State Record

Randy VanDam was fishing smallmouth with Ron Perrine, a noted Ohio angler and lure manufacturer, and Phil Smathers, Tri State bass tournament director, when the big moment came.  Randy was using a ½ ounce Rattle Snakie jigging spoon in a gold prism color of Perrine’s design when the big fish struck.  The three were working the deep breaklines off a glacial, rocky shoal in 24 feet of water when VanDam suddenly set the hooks into the monster smallie.  The fish immediately broke the surface in a classic aerial maneuver and raced back down to the bottom straining the 8-pound-test monofilament to the maximum.  Randy’s years of experience and skillful rod and reel work subdued the behemoth after a 10 minute battle.   With no landing net in the boat, the new state record smallmouth bass measuring 23 ½ inches in length, with a 22 inch girth and weighing an unbelievable 9 lbs, 8 oz., was hand lipped by Perrine as Smathers photographed the moment of truth.

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