Epilogue: First off, here's a rundown of the equipment I was using:

Lure: 5" #36 Prizm Shad Big Hammer Swimbait
Rod: Castaway FR76 Flippin Stick
Reel: Shimano Curado 200b
Line: 20lb Triple Fish Camoescent

In all the hurry to let the fish go, I forgot to measure her which I am still pretty bummed about, and I'm even more bummed not to have gotten better pictures.  The bass was so heavy I didn't do any vertical shots because I really think it would have broken the fishes jaw.  It was such a tough situation for getting photos too because the guy in the shop couldn't leave the shop, and no one was in sight near the ramp. I could have done some on the timer, but I just didn't even think about it.  Big fish can surely make your brain turn to mush!

I any case, I am pretty confident that this bass' girth nearly equaled its length. She was probably about 26" x 26" give or take. Her belly was packed solid with food and eggs and despite her small mouth, her body was just massive all over. A cool and unusual thing about this bass was the scar on the top of her head. Maybe it was some kind of Harry Potter thing, but she had a jagged black scar running about 3" straight down the top of her head. Her head was pointy too, like a beak almost. The smallness of the head was what really fooled me about her weight, as I've caught fish that weighed 10lbs with bigger mouths than this one.

I sometimes kick myself for not going back and catching the other double digit on that bed, but I was too freaked out to think about it, and still pretty wet and worn out from the rain. When you look at the pictures, you can see my T-shirt is soaked completely.

If you're wondering about the scales used to weigh the fish, here is the run down. My handheld scale at the time was a Stren 50lb digital scale. I have since determined that the scale weighs consistently 1.5oz light, so the fact that it read 17lbs 14oz is pretty consistent with the marina scale weighing 18.0. I have learned since that although the scale at the front gate is the same as the one at the marina, only the scale at the marina is certified. Regardless, they are both big produce type scales, and I don't doubt the accuracy.

September 9, 2003 - another giant bass was caught at San Pablo by lake regular Bob Howe. His bass weighed 17.8lbs, Bob's second 17lber out of Pablo. Comparing the pictures of the bass, I'm 99% sure it's the same bass. The pectoral fin, matching scales on the back, odd golden hue of the scales above the lateral line, and the bulky shape of the fish were basically identical. Like a true sportsman, Bob also released his bass back into the lake.

October 11, 2003 - yet another giant bass is brought into the marina at San Pablo, this one weighing 17.6lbs caught by angler Yoshihide Nakae on a spinnerbait. I was not able to personally look at the pictures of the fish, but Fish Chris did take a close look and stated to me that he was 98% certain it was the same bass based on the mark on the pectoral fin. Chris is a big bass expert who knows as well as anyone how to ID big bass.  Bob Howe also compared his pictures side by side to photos of this fish and stated that it was the same fish.  Unfortunately, this time around our giant bass was kept and killed to be mounted, another potential world record lost.  She was a great fish and it was really awesome to have gotten my picture taken with her.  Thanks big girl!