The angler was one step away from record fishing. He was flooded with a wave of hate
In the heart of Chicago, in the shadow of skyscrapers and right next to the Soldier Field stadium, a story took place that touched the fishing environment throughout the United States. Kyle Danhausen, a local angler and commercial representative of Shimano, on April 24, 2025, caught a small -tailed bass weighing 3.24 kg, which is only about 28 grams less than the current Illinois state record.
Danhausen regularly catches Harbor in Burnham, a port located next to the Soldier Field stadium.
“I like to fish in the city center whenever I can and I was there (in the city). I received the port of Burnham, which is located next to Soldier Field.”
The conditions were ideal – the air temperature reached 26 degrees Celsius, and the wind was practically imperceptible. Danhausen fished at a depth of about 6 meters, using a small swimbait when he felt the characteristic trembling of the fish’s head. After a short fight, he pulled out a female full of eggs, measuring 55.2 cm long.
He was close to the record
After weighing the fish on manual weight and confirming the result on the weight of the neighboring boat, Danhausen realized that he had caught a fish almost matching the record record. He contacted a friend who directed him to a certified weight in the Bridgeport Bait and Tackle store. There, the weight of the fish was confirmed – 3.24 kg.
After registering the measurements, Danhausen and his companion returned to the lake and released the fish. Danhausen emphasized that his main worry was to keep the fish alive during the whole procedure.
Hate
However, despite his efforts, critical comments appeared on the Internet:
“I got a lot of phone calls about this fish, so many people saw this post Midwest Outdors. There was incredibly a lot of hatred, which was surprising to me.”
Danhausen was accused by other anglers of “harassment” of fish for likes or attention. Others claimed that Bass had to die, because the film from the release ends before the fish fully lowered his hand.
Record history
The current Illinois state record for Małogębowy Bass is 3.29 kg. He was established in 2019 by Joe Capilup, who caught fish in Monroe Harbor, also in the center of Chicago. Capilupo caught fish on the bait Z-Man Ned Rig in California Craw. After weighing and confirming the record, the fish was released back to Lake Michigan.
Danhausen notes that there is an even larger small bass in the Chicago area, which is just waiting for the state of the state. According to him, one of the best habitats of small fish can be found in the center of Chicago, among breakwaters and ports. In recent years, more and more large (over 2.3 kg) small fish has been fishing there.
“In general, the great lake fisheries flourish – Coho half are excellent, the same applies to perch and lake trout (on Lake Michigan).”
Danhausen adds that although some anglers can say that in the 1980s it was better, fishing for small trout in the Chicago area has never been as good as it is now.
