(02-01-2022, 11:30 AM)Jig-fisher Wrote: Way to go!  That is a great picture and a great fish.  Congrats!

(02-01-2022, 12:19 PM)SkunkedAgain Wrote: Congrats, that is a great photo and fish, way to go... You're brave to be on there already... I may be there soon... Later J

(02-01-2022, 02:07 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote: Congrats that's a great Mac. How deep of water were you fishing in?

(02-01-2022, 05:02 PM)joshomaru Wrote: I'm happy for you man!  Your face says it all.
I have been hoping for a good outside-the-bottleneck mac for over 20 years.  Been there and netted other people's, but I have yet to land one past the 5lb mark.
Congrats!  Glad the hard work paid off!

(02-01-2022, 05:25 PM)Boundless Bryce Wrote:

(02-01-2022, 05:02 PM)joshomaru Wrote: I'm happy for you man!  Your face says it all.
I have been hoping for a good outside-the-bottleneck mac for over 20 years.  Been there and netted other people's, but I have yet to land one past the 5lb mark.
Congrats!  Glad the hard work paid off!

Thank you! I've never heard the phrase outside the bottle neck before, what does it mean?

(02-01-2022, 05:39 PM)wiperhunter2 Wrote:

(02-01-2022, 05:25 PM)Boundless Bryce Wrote:

(02-01-2022, 05:02 PM)joshomaru Wrote: I'm happy for you man!  Your face says it all.
I have been hoping for a good outside-the-bottleneck mac for over 20 years.  Been there and netted other people's, but I have yet to land one past the 5lb mark.
Congrats!  Glad the hard work paid off!

Thank you! I've never heard the phrase outside the bottle neck before, what does it mean?

What I think he is referring to is the size of the fish there at BL, they get to a certain size, which is the bottleneck, not as many fish of the bigger size caught after that bottleneck. For many of us it is that 10 lb mark but it sounds like he is talking about the 5 lb mark.

(02-01-2022, 08:05 PM)joshomaru Wrote: I primarily fish for macs at the gorge.  They tend to hold at a size around 20" and bottle neck there (which is why there is a more generous limit for the pups at the gorge), until they switch over to a piscivorous diet.  That's typically when they start to put on length and weight and rapid growth.
There was a really interesting post a couple of weeks ago from the person that caught a record mac from the gorge, and had a scale analyzed for age.  Pretty dang interesting!

(02-01-2022, 10:39 PM)a_bow_nut Wrote: https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1099946

(02-01-2022, 07:09 AM)Boundless Bryce Wrote: I marked fish for 4 hours before this one hit. My tent blew away, my fingers were numb, but it was all worth it. I've been waiting for years for a big laker, and now I've got one. 33'' 10lbs.