ESCONDIDO: Legendary Dixon Lake bass dies

By ERNIE COWAN - For the North County Times | Friday, May 9, 2008 10:28 PM PDT ∞

The unofficial world record largemouth bass that was caught and released at least twice at Escondido's Dixon Lake was found floating dead in the water early Friday.

Ranger James Dayberry said that just before noon a fisherman came in towing a huge, dead bass on a stringer. The man said he had found the fish floating near the reeds in Catfish Cove on the west side of the 76-acre reservoir that provides drinking water to most of Escondido.

Lake rangers didn't think much of the report until they inspected the bass.

"As soon as I saw it, there was no doubt it was Dottie," Dayberry said.

Known as Dottie because of a distinctive dot below the mouth on the right gill, the fish had become almost legendary after first being caught in 2003 by big bass hunter Jed Dickerson of Oceanside. At that time it weighed 21 pounds, 11 ounces, just shy of the world record that has stood since 1932 when George Perry landed a 22-4 largemouth in Georgia.

Three years later, Dickerson's fishing buddy Mac Weakley of Carlsbad again caught Dottie. This time it weighed in at 25-1, potentially shattering the old world record. But the March 20, 2006, catch was controversial because Weakley hooked it below the dorsal fin. In fishing terminology, the monster bass had been "foul hooked."

Weakley said he had accidentally hooked the fish that way, making it an acceptable catch by International Game Fish Association standards. But not wanting a potentially contested catch, Weakley released it despite the fact it would have set a new world record had it been approved.

Publicity of the catch spread worldwide, and the spotlight of trophy bass fishing has been focused on Dixon Lake ever since. T-shirts were even sold at the lake, honoring Dottie and challenging anglers to catch her. In the spring, even on weekdays, it wasn't uncommon for all of the lake's electric trolling motor-powered boats to be rented and on the water by mid-day.

"We've had well-known bass fishermen from as far as Japan spending weeks here each spring seeking the world record bass," lake Ranger Richard Studinka said.

Weakley, Dickerson and another buddy, Mike Winn, had spent this week at Dixon Lake working with a National Geographic film crew shooting footage for a special on big bass fishing.

"We had finished for the day and were heading for lunch when we got a call that we might want to return to the lake," Dickerson said.

Dayberry said the big bass, estimated at 15 to 17 years old, will be frozen until it can be examined by the California Department of Fish and Game. It weighed only 19 pounds when brought in.

"She most likely spawned before she died and she would have also lost weight after death. It looks like she was dead at least 24 hours," Dayberry said.

When Dickerson returned to the lake and saw the fish, he immediately called Weakley.

"We just couldn't believe it," he said.

A new world record largemouth bass could provide a windfall to the angler who catches it, bringing what some fishing experts believe could be as much as $1 million in endorsements, advertising and media opportunities and promotional tours.

Weakley, Dickerson and Winn had become obsessed with the big fish, spending weeks on the water each spring in hopes of catching it again.

Dickerson said he has been on the lake every day since March, and said he spotted Dottie in early April, "just chasing trout in the back of Trout Cove."

"I didn't tell anyone, but I knew she was still there," Dickerson said, adding he wasn't upset about the death of the prey he had spent countless hours chasing.

"All week the cameraman kept saying that the final chapter of Dottie has not been written," Dickerson said. "Now it has and I'm happy. Next to catching it, this is one of the best endings I can think of."

Dickerson said if Dottie had never been seen again, there always would have been questions about her demise.

"This adds closure. Because she came up floating, you know it has been here the whole time and the fish was fine after all the controversy," he said. "She died of natural causes at the end of great years."

Dickerson said although he had obtained a professional guide's license, he had put it on hold, not wanting to have guiding interfere with his pursuit of the monster bass.

"I might start promoting that a bit more now," he said. "Now I can relax a bit and me and my pillow can get reunited. I can fish for fun."

Ernie Cowan is the outdoor writer for the North County Times. If you have a story of interest, call (760) 518-8050, or e-mail ernie@packtrain.com.

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