Wow. I've never caught a 9-plus pound bass - In Michigan, they rarely get that big. My best largemouth is somewhere around 5 pounds. That said, there are still some big fish around these parts - This is a muskie I caught in Lake St. Clair in 1994, within sight of downtown Detroit. 48.5 inches and 25 pounds, and it took about a half hour to bring it in. I kept this one, and it now occupies a place of honor above the fireplace at our cabin in northern Michigan. My wife wouldn't let me put it on the wall at home ;-)