Photo courtesy of NYSDEC
James Britenbaugh of Pennsylvania broke the New York state largemouth bass record with his 12-pound, 6-ounce monster from Cayuga Lake.
The news of the lunker black bass caught from Cayuga Lake is accurate. On Thursday, July 11, James Britenbaugh of Pennsylvania went fishing with a buddy at Cayuga Lake to prepare for an upcoming bass tournament. Britenbaugh, during the Inside Bassmaster Podcast, said he fooled the big bass by casting a Senko plastic worm, fishing it close to the bottom near a mid-depth weed edge adjacent to a deep drop-off.
Using a 20-pound J-braid to a 12-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, to the Senko, the fish was eventually brought to the boat and safely netted by his partner. During the practice session, he never expected to reel in a record-breaking 12-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass. The fish was 25-1/4 inches long with a girth of 21-inches. The record-breaking catch smashes the previous state record for largemouth bass (11-pounds, 4-ounces), which was caught in 1987 from Buckhorn Lake in Otsego County.
NYS has five lakes named in the Bassmaster Magazine’s Top 100 Best Bass Lakes in the country. The Bassmaster Elite Series of bass fishing tournaments visit NYS often; there are reasons why! Other top NYS bass waters include the St. Lawrence River at the Thousand Islands (ranked No. 1 in the nation) and Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River (No. 7). Lake Champlain, Cayuga Lake, Oneida Lake and Chautauqua Lake are also on the Bassmaster Magazine Top 25 list of Northeastern Best Bass Lakes of 2024. New York continues to be a repeat destination for world-class fishing, not to mention the hot 2024 summertime walleye fishing along the Chautauqua County shoreline of Lake Erie.
Britenbaugh submitted details of his winning catch as part of the NYSDEC Angler Achievement Awards Program, which recognizes anglers who catch any of the 40 eligible fish species that meet or exceed the minimum qualifying lengths established for that species and tracks state record fish. Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and a species-specific sticker commemorating their achievement.
The program comprises three categories: Angler Award, Youth Angler Award, and State Record. As part of the revamped program, anglers can submit entries for qualifying catches using an online entry form from the convenience of their smartphones. The program further supports the NYS “Get Offline, Get Outside” initiative, launched in early July to encourage NYS kids and families to put down their phones and computers, take a break from social media, and enjoy recreation and outdoor social gatherings. We need more of that.
Hats off to our local conservation clubs that take the time to share fishing lore with kids every year at various facilities. For official program rules, eligible species and associated minimum qualifying lengths, visit the Angler Achievement Awards webpage https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/angler-achievement-awards-program.
The best part of this fish story is that the angler who caught it released the fish alive. The NYSDEC had met the anglers at the docks for the official measurement. Hats off to the NYSDEC and the anglers.
Gotta love the outdoors!
Outdoors Calendar
July 27-28: Bart’s Cove Walleye Dual-2, Integrity Walleye Series (IWT-2), Dunkirk Harbor, 3 fish bag/ day, 2 days, $500 entry/team; 3-fish/day, 2 days; Info: Mark Mohr, 716-998-9871.
Aug. 2-4: 20th Annual Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club Walleye Tourney, $300 entry/team, Dunkirk Harbor, NCCC club weigh in each day; 3 fish bag/day, 3 days; Info and registration, contact Zen Olow, 716-640-2776.
Aug. 16-17: Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, Dunkirk Harbor from HQ at the Clarion Hotel Gazebo, $500 entry/team; info, contact Jim Steel at 716-481-5348 or visit https://innovative-outdoors.com.