Illinois fishermen begin 2025 the same way they begin most years – confident this will be the year someone finally catches a largemouth bass that tops the most coveted state record.
Alas, 2024 began with similar confidence. And last year ended with typical results: nobody came close to breaking the largemouth bass record. So, come next February – Feb. 15, 2026, to be exact – it will be 50 years since the 13-pound, 1-ounce largemouth was hooked at Stone Quarry in Lake County.
State record saugeye earns ‘fish of the year’ from Illinois
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