Lady angler lands pending world record at Lake O.H. Ivie, application under review
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A Woman’s Touch -
Lady angler Lea Anne Powell of Lake Jackson displays the 12- pound, 3-ounce bass she caught in February at Lake O.H. Ivie. Powell, who caught the fish on spinning rod, has submitted an application to the International Game Fish Association to have the fish certified as a 12-pound line class world record. (Courtesy Photo/Dalton Smith) -
Fishing guide Dalton Smith (right) also put Powell on a 10.58 pounder that slammed her crankbait. She cracked her personal best twice in two days. (Courtesy Photo/Dalton Smith)
The Great Outdoors
Dalton Smith has a knack for finding the big ones and a passion for teaching his guide clients how to wrangle them on Lake O.H. Ivie Reservoir near San Angelo.
Last December, Smith made his first ever fishing trip to Texas. He boated a pair of 14 pounders at ‘Ivie on the same day, less than three hours apart. He saw both fish eat his bait in real time using forward sonar.
It was a life-changing experience for Smith, who at the time was a part time fishing guide on Dale Hollow Lake and fishing team coach at Campbellsville University, both in Kentucky.
Smith, 24, packed his bags and moved his guide business to Lake O.H. Ivie less than a week later. He’s been sniffing out the big ones for his clients ever since.
Smith’s clients have boated seven fish over 10 pounds and three over 12 pounds since January 1. Two of the giants belong to Lea Anne Powell of Lake Jackson.
Powell’s biggest bass — weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces — may land the lady angler a world record with the International Game Fish Association. Based in Dania Beach, Florida, IGFA is the the leading authority on angling pursuits and the keeper of the most current world record catches in dozens of categories for fresh and saltwater.
Powell’s fish isn’t the biggest Texas bass ever caught by a lady angler, but it is the biggest ever turned over to the IGFA for consideration as a women’s 12-pound line class world record.
The application is currently under review by the IGFA’s records committee is pending approval, according to Zach Bellapigna, the organization’s angler recognition coordinator.
There’s a pretty good story behind Powell’s heavyweight.
She is not your average fisher lady. Powell cut her fishing teeth on the East Coast and moved to Texas in 2021. She is currently fishing the co-angler division in the MLF Toyota Series Southwestern Division and the Cowboy Division of the BFL’s.
Powell and Smith became friends about six months ago. In February, the anglers spent two days fishing together. She cracked her personal best twice.
Powell caught a 10.58 pounder on February 27 using a Strike King 10XD crankbait. The 12.3 pounder came the following day on a Damiki 3-inch Armor Shad Pro Blue soft jerk bait rigged on a 1/4 ounce jig head. She was slinging the rig on a spinning rod.
“It was my first trip to O.H. Ivie and I went out there fun fishing more than anything else,” she said. “I’d hoped to catch an eight pounder to beat my previous biggest — a 7.8 pounder. I ended up making some mega upgrades. It was pretty cool.”
Powell said battling the 12 pounder on light tackle was a scrap that won’t be soon forgotten. She claims the big bass slammed the bait at the end of a 45-foot cast. The area was cluttered salt cedars and other brush.
“I was constantly having to work with my drag to make sure she didn’t break me off on that spinning rod,” she said. “Dalton told me he could see a a wolf pack of other big fish trying to take the bait away from my fish. He kept telling me to look at the screen, but I refused to take my eyes off the rod tip. Thing got pretty hairy there for a little bit. I’m still excited about it.”
-------- Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.