Small Town Offers $10,000 Reward for State-Record Smallmouth Bass

This is something we haven’t really seen before but it’s getting the angling community excited. The Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce in New Mexico has announced a $10,000 reward for anyone who catches the state-record smallmouth bass from Elephant Butte Reservoir. There are several caveats, however.

The bass must be caught from Elephant Butte Reservoir between the dates of May 1 and September 30. The fish must be caught during daylight hours and weighed on a certified scale at Butte General Store with witnesses present from Butte General or Chamber officials. Once the catch is verified by New Mexico Game and Fish, the $10,000 will be rewarded after September 30, 2022. The current state-record smallmouth bass is 7 pounds, 3 ounces and measures 24 inches.

You can get all the details on their website here.

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