Jerry Sandretto would certainly agree. The Elwood, Ill., man was fishing Kentucky Lake last week with guide Scott Patton. Sandretto had already boated a couple of bass in the 5-pound class when he cast his Texas-rigged, plum-colored, 12-inch Zoom Mag Ol’ Monster worm over a ledge break on the main lake channel. A few minutes later Patton netted a largemouth that stretched a digital scale to 10.6 pounds.

It was the big bass of the day. Maybe the biggest bass of a lifetime.

“He fought it for a long time,” Patton said. “And when it came up and I got a good look at it, I thought ‘Wow!’

“I’ve been guiding on Kentucky Lake for 28 years and I’ve never had a bass this big in my boat,” Patton said, a veteran guide and tournament angler. “I’ve had some 9 (pounders). But not one like this.”

A double-digit (10 pounds or larger) bass is a trophy by any measure. It remains an apparition for many anglers.