Clarkston resident Chip Carlisle has only been living in Clarkston a few years. He’s been fishing all of his life though, and since his move from North Carolina, his fishing has never been better.
Carlisle moved to Michigan in 1993 and then relocated to Clarkston in 2001 due to a job transfer and said the move up north has paid dividends to his fishing success. He claimed the lakes around the Clarkston area offer up some of the best fishing he’s seen in more than 30 years and he proved just how great this area can be for fishing.
Carlisle made history July 5 by catching the largest largemouth bass recorded so far this season by the Department of Natural Resources.
The fish measured 26.25 inches and weighed almost 7 pounds. Carlisle caught the fish on Deer Lake in the mid afternoon on an overcast day using a spinner bait. However, Carlisle admitted he surely didn’t expect to catch such a big fish that day.
‘I wasn’t using very strong line,? he said. ‘It took quite a while to get it up in the boat, and I had my friend Tom (Stesney) help me. But once I saw the lily pads move and felt it on the line I knew I had something big.?
Stesney is also from Clarkston, Carlisle said.
Carlisle said the Clarkston area’s waters are a lot of fun to fish and offer a change from what he was used to in the south. There, he also had success with a lot of bass fishing, but he claimed the waters of the northern United States, especially right here in the Clarkston area, offer up a lot of variety, fun and challenge.
‘These fish really fight up here,? he said with a laugh. ‘You get a lot more aggressive species up here. You get the fish with teeth. Walleye, pike and of course you also get a lot of good bass and perch up here.?
Carlisle is active in the community and shares his love of fishing with youth in the area. He serves as Cub Master for Cub Scout pack 449 which meets at Pine Knob Elementary. There, he participates in an annual fishing trip and also teachers water safety to members of the pack.
Last week Carlisle said the fish was still on record as being the biggest largemouth bass caught in the state. He spent last week visiting his former state by participating in the Bass Master Classic, a large fishing event.
However, he readily admits that while a trip back to North Carolina is a nice change, he now considers this area’s waters to be where he will do the vast majority of his fishing from now on.
‘When we moved here, we just fell in love with the whole area. It’s a great family community and there are a lot of great lakes to fish in. Why would I move back to North Carolina now? Being a fisherman, Michigan is a great state and this area has proved it’s a great spot to be for fishing,? he said.