Customer Reviews

Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is simply one of the best, most well written books I have ever read---on any subject! My highest compliment is that I wish it had gone on and on. If Mr. Burke decides to write another book, I shall be the first in line to purchase it. Great job, Monte!

Monte Burke's book Sowbelly, which chronicles the pursuit of the world record bass, is a great read that should appeal to all types. In addition to being a great fishing tale, it also looks into the depths of some very interesting lives.

The opening line from Melville's Moby Dick says it all.

This book is not about catching the biggest largemouth bass in the world. It's about the men who try to catch the biggest largemouth bass in the world. (Don't worry though; Burke recites plenty of fishing tales.)

Their stories are all a bit different but, at their core, have many of the same elements. No matter if it's the anger and frustration of Bob Crupi or a desire to be the "biggest dog" like Mike Long, each and every angler - addict might be more accurate - displays a single-minded purpose; to catch the biggest largemouth bass in the world.

Sowbelly is a great read!

A fantastic read! As the owner of the Creek Chub factory display of the World Record Bass and having fished with some he writes about including Porter Hall in Florida and Dan Snow in trips to Cuba in 1979, and closely following the exploits of others who persue big bass, I know that this authors reporting is accurate.

He also has dug deeper than anyone else uncovering a lot of information that no one knew, pulling it all together in a compelling way that helps us to understand the sacrificies made by those who strive to be the best or set a world record in any endeavor.

I will read it again and again and am highly recommending it to all my friends and you.

Just this past March, about a year after this book's publication, Mac Weakley (who features prominently in the book) brought in an almost certain record-breaker--a bass just over 25 lb out of Lake Dixon near San Diego. He ended up releasing the fish, and, to my knowledge, he is not going to pursue a world record certification (the fish was apparently unintentionally foul-hooked). On top of that, the fish was the same one that had been purportedly caught twice earlier at sub-22 lb weights, once by Mike Long and once by Weakley's friend Jed Dickerson. This was all just another chapter in this fascinating story, and this book is not only a great read--as others have said--but also a thorough background for someone who wants to understand the origins of the CA bass scene after hearing about Weakley's sensational catch.
I'd recommend that those who are interested in Weakley's potential record-breaker read this book--and that those who liked this book follow the ongoing story of record-hunting fishermen.
I remember seeing Bob Crupi in In-fisherman magazine years ago, when Lake Castaic was gaining national notoriety. This book closes the circle between those days and the present with a perspective that, though not completely an insider's, is very close to the action.

WOW! What an awesome story! This was an amazing, riveting, and insightful book. I did not want the story to end! I have been tournament fishing for years now and this has been a delightful look into the hunt for the world record. I was enriched by the way Monte made me feel as if I had known these anglers and it was as if I had been right there! This is a MUST HAVE for anyone who is passionate about Bass fishing! A+++++

I just have to say, this is the most accurate account of the trophy bass scene, I have ever read. Riveting ! I picked it up, and could barely put it down. Finished it in two nights, but I am fixing to read it again. This book confirmed some things that I already believed, and it taught me much more.
If you are even slightly interested in the key players of the race for the world record Lagemouth bass, you should probably buy this book. If you are a trophy bass angler yourself, such as I am, this book is a flat out neccessity.

Fish Chris www.TrophyBassOnly.com

wow what a book just incredible,as a bass fisherman I also dream
of catching the record but these men need help,(we all do)
the book reminded me why i fish (for fun,fun fun) and like any thing,how at times,any obsetion can be come unhealthy,this a
a true look at the soul of the bass fisheman,

Burke had me holding my breath in the heat of the day waiting for that ever so subtle thump of a hog on the line... what a great read. Why can't BASSMASTER capture this sort of insight, depth of feeling-there-in-the-moment instead of the same old stuff again and again.

The real characters, costly commitments and personal struggles are very well shared along with the clues to where the next world record might just be pulled ashore and weighed.

A very enjoyable read to be sure.

Even if your not a fisherman, this is a interesting and intriguing story of adventure and the real sacrifice of a select few truly dedicated indaviduals.