A 12-year-old angler from Crawford, Texas, Kenton Mabry, achieved an extraordinary feat on March 11, setting three lake fishing records in a single day at Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir near Waco.
Accompanied by his father, Brad, Kenton launched their bass boat at dawn, targeting junior fish records. They began fishing around an 8-foot-high rock pile in 20 feet of water, with Kenton using self-made crappie jigs to catch several white crappies.
Subsequently, Kenton switched to a bait-casting setup and a “3:16 Lures Rising Son Weedless Swimbait,” casting it toward the same rock pile. A largemouth bass struck the lure, leading to an intense battle. With his father’s guidance, Kenton successfully landed the fish.
While placing the bass in the livewell, Kenton identified a black crappie among his earlier catches, distinguishing it from the white crappies by spine ray count. This discovery set the stage for a potential triple record day.
The father and son then traveled to the Bass Pro Shops in Waco, where certified scales confirmed Kenton’s catches. His largemouth bass weighed 7.85 pounds, exceeding the previous junior lake record of 3.1 pounds. His white crappie weighed 1.3 pounds, and his black crappie, at .9 pounds, established the reservoir’s inaugural record for that species.
The records are pending official certification from Texas state officials, but the certified weights and witness testimonies from Bass Pro staff ensure their validity.
Kenton’s dedication to fishing and the outdoors is evident. He ties his own jigs and flies, and has experience catching various species. His future goals include tournament fishing and catching a qualifying bass for the Texas Legacy ShareLunker Bass Program.
Image/Source: Wired2Fish
