Larry Mallet of Groves, Texas said he knew there was a possibility of catching a big fish as a lot of big bass were reported being caught from Toledo Bend. He was fishing in Housen Bay. “The water was super-duper high,” Mallet said.

In the morning, the anglers he was fishing with had no difficulties in picking up quality bass including some 4- and 5-pounders. He was fishing a wacky-rigged worm on 12-pound fluorocarbon spooled to an Abu Garcia Revo S reel with a 7-foot, medium-heavy H2O rod.

At about 4:30 that afternoon, Mallet cast out in 7 feet of water into some grass. “I picked it up and it seemed like it was hung,” Mallet said. “I picked it up again, and I could tell it was a fish.
“I set the hook immediately and then knew it was a good one because it was heavy.”

He kept reeling and the fish came to the surface but didn’t jump. The big fish kept running, diving down around and underneath the boat. “We didn’t have a net, so my buddy was ready to catch it (by hand) when it got to the boat,” he said. “He was able to lip it in.”

“It is the best bass I have ever taken,” he said. The bass was weighed at Fin & Feather Resort, where officially tipped the scales at 12.34 pounds and easily qualified as Lunker No. 56 for the 2014-15Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program season.