private lake in Otsego County when another big bass engulfed his large homemade spinnerbait. After a long battle, Higbie finally boated his second lunker bass in less than 30 days. But he didn't realize just how big it was until he weighed and measured it.
First he measured the huge bass. It was over two inches longer than his 8- pounder. Next he hung it from the fish scales. Then it struck him that he might have just caught a state-record largemouth bass.
Higbie might not have realized that the second lunker was as big as it was if his friends hadn't given him the scales and tape measure. If he hadn't had them in his tackle box he said he may have simply "returned the fish to the water."
Higbie brought his lunker largemouth to the DEC fisheries office in Stamford, where the species was confirmed and then entered in the Department of Environmental Conservation's record fish program. The bass weighed in at 11.26 pounds, about eight ounces heavier than the previous record largemouth bass caught 12 years ago.
The bass was 25.5 inches long and had a girth of 21 inches.
Obviously, Higbie will have the fish mounted.


From The Tri-Town News,
VOL. 146 - NO. 38 SIDNEY, NEW YORK — THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

UANDILLA
25 YEARS AGO

September 23, 1987

John Higbie of Unadilla met
up with fate last week while he
was fi shing at a nearby lake.
Higbie caught a large-mouth
black bass that weighed 11
lbs., 4 1/2 oz., which was good
enough to break the state record
of 12 years by at least one
half pound.

From The Tri-Town News,
VOL. 146 - NO. 51 SIDNEY, NEW YORK — THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012
UNADILLA

25 YEARS AGO
John Higbie, Unadilla,
broke a record for reeling in
a largemouth bass in the 42nd
Annual NYS Genesee Fishing
Contest. He broke a 12 year
state record with his 11 lb. 4
oz. bass.