Anglers believe Lake Conroe could serve up record catches

The 52-angler field in the 2017 Geico Bassmaster Classic sets a benchmark when they roar away from Lake Conroe Park on Friday morning for the first of three days of competition on the 21,000-acre reservoir in Montgomery and Walker counties. It will mark the first time in its 47-year history the contest considered the world championship of competitive bass fishing is held on a lake wholly within Texas.

That may not be the only record set in the March 2426 tournament.

“I think you’re going to see some really impressive catches — maybe even some records broken,” said Mark Webb, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologist who oversees agency fisheries management on the reservoir built on the San Jacinto River. “Lake Conroe has a very high-quality bass fishery.”

That assessment is echoed by the anglers competing for the $300,000 first prize awarded for the heaviest total weight of largemouth bass, no more than five per day, landed over the coming three days. During Thursday’s “media day” gathering at Minute Maid Park, competitors were asked to guess how many pounds of fish it would take to win. Almost all said it would take more than 60 pounds — a 4-pound average for 15 fish — to have a chance of claiming the title, with a handful saying the Classic record of 69 pounds, 11 ounces could fall.

The Bassmaster Classic record for the heaviest largemouth taken during the championship is an 11-pound, 10-ounce largemouth caught during the 2006 Classic held on the Kissimmee chain of lakes in Florida.

Lake Conroe has coughed up more than two- dozen largemouths weighing 13 pounds or more, and the lake record stands at 15.93 pounds.

Daily weigh-in for the tournament will be held in Minute Maid Park beginning around 4 p.m., with the event open to the public at no charge.