Local

Bass caught in Snohomish County shatters 39-year-old state record

The Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the new state record on Friday for the biggest largemouth caught in Washington.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Snohomish County angler has set a new state record for the biggest largemouth bass caught in state waters.

Bill Evans of Bothell, Washington, caught the monster bass while fishing in Lake Bosworth Aug 8. It weighed 12.53 pounds and measured 23.0 inches long with a girth of 22.5 inches

The previous record was set by Carl Pruitt in 1977 at Banks Lake with a fish weighing 11.57 pounds, nearly one pound less.

Evans said he realized how big the fish really was once he started lifting it into the boat.

"She just kept getting heavier and heavier," Evans said. "I put her in the livewell, but she didn't even fit -- her tail stuck out."

Evans is a seasoned bass angler with nearly 40 years of experience. He moved to Washington a few years ago, and just started bass fishing in the state this summer. While he has fished several lakes in the Bothell area, Monday was his first time fishing at Lake Bosworth.