I would never say no to a 8.5 lbs. large mouth bass.... Bass fishing is good in Texas.... You should give it a try someday....
It is on my bucketlist of places to go and fish. Our average bass here is 1.5 lbs and our record is 10.14. Your average is almost as large as our record and most people think the next record will come from Texas as they have a spawning program where they are cross breeding bass from Florida and Texas. When we get a 4+ lb fish, it's a good day fishing. I have a friend who lives down there, just need to get the time to get down there.
What really makes it good down here is the fellowship that develops between fishermen.....
It's mixed up here. I've been fishing for 8 years now, and the guy who got me into it was a tournament fisher, so he wasn't the most friendly when it came to speaking to other fishermen. I've met people who will let you right in with them on their spot if they are fishing in one spot also. I have no issues myself giving out information and tricks when it comes to fishing, and have also given equipment to kids when they are out at a lake with a parent who may not know what they are doing. I have become a big student with fishing and try to learn why fish behave the way they do and about their feeding habits. I've also gotten into fly fishing and tying my own flies.Here's a few of my catches and one with my youngest son from 2 years ago.
I now have to learn more with my new hobby here with audio.
Outstanding.... We can talk later on another thread about our hobby....