FISHING -- A state record largemouth bass weighing 12.53 pounds was caught on Monday, Aug. 8, in Lake Bosworth south of Cedar Falls, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed today.

Bill Evans of Bothell caught the monster bass in the Snohomish County lake while fishing with a Strike King 5-inch Shim-E-Stick, wacky-rigged on a 1/0 hook. The largemouth measured 23 inches long with a girth of 22.5 inches.  

The previous state record largemouth weighed 11.57 pounds caught in 1977 by Carl Pruitt at Banks Lake.

“As soon as I set the hook, I knew it had to be a big one because the bottom pulled hard and it just wouldn’t quit,” Evans said, “When she finally tried to jump, she could only get her head out of the water.”

Evans realized how big the fish was when he started lifting it into the boat. “She just kept getting heavier and heavier,” he said, “I put her in the livewell, but she didn’t even fit – her tail stuck out”.

Evans is a seasoned bass angler with nearly 40 years of experience. He moved to Washington a few years ago, and just started bass fishing in the state this summer. Evans has fished several lakes in the Bothell area, but Monday was his first time fishing at Lake Bosworth.

He said he found the small lake on WDFW’s Fish Washington feature available on the department’s website. The map-based webpage provides access to fishing advice and videos, as well as information by county and fish species location for lowland lakes, high lakes and marine areas.