Yes by normal standards that would be bait, if I were fishing for Moby Dick in the attlantic. but by Texhoma standards 18 inches is a decent size fish. Now don't get me wrong, we got a 27 incher last trip but considering the fishing was way off, we did good.
Now i have fished the maryland streams and you'd kill to get a fish that big. Now at the bay and the ocean, bigger is there, but so polluted you're risking health to eat them. climbing back into my bunker.... shot... out