A question for a biologist

[occasionalfisher]

Last Friday I was fishing a tournament with my dad at Allatoona and I caught a live freshwater mussel. I was fishing a carolina rig on a windy point and had what I thought was a bite, I set the hook and reeled in a mussel that had clamped down on my braid main line. We have all caught the shells throwing a crankbait, but this thing was huge, was the size of a very big oyster, was probably 7 inches across the widest point. I tried to pry open the shell to get my line out, but after a bit I just yanked on the braid and got it to break. It was 30 lb braid and new so that was a pretty strong shell. I tossed the mussel back in the lake as it was closed and heavy and probably still alive.
My question is this, is it normal for those things to get that big? I have caught live ones at Weiss just a little bigger than a silver dollar, but I was not aware that those things got that big. With the shell and the water inside the shell the thing probably weighed 2.5 pounds.

[pheonix819]

Mainly following the post but I have caught them bigger than my hand at Guntersville, I didn't realize toona had them.

[gordon]

I am not a bioligist, Freshwater Mussels can get very big, much bigger than saltwater ones. I have found freshwater mussels as big as 8 or 9 inches.

[zbmw]

Never knew Allatoona had them either but I'm curious to know the answer as well from a local who is more scientifically apt than myself. Nice catch I suppose!