Every fishermen is after that world record catch. Who wouldn’t want to be known for catching a 25lb largemouth bass? In largemouth bass fishing, that sort of weight is unheard of. Those of us who fish as a hobby usually see fish around 5-10lbs. If we’re lucky we might get one over 10lbs, but that is rare. What are the world records for largemouth bass fishing? Who holds them? We’ll tell you all the details here!
Current World Record Holder
You might think of largemouth bass fishing as an American pastime. So you would think that the world record bass was caught in the United States, right? Well currently, the record holder is Manabu Kurita of Japan. He caught a 22.3lb largemouth in in 2009 in a lake in Japan. Who knew there were even bass in Japan!? His record beat out the previous record holder, George Perry, who caught a 22.2lb largemouth in 1932 in the US. Just 1/10 of a pound difference! The Bassmaster website has a list of the Top 25 Largemouth Bass, who caught them, where, when, and what they weighed.
California Goes Big
Of the top 10 largemouth bass records, 8 were caught in California lakes.Of those 8, 4 were caught in Castaic Lake. What’s so special about California waters? These lakes are producing largemouth bass that weigh over 20lbs! Of the top 20 bass caught, only 3 were not caught in California. What’s going on? It’s not clear, but these California lakes, especially Castaic Lake and Miramar Reservoir are producing some huge bass. So if you plan to go after the record, the place to be is California. You can try in your local lake, as George Perry did in Georgia, and you may happen upon the biggest bass by chance as he did.
Sowbelly
If you are interested in reading more about the pursuit of the largemouth bass fishing world record, you should check out Sowbelly. It features George Perry (the second place world record holder) who caught the fish on a whim. It also features a cast of characters who obsessively chase the record, including one man who lost his marriage and child going after it.