Bass Pro Tour's Randy Howell caught this 12-pound, 14-ounce largemouth bass Feb. 10 at Bussey Brake in Louisiana, a record for the bess-fishing circuit.
February 12, 2022
By Lynn Burkhead
Barely 24 hours after 2014 Bassmaster Classic champ and Bass Pro tour veteran angler Randy Howell set a new Bass Pro Tour largemouth bass record last week , he went out and did it again.
That’s what happened on Thursday (Feb. 10), when Howell took the 10-pound, 11-ounce largemouth record he had caught the day before at Louisiana’s Caney Creek, and promptly cast it aside with a Championship Round fishing trip at nearby Bussey Brake, where he broke the record again.
Once again, there was a magical thump at the end of Howell's fishing line, a battle Royale, and a giant double-digit lunker that was once again the biggest bass ever caught on Major League Fishing's BPT circuit .
Bass Pro Tour veteran Randy Howell broke the circuit’s big-bass record twice in two days, with catches off 10 pounds, 11 ounces, and 12 pounds, 14 ounces (above). This time, Howell’s new record —a personal best for the second day in a row, too—weighed in at 12 pounds, 14 ounces.
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Déjà vu bass fishing, all over again, right? In Howell’s case, yes. And ditto for BPT, which saw a big-bass record fall a day later for the second time in the young tour’s history. The first time was in the spring of 2020, when Justin Atkins’ 10-8 Lake Fork largemouth outdid the 10-4 Lake Fork bass that Jason Christie had caught the previous day.
Howell’s accomplishment is a rarity in the annals of professional bass angling, one of the rare times where a pro beats his own record. And to do it on back-to-back days on different bodies of water; well, that’s about as rare as a July snowstorm in Alabama.
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"To say this was a memorable day would be an understatement," said an elated Howell in an Instagram post. "I am so thankful and still can’t believe I caught my 2 biggest bass ever and 2 days in a row! Today’s 12-14 has blown my mind! Thanks to everyone for the comments, texts, calls, and posts!" With the Stage One tournament over—and with Bradley Roy winning the event thanks to a 26-2 Championship Day effort—Howell was more than willing to share the details about a big fish catch that helped him finish sixth and win $26,000.
According to his social media post, the 49-year-old Guntersville , Ala., angler caught the big northeastern Louisiana fish on a 7-6 Daiwa Tatula Elite Ish Monroe Flippin rod, a Tatula Elite P/F reel with an 8:1 gear ratio, 22-pound-test Daiwa J-Flurocarbon, and a five-inch black/blue Senko on a 4/0 Pro X flipping hook with a ¼-ounce Bass Pro Shops XPS Tungsten Red weight.
A little bit later, the disbelieving Howell added another Instagram post, reflecting on his two historic days:
"Did I dream this happened? Fishing keeps us coming back for more because you never know what that next bite could be! These #Louisiana lakes are definitely special and are healthy fisheries! This is one of the most memorable weeks ever and I’m so thankful for it!!! My 5 takeaways this week: Take a kid fishing! Take care of the fisheries! #catchandrelease Keep dreaming! Be thankful!" Howell knows what he’s talking about and has plenty of reasons to be thankful this week.
Two in fact, the two biggest bass ever caught in Bass Pro Tour history. And in back-to-back fashion in two epic days of fishing, the likes of which no other professional angler has ever seen.
