Largemouth Bass Caught Over the Weekend is a Montana State Record

When Brandon Wright tells the story years from now - I wonder if the details will begin to blur just a bit. Maybe it'll be a tale of how focused he was on the water that day.....on edge and ready to strike as he waited for any resemblance of a ripple on the surface......feeling as though he was one with the fish and could sense it before there was even a tug on the line. Or maybe he'll just stick with the real story that he was kicked back and watching Tik Tok videos on his phone when he happened to hook the largemouth bass that would soon become a new state record!

Wright pulled the record-setting fish from Lake Elmo in Billings Heights over the weekend - and get this - it was the first largemouth he's caught. I'm guessing there's a bunch of fishermen just shaking their heads after reading that last sentence. Ha! The 9.575-pound catch is more than a half-pound bigger than the old state record that was caught in 2009.

The story in The Missoulian says Wright took the fish to a local Albertsons to confirm its weight on a scale. I just picture him walking into the store with a fish that's more impressive than anything for sale behind the counter. That had to get the attention of a few people!

The paperwork is on its way to Helena so Brandon's catch can be certified as a state record once Fish, Wildlife & Parks sign off on it. As for the fish - it'll soon be on display as it's headed to a taxidermist to be mounted. I'm guessing it'll sit on the wall.....right above Brandon Wright as he's kicked back and watching future Tik Tok videos.