Big news around the sport this week centered on an outstanding catch from my old stomping grounds. Visiting the Canadian waters of Lake Erie, Ohio angler Greg Gallagher caught a smallmouth bass exceeding 10 pounds, shattering the once-thought-unbeatable lake record of 9-08 held for 30 years by Randy VanDam.

The catch is notable for a number of reasons. One, it further illustrates how no record is safe with the inception of forward-facing sonar. But, more importantly, the catch showcases Lake Erie’s continued placement near the top of smallmouth bass fishing’s destination list.

Many of you will note that I was there during the inception of Erie as a smallmouth Mecca. My father, once a part-time charter boat operator and avid Erie angler, occasionally took us kids on the lake to bass fish, this happening most often when the walleye bite slowed. Then, we’d soak soft-shelled crayfish around the western Lake Erie island complexes, taking home a limit of bass for a fish fry. This was common practice at the time.

In the mid-'80s, Erie held vast schools of chunky bass. A 4-pounder was a big fish then. But what the population lacked in size, it made up in numbers. I vividly remember asking a veteran captain which island was his favorite to bass fish. “Green Island,” he replied at the time, “because it’s the closest.” True, it didn’t really matter where you went on Lake Erie to catch smallmouth bass, as long as there were rocks to fish around. Three to 30 feet, you caught bass throughout the depths.

Fast-forward a decade or so, and we saw the inception of major bass tournaments in the Western Basin. A few big trails toyed with the idea earlier, but most events were limited to Sandusky Bay. But about the time I was in high school, there was a noticeable uptick in bass boats heading to the open waters to pursue bass. Boats were bigger, better and safer, thanks to larger hulls and the inception of GPS in recreational vessels. Area bass clubs pushed the envelope a bit, and were also partly responsible for the big-water renaissance. In fact, the Central Basin B.A.S.S. Club, one I was an early member of, became the first Erie-only competitive bass fishing group at the time. Members dominated early regional and state B.A.S.S. Federation tournaments.

Time went by, tournaments came from everywhere, and catches were historic. I remember one big event where every competitor but one caught a sizable limit of fish, and that guy broke down and still came in with four. I believe over 4,000 pounds of bass were weighed that day in Sandusky, Ohio.

Not long after, we began seeing a notable decline in the overall fishing around many areas of the lake. The regions between Cleveland and Huron, Ohio ¬ once displaying an endless supply of bass – became tough places to catch much of anything besides freshwater drum. Many local anglers theorized that the large-scale transport of bass to weigh-ins – often dozens of miles away – was to blame.

Biologists initially criticized round gobies, their numbers then exploding across the lake. Underwater video showed gobies eating bass eggs by the millions. Another, less common idea, was my own. I noticed a major decline in crayfish throughout Erie as zebra mussels took over, the lake bottom turning to a snowy landscape void of cracks and crevices once housing the craws.

Likely, all three factors were to blame, and possibly more.

But, as fishing declined around some of Erie’s most historic reefs, other areas were being explored for the first time en masse and offered incredible angling opportunities. I remember the initial years I spent around Pelee Island. This may very well be the area the double-digit brute took up residence. At the time, a 6-pounder was a true trophy; knowledgeable anglers could expect to catch a couple each year.

Time passed and our advantage increased. Side-imaging, better trolling motors, more capable boats with bigger fuel tanks. We pushed the envelope, crossing the lake when necessary, despite weather conditions. To this day, I still have smallmouth fans ask me about the B.A.S.S. Open event, where waves climbed to unheard of heights, yet I still ventured to the promised land of Pelee. A few also talk of the day I ran 99 miles, one way, across the open lake from Sandusky to Ashtabula, Ohio, the shoreline lost to view the majority of the time. Erie was limitless.

And so it remains today. Anglers continue to advance, as does their equipment, allowing more opportunities to catch the smallmouth of a lifetime. While it may be news to many anglers that November presents great fishing, the area’s best smallmouth fishermen have known this for years. My biggest fish ever on Erie was caught in December. Many of my friends may be out there today.

As the waters cool, Great Lakes smallmouth perform two tasks: eat and group. Each aides anglers in their quest for the magic fish.

Great Lakes bass anglers are in a lucky place in time. As a whole, never has the fishing been so good, or the bass so big. Sure, there are always exceptions. But the catch-and release-mentality, coupled with the clean water initiatives put in place in the 1970s, have created bountiful bass fisheries. Reductions in commercial fishing also helped.

And it turns out gobies didn’t hurt. What once scared us to death has resulted in fish growing much bigger, faster. The long-term impact from the exotic bottom-dweller is still yet to be seen. But, for now, while there are fewer bass than the days of old, those that live in Erie are fat and happy.

Today, Lake Erie’s biggest threat is a warming climate and increased nutrient loading, resulting in potentially toxic algae blooms at a regular pace. While this occurrence has led to some dismal summers, I think more folks are on board to get ahead of the problem. What choice do they have?

Hopefully, all the users can agree that a healthy Lake Erie is important to everyone, from charter captains to farmers, island hoppers to Cedar Point ticket-holders. And especially the throngs of recreational fishermen still chasing their trophy. Because she’s still out there.

Will we see a world-record smallmouth bass out of Lake Erie some day?

I brought that idea up at a seminar 20 years ago. Then I joined the audience as they laughed, trying to save face. I wonder what their reaction would be today.

(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)