A strategic decision to avoid crowded fishing spots paid off in a big way for Christopher Ore of Otis, who landed the biggest bass of 2026 at Toledo Bend Reservoir. The 40-year-old prison employee caught a massive 12.51-pound largemouth bass while pre-fishing for an upcoming tournament on March 8.
Ore was accompanied by fishing partner Eric Chisholm of Alexandria during their Sunday afternoon outing. The duo had a specific game plan for their first Toledo Bend trip of the year.
"We were looking for areas that didn't have any other boats," said Ore. "We wanted to target places with less-pressured fish."
The strategy proved exceptionally effective around 1 p.m. when Ore's Texas-rigged worm attracted the attention of what would become the heaviest bass to qualify for the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program in 2026. The fish measured 26 ⅝ inches long with a 21-inch girth.
"This is absolutely my biggest bass ever," Ore said. "Before, I had an 11.12 from (Lake) Kincaid. This will be my first 'replica' fish."
The anglers were working a familiar mid-lake area, searching for a small brush pile in 10 feet of water. Ore described the structure as modest but productive.
"It was just a little piece of brush; it might have even been the end of a couple of laydowns on the bottom," Ore said. "We knew the area, and I knew we were pretty close to where the brush was, so both of us were throwing in there to try and find it."
"I made a long cast and worked it about halfway back to the boat when I felt a little tap and set the hook hard," he said. "Right away, she had me hung up in the brush. I just held on, wanting her to swim out. When she did come out, she shot straight up, came out of the water and shook with that big mouth open. My partner and I looked at each other and both of us said, 'That's her.'"
Ore fought the fish carefully, concerned about potential line damage from the brush structure. His cautious approach proved wise as he worked the massive bass toward the boat.
"After she came up, she kept trying to shoot back to the bottom, and I gave her some line a couple of times," he said. "She wasn't really far from the boat when she hit, and when I got her close to the boat, she pulled me around the trolling motor, and Eric lipped her on the other side of the boat from where I'd hooked her."
The magnitude of the catch left Ore visibly shaken by the experience.
"I couldn't stop shaking," he said. "He had to take the hook out for me. I said, 'I finally got my replica.' When we got her in, I got a good look at her, and I knew she was bigger than my 11-pounder. I figured she was 12."
Portable scales in their boat registered 12.3 pounds, but official certification required a trip to approved scales. The Sunday timing created some urgency for the anglers.
"After we put her in the livewell, he reminded me it was Sunday, and I was afraid some of the weigh-in places would be closed," Ore said. "I googled Buckeye, called them, and the guy who answered said he was about to close, but he had a guy who could be there, so we took off."
At Buckeye Marina, the bass officially weighed 12.51 pounds on certified scales before being tagged and released. Ore's fish represents the 41st qualifier for the 2025-26 Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program season and only the second to exceed 12 pounds.
The successful release provided a fitting conclusion to the memorable catch.
"It was beautiful (to watch)," Ore said. "She swam away so strong. She was full of eggs, but she hadn't done any spawning at all. She was probably staging out there in 10 feet of water, getting ready."
For qualifying with a double-digit bass, Ore will receive a replica mount from the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. The timing suggests prime pre-spawn conditions are developing at Toledo Bend, with March historically being one of the lake's most productive months for trophy bass fishing.