I was just sitting around at home and started to think about all the biggest bass that I have caught. As I continued to wonder I started to think about how much my best tournament limit of bass would be if I could combine the best 5 bass of my life. I know for sure I'd be well over 20, but don't know if I'd hit 25. I know it doesn't sound too stellar, but for where I live in northern IL, I think it's pretty good. So how bout everyone else, how big would your best 5 bass weigh?

id have to say my top 5 would weigh around 22-23 pounds if combined....

My best 5 bass (9lbs, 7lbs, 6lbs, 5 lb, 5lbs) equal 32 lbs.

I don't think its really fair to compare Northern Bass to Southern Bass. Northern strain just don't get as big as Florida strain. The being said there can be some big northern strains out there. I think the 6.88 I caught Sunday was mostly northern genetics because she had a mouth the size of a 3 pounder.

That being said, my best five ever would probably be just under 40 pounds. I estimate that because a couple of my biggest fish I never weighed. Just CPRed. If I limited that to fish I have weighed I'ld still be over 36. Even then I don't think it should count. I could certainly bump that to close to fifty if I spent a week at El Salto or Baccarac at the right time of year. Around here we run tournaments with an 8 pound rolling pot that will often roll over for as much as a year for a single club. At El Salto that would get busted almost every tournament.

All you can really challenge yourself over is improvement against your own accomplishments and the fish you have available to catch where you fish. Its not fair for a guy who has fished seriously for a couple years to compare himself to a guy who was raised to compete since he was five years old (fifty years ago). Its not fair to compare catches from one of those little streams they call rivers filled with Guadalupe Bass, to the catches from Clear Lake.

6lb 8oz., 5lbs, 5lbs, 5lbs, 5lbs. = 26lbs 8oz

Not sure what the weight would be. Only got the lenght on them. Biggest was 22 inches. Got lots in the 19 and 20 inch range. So whatever that would be.

Mine would be 23-24 lbs.  All smallmouths.