|
 Manabu Kurita, a Japanese angler fishing Lake Biwa, Japan's largest
freshwater lake, is reported to have caught a bass weighing 22 lbs 5
oz. The fish measured out at 29.4 inches long,
validating its massive weight.
If honored by IGFA, this fish would likely officially go down as a tie
for the world record with the 22 pound 4 ounce largemouth caught by
George Perry on June 2, 1932. The IGFA requires fish under 25 pounds to
eclipse previous records by 2 ounces or more.
However if confirmed, this fish will clearly go down as the largest legally
caught by rod and reel. Details have yet to emerge yet on this catch,
and likely it'll be difficult to get the full story on this catch given
the location, and potential language barrier.
The Largemouth Bass World Record is widely considered the most sought-after sport fishing record. The official world record has stood for over 77 years now, although there has been plenty of excitement in recent years regarding potential record catches.
And San Diego has been at the fore-front of that excitement.
 Jed Dickerson caught and released a fish (later to become known as Dottie) at Lake Dixon in Escondido that was officially documented and certified at 21 lbs 11.2 ounces in June of 2003, just shy of the record. However when the fish was initially weighed it eclipsed the world record by several ounces, but lost weight prior to being officially certified. The same fish was caught almost three years later, in March of 2006 by Mac Weakley (accompanied by Dickerson and Mike Winn) when it weighed 25 pounds, 1 ounce. That catch was discredited because the fish had been foul hooked unintentionally. Mike Winn is shown to the right holding "Dottie" at 25 pounds.
Lake Biwa has recently entered itself into the conversation of a potential world-record venue. There were rumors recently of a 25 pound bass being caught in a fishing net. Biwa is a deep reservoir, with areas of the lake exceeding 300 feet in depth. Largemouth bass were introduced to the lake for the sole purpose of sport, as they are not natively found in Biwa.
|
