Lewiston man lands record 23.5-inch smallmouth bass

Dworshak Reservoir has produced a new Idaho record for smallmouth bass, and it’s likely more will follow.

The reservoir is stuffed with an estimated 10 million kokanee — so many that their growth is stunted. That means the fish are more available for smallmouth bass to feed on, and those of a certain age can put on tremendous growth.

That’s what Travis Wendt, of Lewiston, had in mind when he made a recent trip to the 55-mile-long lake created by Dworshak Dam.

“I had a day off last week and thought, ‘You know what, the bass fishing has been pretty good, and so I’m going to go try it myself.’ ”

It was a good call. Using a Ned rig, Wendt hooked a massive smallmouth.

“I didn’t expect it to be that big, but it was 23.5 inches,” he said.

The big female weighed 7 pounds and 11 ounces. Wendt, a fishing guide by profession, knew it was long enough to break the state catch-and-release record but shy of the catch-and-keep record, also known as the certified weight record, so he took a few pictures, revived the fish and let it go.

Dworshak is Idaho’s destination for record smallmouth. That is thanks to the relationship between abundant kokanee and big smallies. When kokanee populations boom and the average size of the landlocked salmon shrinks, smallmouth take advantage by gobbling up bluebacks. Fish and Game research shows that adult bass can be as much as 4 inches longer when kokanee populations are high compared to when they are lower.

Last fall, Fish and Game biologist Eli Felts predicted Dworshak bass anglers would break records this spring. Wendt said he expects his record to fall in the near future.

“It could be beat tomorrow. It wouldn’t surprise me if it gets beat sometime soon — in the next year or so.”

Timing may keep his name in the book for at least a little while. Wendt said the fish he caught showed signs of spawning.

“Her tail was pretty tore up, so she was building her nest or had built her nest,” he said. “They are pretty much on their nests now. I would imagine they will be laying their eggs in the next few days.”

After spawning, he said the big fish head for deeper water, where they are more difficult to catch. However long it lasts, Wendt is enjoying seeing his name in the record book.

“It’s been cool. I always thought it would be kind of fun to have it in there at least for a little bit,” he said. “Hopefully somebody will beat me. That will be cool. It’s alway fun seeing those big fish come out there.”

Dustin Sheppard, of Lewiston, previously held the catch-and-release record for smallmouth bass. His fish, caught from Dworshak in 2020, was 22.75 inches long.

Dan Stiegers, of Juliaetta, set the certified weight record in 2006, when he caught a 9.72-pound bass from Dworshak.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.