Dante Piraino might be the new New York State smallmouth bass record holder after an incredible catch during a B.A.S.S. Nation Tournament in Ogdensburg, NY on September 22nd.

Wired2fish Facebook page
Wired2fish Facebook page
loading...

The day started like any other for Piraino, who made a long trip down the St. Lawrence River to fish near Cape Vincent. He was using a Berkley Flatnose Minnow soft plastic lure and a Garmin live scope, picking up a few smaller bass. Just when he was thinking of moving on, he hooked on something big.

Google Maps
Google Maps
loading...

“I was about to leave but decided to give it one more shot,” Piraino told Wired2Fish. “At around 9 a.m., I hooked a huge one. At first, I thought it was around six pounds, but when I pulled it in, it was way heavier.”

Piraino had caught a 7-pounder earlier that summer, but this fish felt even bigger. “When I went to lip it, its lips were swollen, and I thought, ‘Wow, this thing is massive.’”

On his boat’s scale, the fish weighed in close to 9 pounds. Piraino fizzed the fish to keep it alive and continued fishing, eventually catching a total of 31.4 pounds for the day which is a massive bag and the biggest of the tournament.

Canva
Canva
loading...

But the real surprise came when he realized he might have a state record on his hands. The fish weighed 9 pounds, potentially breaking the 8-pound, 6-ounce record set in 2022. Though the record is still pending, Piraino released the fish to keep it healthy and is waiting for official confirmation.

Along with this, Piraino also qualified for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.

LOOK! Abandoned Orange County Chopper HQs in Newburgh-TLC's 'American Chopper'

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.
In 2003, a father-son business reality show hit the Discovery Channel. It was called American Chopper and it followed the custom motorcycle-building business of the Teutul family out of Newburgh, NY. Paul Sr. owned the shop with sons Paul Jr. and Mikey working in the business. There was a slew of cast and characters. The center of the show wasn't just the amazing custom motorcycles built for celebrities and others, it was the volatile relationship between Sr. and Jr. The show ran for 12 seasons before the two could no longer get along. It ended up in lawsuits and the two not talking for ten-plus years. In the past few years, the business moved to Florida. This left the 61,000-square-foot headquarters for sale and abandoned. Take a look at what remained of Orange County Choppers.

Gallery Credit: © 2020 CBRE, Inc., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDpnZClZfkA, chrissy cavotta-Townsquare Media

More From Big Frog 104