For Curt Walker, St. Charles, Mo., day two of the Missouri BASS Federation State Tournament on Table Rock Lake became one for the record books, and not for a huge five fish limit brought to the scales. Walker, as well as qualifying for the division tournament in Louisiana by finishing 8^th overall and becoming a member of the Missouri State Team with three fish at 10.55 lbs., weighed in a new state record meanmouth at 4.76 lbs. Very few have heard of the meanmouth, and it is not surprising since this bass is a hybrid of a smallmouth and a spotted bass, looking like a brown spotted bass. Until a few years ago, this fish was not a recognized species by the state of Missouri and did not have a place in the record books. Interestingly enough, the fact that this fish was a meanmouth was not even realized until after it was weighed. The former record, also caught on Table Rock, was 4.10 lbs.

Walker’s tale on October 5, 2003 is amazing because so many events had to fall into place to not only keep the fish alive but also to get it weighed on certified scales and have it officially verified as a meanmouth. When the fish was weighed on the tournament scales, it weighed 5.10 lbs. After the weigh-in, Walker lifted the fish for a few pictures, as this was the second big bass of the day. He then passed it on to be placed in the release tank. The entire time, Walker thought the fish was a spotted bass, as did his day-two partner Ben Henderson. Walker then went to the release tank to get the fish to have the fish mounted. This is when Jerry Snider, a local guide, informed him that he had a meanmouth. Walker had heard of the meanmouth but had never caught one. He then placed the fish in his Ranger’s livewell and watched the rest of the weigh-in. During this time, Larry Wood told Walker he might have a new state record. Walker wanted to be sure he had a meanmouth, and Jerry Snider, looking more closely at the fish, unofficially said it was a meanmouth.

After the weigh-in was completed and the Missouri State Team had met for awards and photos, Walker was able to get his boat on the trailer. Jim Noah, told of the possible state record, tried to contact Bill Anderson, biologist for Table Rock Lake. After talking to Anderson’s wife and daughter, Noah finally reached Bill and asked if he could verify the fish and weigh the fish on certified scales. He agreed to do it, but it would have to be in Ozark, Mo., about 30 miles away. To keep the fish healthy during this transport, Noah mixed a cap full of BassMedics in the water with the fish.

Upon meeting Anderson in Ozark at the Price Cutter Grocery Store where the certified scales were, Walker pulled his truck and Ranger right up on the sidewalk in front of the store for official verification. Immediately upon seeing the fish, Anderson exclaimed, "That is a toad, and it is definitely a meanmouth." This caused quite a stir on the parking lot, as several people came up to see the fish, and several people in the store wanted to see it. The official measurements and weighing began, and the fish had a length of 18.75 inches and a girth of 16 inches. As the scale was tared and the fish placed on scales, the final weight was 4.76 lbs or 4 pounds 12.4 ounces, passing the old mark by 10 ounces. As soon as the fish was weighed, Walker rushed it to the livewell. Noah had Bass Pro Shops on the phone.

It was Sunday evening after 7:00, but Bass Pro Shops wanted the fish for their display tank. Can you blame them? The meanmouth is still relatively rare, and the prior and now current state records were both caught on Table Rock. This species is an amazing fish that everyone should get to see. As a result, the last leg of the journey begins as the fish is now to be transported to Bass Pro Shops and into a tank. Upon arrival at Bass Pro, people had set up a holding tank for the giant fish. Greetings were exchanged, paperwork was signed and Bass Pro Shops accepted the fish. At 7:40 p.m., the fish was in the holding tank and in good condition nearly 11 hours after being caught from 33 feet of water.

Quarantined for 30 days, during which the meanmouth will be tested for parasites and health problems, the fish can then be released into the viewing tank inside Bass Pro Shops. Curt Walker will then receive a replica of the trophy fish. Throughout the afternoon and evening, Curt experienced every emotion a person could, from nervousness to pure joy to worry that the fish might die. He said he was extremely anxious to find out if he had a record.

You are unable to plan for something like this to happen, but you can prepare. What was realized during the chaos of the suspicion and final validation of this record was that you need to have all information documented and photographed. Perhaps the most important fact to observe is that once the story is documented, maintain those details that are documented or you will be under scrutiny. Walker was as calm as he could be and had people around him taking care of the little details, such as making the contacts and preparing for the next step in this whirlwind situation.

Curt thanks Ben Henderson who netted the fish and talked him through landing the giant. Walker stated, "It was the hardest fighting fish I have ever caught. It pulled extremely hard then came up so fast I could hardly reel fast enough, then it would dive again, pulling my rod into the water all the way up to the reel. I thought I lost the fish on two occasions." Walker continued, "I also want to thank Larry Wood, Jim Noah, and Kory Mitchell for all their help in getting the fish certified and cared for as well as helping me." In addition, Walker expresses appreciation to Lee and Judy Kesel at the Lakeside Resort for all their hospitality. During the Thanksgiving holiday, Walker will be heading to southwest Missouri and hopes to see the fish in the viewing tank at Bass Pro Shops.

The fish was caught at 9:00 a.m. on a Quantum PT 7’ 0" rod with a Quantum PT reel spooled with Berkeley Vanish 10 pound fluorocarbon line. The lure was a homemade 5/16 ounce brown/purple jig with a Yamamoto cinnamon/purple twin tailed grub. Walker fished a main lake hump in 33 feet of water that dropped to 40 feet deep, and the jig was slowly hopped off the bottom. It was an overcast day with drizzle and a 5-10 mph wind out of the east.

Congratulations to Walker for his state record and for qualifying for the Missouri State Team by finishing 8^th overall in the tournament.
 

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