RichZ, Checked out your site. Very nice writting and info.

I go through phases in my fishing. Target trout, SMB, even biggest sunny. I did target BIG LM bass for some time. Doing some crazy stuff to produce trophies. Like dragging a 12” x ¾” wide black rubber ell like thing with a single blue fishhook in the head across the bottom of many lakes and ponds. Cast it all night long gazing into the darkness. Not the most productive fishing I have done. I would go several times without a hit. But the hits it produced were fish over 8lbs. I have also scuba dived in Candlewood a few other lakes. You would never believe what’s down there until you see it for your own eyes. Trophy fish don’t get to be trophies from making mistakes. And most trophy fish die of natural causes not fisherman. When you lock into a giant fish it’s senses have started to break down like an old person or it would have never taken your bait. Where’s the next monster from? Hell if I know. Where are trophy size LMB? In many lakes and ponds in CT. You need to start targeting them to produce some. Just casting your normal lures or sitting around watch your worm drowned isn’t going to produce a wall mount size fish. But even a blind pig can find a nice truffle. And I really HATE to admit this but bait has a much better chance of producing a trophy fish.
My biggest LMB in CT runs 9lbs 2oz SMB 6lbs 10oz. I think a couple other SMB have gone a little over that but I didn’t have a scale. All fish released so others can hunt for them. Happy hunting.