Hyatt Lands Then Releases Bass of a Lifetime

I’m not a technologically adept person. That’s why I called my friend and computer expert, Rex Moncrief, last week to come help me set up my new phone.

Rex came, got my phone up and running, and as he left, he mentioned he was headed home to Bossier City to pick up his boat and meet his friend, Eddie Hyatt, Sr. The duo was scheduled to fish a tournament Thursday night on Cross Lake and he wanted them to do some pre-fishing to try and locate some fish for the tourney. Something magical happened that night and later, Rex called to tell me about it.

“I met Eddie at the lake at 4:00 and things were going on real well. We hooked and shook off several bass in the four to five pound range. It was about time to leave and at 7:40, Eddie said he wanted to try one more spot. He cast a big ribbon tail plastic worm to the base of a tree and I heard him grunt and realized he’d hooked a really big fish,” Moncrief explained.

“The bass was taking him for a ride going under the boat. She was trying to tail walk but was too big for that. I told him I didn’t have time to get the net and I’d try to ‘lip’ her,” he added.

Moncrief said that when he was first able to get his hands on her, he figured she may be a fish in the 9 to 10 pound range but he realized she was almost more than he could handle.

“Once I got my hands on her and could feel and see just how big she was, I knew she was more than that. When I was finally able to pick her up and get her in the boat, we were both flipping out.”

“I got my Bubba scale out, made sure it was zeroed and put her on the scales. My first comment was ‘This can’t be right’. The scales showed 15.24 pounds. I got her off the scale, made sure it was zeroed and weighed her two more times. Each time it read exactly the same – 15.24 pounds,” he said.

“We didn’t measure her because my Golden Rule measurer topped out at 22 inches and she was more than that. She was full of eggs with a huge swollen belly,” he added.

The duo felt they needed to get the fish on scales that were certified but as it was late, the Cross Lake Patrol office had already closed and they could find no one nearby who had certified scales. What to do next was left to Hyatt.

“A fish that big that had undergone being caught and handled was already stressed. I could have put her in the live well but doubted if she could make it. I told Rex I’m going to release her after we got photos and maybe somebody else could experience a fish of a lifetime like I did, so that’s what we did, we watched her swim away,” said Hyatt.

They later learned that the record for Cross Lake was a 12.55 pound bass caught several years ago. Unfortunately, Hyatt’s bass can’t be entered in the lake records because of them not having access to certified scales.

Did Hyatt have regrets about having to release the fish?

“I have no regrets at all. God gave me the chance to catch such a special fish and I’m not going to let her die,” said Hyatt.

There was always the chance that when the duo fished the tournament on Thursday night that she might bite again, but that didn’t happen. They weighed in 7.3 pounds to finish 12th Thursday night.

You have to tip your hat to Eddie Hyatt for the decision he made to release what would certainly be a lake record fish rather than see her die in a live well.

FISHING REPORT

CANEY LAKE – Bass are spawning with some good fish caught on creature baits, spinners and jigs. Early spawners have moved back out. Crappie have moved in around shallow brush to spawn with some already spawned and moving back out. Jigs and shiners are taking some good ones. Some big bream are being caught as they have moved to shallow beds to spawn. Crickets and worms are working on them. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Crappie are in and out as some are spawning and others already spawned. . Some big bass are being caught along shallow structure with creature baits and plastic frogs picking up some really big fish. Bream are starting to bed and biting crickets and hitting small jigs. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER –. No report on crappie or bream. Water level down because of lock and dam problems down stream. Fishing overall is slow. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Bass are in the shallows and are hitting jigs, spinners, Rat-L-Traps and soft plastics with some starting to move out after spawning. Crappie are doing well in the shallows as the spawn continues for some as others have spawned and moving out. Bream are on the beds and some good ones are being caught on worms and crickets. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Some crappie are still spawning in the back of the creeks with jigs and shiners working best. Bass are shallow and are hitting crank baits, spinners and soft plastics around brush with some already spawned and moving out. Bream are on the shallow beds and hitting worms and crickets. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is rising with a slow fall expected next week. Catfish are being caught while others are slow until water temperature begin warming. Lots of buffalo and catfish being caught in nets. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259