The 12-year pro from Auburn, Calif., competes on the MLF Bass Pro Tour. (Photo courtesy of Major League Fishing)
February 10, 2020
By Mason Prince
Game & Fish: Your social media is littered with photos of GIANT spotted bass. What’s that all about?
Cody Meyer: It’s phenomenal spotted bass fishing in northern California. There are multiple world records that have been broken on the lakes around here. I’ve fished for spotted bass since I was in high school and [early winter] is my favorite time of the year to do it. It’s cooling down and that’s when the big ones start to bite.
G&F: You at one point held a record for the largest spotted bass, if we’re not mistaken?
CM: I had the world record for roughly three months. I was big in Japan at one time, just because of my height. I caught a 10.8-pound spot on December 16, 2016, at New Bullards Bar Reservoir in California.
G&F: What do you remember most from that day?
CM: To catch one that big there’s definitely a lot of skill that goes into it, but it’s also tons of luck. You never say you’re fishing for a 10-pounder, but you’re trying to catch a 6-, 7- or 8-pounder. I rolled up to a spot where I had caught some big ones in the past and luckily got a big one to bite. That day was really special because I caught it fishing with a teammate, who I’ve fished with since I was 16 years old. He caught his personal best, and then I caught the world record. The whole day was just amazing because we had a 40-pound limit for spotted bass, which was incredible.
G&F: You got to experience catching your fair share of spotted bass on the Bass Pro Tour last season. What was that like to go back to your roots?
CM: Growing up, that’s all I did was fish for spotted bass. Fishing at Smith Lake in Alabama and being able to catch a bunch of them was awesome. Something a lot of people don’t know is that spotted bass in California came from Smith Lake in the 1970s. So, to be able to go back to Smith Lake and really catch the fish I grew up fishing for was an awesome experience.
G&F: When you aren’t fishing for spotted bass, do you ever head out to the open water for some saltwater fishing?
CM: I’m not big on saltwater fishing because I’m about four hours away from the coast. I live on a little private lake that’s full of grass and big largemouth, so I fish that a ton. I also have Clear Lake that I like to fish a lot. When I’m not fishing in the fall, I’m usually with my kids and taking them to pumpkin patches.
