News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender

[umoa]

if the american bass anglers here really want a big fish, its pretty easy. Ban bass fishing for 10 years, and there will be a WR in no time.


i'm sure they are 2x more pissed because it was caught on live bait.

[BiggestT]

Originally Posted by carl

Steve the existing record is 22-4 and by my interpretation of info you posted before re: the IGFA's 25# standard this fish would qualify as the record as opposed to a tie....Being that the current record is under 25#..Is this not the case? Or do we need to wait and see how the IGFA interprets things...

Carl, the IGFA Rules state that for records under 25 lbs, the fish would have to surpass the existing record by 2 oz. in order to replace it. Otherwise, it will be declared a tie. Based on the fact set presented, I believe that is where this is heading.

Now, if I were a lawyer representing this angler and knowing what's at stake, I'd be real busy. The IGFA only requires that the scale be certified within the last year prior to the catch. However, you can certify a scale after the fact and if there is a adjustment difference, they will adjust the weight of the fish to account for that. Normally this is done for fish weighed on scales whose certification is out of date or that have never been certified. Armed with that knowledge, you could have the scale rechecked to see if it was off. However, the adjusment could just as easily work against the angler's catch as it could benefit it. The fish's weight is off by 1.03 oz from the undisputed record. That's an error margin of 0.28% on the scale. That's not a whole lot.

As Capt. G noted, you need to cross your "Ts" and dot your "i"s, but it's really not that difficult if you know the rules and plan accordingly ahead of time. My observation from the photos of this fish and of other photos posted here by Capt G and in conversation aboard my boat fishing with Capt. G, it would appear that the Japanese anglers have got this stuff down. I mean, the first photo is of the fish laid on a very clear and legible scale with a second ruler squaring off the tale. That right there takes all the guess work out of the length measurement. As Capt. G noted (to me), the girth measurement is the more difficult of the two. I mean it's like getting the waist measurement on a fat chick: where is she the fattest?

Now Capt. G had me a bit worried about describing the hook pulling while netting the fish. If the hook pulled while the fish was in the net, that's ok. But if the hook pulled with the fish alongside the boat and it was "free netted", that would be a problem as you can't free net or free gaff fish for obvious reasons.

Those are the little things, T's and I's that need to be flushed out, but I'm sure they have this down.

[BiggestT]

Originally Posted by umoa

if the american bass anglers here really want a big fish, its pretty easy. Ban bass fishing for 10 years, and there will be a WR in no time.


i'm sure they are 2x more pissed because it was caught on live bait.

And I'll guarantee that a good percentage of those guys practice site fishing bass while on spawning beds in crystal clear lakes.

[BiggestT]

YouTube - 2009.7.2 ????BASS ??????73.5cm

Also, check out what Bassfan Docktalk had to say about BD having the first photos:

Possible world record? (updated) 7/2/2009
Update 8:15 p.m. EST: Ed Zieralski of the San Diego Union Tribune, who's long covered the quest for the record, has picked of coverage of the Biwa fish. Like BassFan, he doesn't have much solid intel yet, but he does have some initial reactions from San Diego trophy hunters and the IGFA. For his reporting, click here.

Update 4:25 pm EST: BassFan spoke with Optimum Baits CEO Matt Paino about the Biwa fish. For well over a decade, Paino has been hardwired into the Japan fishing scene. He formerly lived in Japan, and was instrumental in bringing several Japanese lure lines to the U.S. through Optimum, including Deps, Ima, Zappu and Vagabond.

Paino said he doesn't yet know who caught the fish, but he received a call from current Japan record-holder Kazuya Shimada at 2:00 a.m. this morning.

"I just spoke with Shimada 3 days ago because he needed baits," Paino said. "I thought he was calling about that so I didn't answer. He called me right back, I answered the phone, and he's like, 'Dude, the world record was just caught, (but) it's not official yet.'"

Paino quickly told Shimada, "Please tell me it was caught on an Optimum," but Shimada answered that he didn't know what the fish was caught on, although he did confirm that the angler who caught it does fish for Deps.

Paino added that he expects to hear solid info later tonight when morning dawns in Japan.

Update 3:54 pm EST: Bassmaster.com has published several photos of the fish here.

Reports have surfaced of a potential world-record largemouth bass caught from Lake Biwa in Japan by Manabu Kurita. The standing Japan record is a 19-15 monster caught in April 2003 from Lake Ikehara by Kazuya Shimada. It fell prey to an Optimum swimbait. The standing world record is George Perry's 22-04, caught from a Georgia oxbow in June 1932.

Biwa, stocked with Florida-strain largemouths several decades ago, has long been a focal point in the quest for a new world record. It's the largest freshwater lake in Japan, and unconfirmed reports from commercial fisherman have pointed to the presence of world-record-class bass in Biwa. Not surprisingly, a small group of Japanese big-bass hunters work Biwa, much like the posses who haunt the Southern California lakes. It's believed that the Biwa fish was caught by one of the lake's big-bass hunters.

The new Biwa fish reportedly weighs in close to the George Perry record of 22-04. In order for the IGFA to certify the Biwa fish as a new world record, however, it would need to weigh 2 ounces more.

Initial intel gathered by BassFan through Japanese contacts confirms that the fish is likely real, that the weight is right around the 22-04 mark (perhaps 1 ounce more), and that it was caught on live bait. However, that's all unconfirmed. It's nighttime in Japan right now, so solid news might be forthcoming several hours from now.

News of the fish has surfaced on several message boards, but Bloody Decks appears to have the only photos of the fish (found here).

Reporting will continue.

Also, read what Monte Burke, author of "Sowbelly" wrote:


Biwa monster: Burke's reaction 7/2/2009

Monte Burke's the author of the highly acclaimed book Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass, published in 2005. Ironically, a Japanese publisher acquired the rights to Sowbelly late last year, and the book hit Japanese bookstores about 2 weeks ago.

What follows is Burke's reaction to the news of the potential world record out of Japan.

"My initial reaction is the same as it is with all reports of bass that supposedly will break Perry's record – 'wait and see.' This one, at least initially, seems pretty legit. That's a big, big bass and it came from a lake known for bass in the 18- to 19-pound range. It doesn't smell as 'fishy' as, for instance, Leaha Trew's fish a few years ago, or many of the other various frauds and hoaxes we've come across in recent years.

"Of course, there's the IGFA 2-ounce rule that – if this fish is legit and is 1 ounce over Perry's – will cause some serious handwringing. I have to wonder, too, how the IGFA will deal with this. My sense is that they've sort of wanted the record to be broken (legitimately) for the last few years. The attention for the organization would be a boost. But did they want the record to come from abroad? Maybe. Maybe not. Are they going to fly over to certify the fish? It is the most important record in fishing. The organization will face some criticism no matter what they do.

"And I can't help but think of the record-hunters I met during the reporting of Sowbelly. What does Bob Crupi think of this? How about Jed Dickerson and Mac Weakley, who – if their scales are to be believed – snagged a fish bigger than this one in the back? I don't think the true record-chasers will stop even if this fish turns out to be legit. One ounce isn't very much in the scheme of things. Their quest will continue.

"This is a record that has been threatened many times over the past decade and a half. It has seemed to have a protective forcefield around it. But maybe someone's finally broken through. If this Japanese guy did it all by the book, then I'm happy for him and he deserves recognition for breaking the most hallowed record in fishing, and one of the most significant records in sports. If it's somehow not the record and just another world record 'scare,' well, we've been down this road before a few times, and we'll move on to the next one. Like I said, I'll wait and see."

Editor's note: If you've never read Sowbelly, you should. It's a fantastic read that not only examines the record itself, but more importantly, the all-consuming quest and the obsessive characters who pursue it. For more info on the book, or to order, visit MonteBurke.com.

[Capt. G]

Originally Posted by Jason

Following some of the links that are below the posts to other forums that linked to this post I found a shit pile of pissed off rednecks. They are calling BS on this post only because the fish was caught in Japan and not the USA. What a bunch of bitter bigots.

Nice fish!

I think they are calling BS on this BD post, because the thread starter (That Capt. G fag) is is a maniac, and complete ass**le.

By the way, did you know how to tell a sure sign of inbreeding?

1. By the redness on the back of the neck area
2. The overall green sallow skin (from envy)
3. Complete look of stupidity due to extreme jealously.

[BiggestT]

Originally Posted by Capt. G

I think they are calling BS on this BD post, because the thread starter (That Capt. G fag) is is a maniac, and complete ass**le.

By the way, did you know how to tell a sure sign of inbreeding?

1. By the redness on the back of the neck area
2. The overall green sallow skin (from envy)
3. Complete look of stupidity due to extreme jealously.

I got the same reaction over at San Diego Fishing Reports, Forums, and News - Home. Got some guy there telling everyone about how you can site fish bass in June, afterall his buddy got 5th place in a FLW Tournament doing so. Then he starts telling everyone how the Lake Biwa bass get fat feeding on salmon. And for good measure, he bragged about his 13.8 caught sight fishing and a couple sub 10s caught sight fishing at a mystery lake in his avatar which is unquestionably LMV. I just deleted the links and all my posts as obviously he was the authority on this.

[Capt. G]

Originally Posted by BiggestT

I got the same reaction over at San Diego Fishing Reports, Forums, and News - Home. Got some guy there telling everyone about how you can site fish bass in June, afterall his buddy got 5th place in a FLW Tournament doing so. Then he starts telling everyone how the Lake Biwa bass get fat feeding on salmon. And for good measure, he bragged about his 13.8 caught sight fishing and a couple sub 10s caught sight fishing at a mystery lake in his avatar which is unquestionably LMV. I just deleted the links and all my posts as obviously he was the authority on this.

According to the data that I got from a fisheries biologist at the Biwa Lake Aquarium, there are NO salmon in Lake Biwa.
But what does he know?
Site fish in June?
The fish was caught in July, which starts with the same letter "J" but is actually a complete different month.

We call guys like the above "Salmon Man" an "FE", which stands for "Fuck**g Expert". A kook that talks too much about things he has no knowledge of.

[Whalebreath]

Originally Posted by Jason

Following some of the links that are below the posts to other forums that linked to this post I found a shit pile of pissed off rednecks. They are calling BS on this post only because the fish was caught in Japan and not the USA. What a bunch of bitter bigots.

You want bitter, just imagine if that Bass had been caught in Cuba!

[Capt. G]

Originally Posted by BiggestT

YouTube - 2009.7.2 ????BASS ??????73.5cm

Also, check out what Bassfan Docktalk had to say about BD having the first photos:

Possible world record? (updated) 7/2/2009
Update 8:15 p.m. EST: Ed Zieralski of the San Diego Union Tribune, who's long covered the quest for the record, has picked of coverage of the Biwa fish. Like BassFan, he doesn't have much solid intel yet, but he does have some initial reactions from San Diego trophy hunters and the IGFA. For his reporting, click here.

Update 4:25 pm EST: BassFan spoke with Optimum Baits CEO Matt Paino about the Biwa fish. For well over a decade, Paino has been hardwired into the Japan fishing scene. He formerly lived in Japan, and was instrumental in bringing several Japanese lure lines to the U.S. through Optimum, including Deps, Ima, Zappu and Vagabond.

Paino said he doesn't yet know who caught the fish, but he received a call from current Japan record-holder Kazuya Shimada at 2:00 a.m. this morning.

"I just spoke with Shimada 3 days ago because he needed baits," Paino said. "I thought he was calling about that so I didn't answer. He called me right back, I answered the phone, and he's like, 'Dude, the world record was just caught, (but) it's not official yet.'"

Paino quickly told Shimada, "Please tell me it was caught on an Optimum," but Shimada answered that he didn't know what the fish was caught on, although he did confirm that the angler who caught it does fish for Deps.

Paino added that he expects to hear solid info later tonight when morning dawns in Japan.

Update 3:54 pm EST: Bassmaster.com has published several photos of the fish here.

Reports have surfaced of a potential world-record largemouth bass caught from Lake Biwa in Japan by Manabu Kurita. The standing Japan record is a 19-15 monster caught in April 2003 from Lake Ikehara by Kazuya Shimada. It fell prey to an Optimum swimbait. The standing world record is George Perry's 22-04, caught from a Georgia oxbow in June 1932.

Biwa, stocked with Florida-strain largemouths several decades ago, has long been a focal point in the quest for a new world record. It's the largest freshwater lake in Japan, and unconfirmed reports from commercial fisherman have pointed to the presence of world-record-class bass in Biwa. Not surprisingly, a small group of Japanese big-bass hunters work Biwa, much like the posses who haunt the Southern California lakes. It's believed that the Biwa fish was caught by one of the lake's big-bass hunters.

The new Biwa fish reportedly weighs in close to the George Perry record of 22-04. In order for the IGFA to certify the Biwa fish as a new world record, however, it would need to weigh 2 ounces more.

Initial intel gathered by BassFan through Japanese contacts confirms that the fish is likely real, that the weight is right around the 22-04 mark (perhaps 1 ounce more), and that it was caught on live bait. However, that's all unconfirmed. It's nighttime in Japan right now, so solid news might be forthcoming several hours from now.

News of the fish has surfaced on several message boards, but Bloody Decks appears to have the only photos of the fish (found here).

Reporting will continue.

Also, read what Monte Burke, author of "Sowbelly" wrote:


Biwa monster: Burke's reaction 7/2/2009

Monte Burke's the author of the highly acclaimed book Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass, published in 2005. Ironically, a Japanese publisher acquired the rights to Sowbelly late last year, and the book hit Japanese bookstores about 2 weeks ago.

What follows is Burke's reaction to the news of the potential world record out of Japan.

"My initial reaction is the same as it is with all reports of bass that supposedly will break Perry's record – 'wait and see.' This one, at least initially, seems pretty legit. That's a big, big bass and it came from a lake known for bass in the 18- to 19-pound range. It doesn't smell as 'fishy' as, for instance, Leaha Trew's fish a few years ago, or many of the other various frauds and hoaxes we've come across in recent years.

"Of course, there's the IGFA 2-ounce rule that – if this fish is legit and is 1 ounce over Perry's – will cause some serious handwringing. I have to wonder, too, how the IGFA will deal with this. My sense is that they've sort of wanted the record to be broken (legitimately) for the last few years. The attention for the organization would be a boost. But did they want the record to come from abroad? Maybe. Maybe not. Are they going to fly over to certify the fish? It is the most important record in fishing. The organization will face some criticism no matter what they do.

"And I can't help but think of the record-hunters I met during the reporting of Sowbelly. What does Bob Crupi think of this? How about Jed Dickerson and Mac Weakley, who – if their scales are to be believed – snagged a fish bigger than this one in the back? I don't think the true record-chasers will stop even if this fish turns out to be legit. One ounce isn't very much in the scheme of things. Their quest will continue.

"This is a record that has been threatened many times over the past decade and a half. It has seemed to have a protective forcefield around it. But maybe someone's finally broken through. If this Japanese guy did it all by the book, then I'm happy for him and he deserves recognition for breaking the most hallowed record in fishing, and one of the most significant records in sports. If it's somehow not the record and just another world record 'scare,' well, we've been down this road before a few times, and we'll move on to the next one. Like I said, I'll wait and see."

Editor's note: If you've never read Sowbelly, you should. It's a fantastic read that not only examines the record itself, but more importantly, the all-consuming quest and the obsessive characters who pursue it. For more info on the book, or to order, visit MonteBurke.com.

That Monte Burke guy is total schmuck.
I was asked to be interviewed for Sowbelly, a book published by Forbes. I declined, due to the fact that two of my associates, to which whole chapters were written, were unfairly represented. Monte still used my name, without my consent, in two separate places in the book, and wrote about my Italian Mafia doings (which may or may not be true). A bunch of crap, IMO, but that is what makes for good reading; I heard quite a few copies of the book were sold...

[BiggestT]

Originally Posted by Capt. G

That Monte Burke guy is total schmuck.
I was asked to be interviewed for Sowbelly, a book published by Forbes. I declined, due to the fact that two of my associates, to which whole chapters were written, were unfairly represented. Monte still used my name, without my consent, in two separate places in the book, and wrote about my Italian Mafia doings (which may or may not be true). A bunch of crap, IMO, but that is what makes for good reading; I heard quite a few copies of the book were sold...

I've got the book. He definitely spun a gossipy story which was aimed at selling books and that he did. Definitely gives a window into the world of the bass bitches. I don't get it. I just fish to relax. Yeah I target big fish, but I also just want to be out there and enjoy the outing. Some of these guys bring it to a level that takes all the fun out of it.

I posted Monte's blog here because of some of his speculative comments about the IGFA. One he speculates about controversy over a tie. The answer is very clear, if the reported weight is accepted, it will be tie. There will be no controversy. Then he questions whether the IGFA really wanted an international angler to catch this record. Uh, hello, the "I" in IGFA stands for "International". They encourage everyone to become a member and they cash all checks, domestic or foreign.

[wisturkeyhunter]

I just registered to to view this post didn't really intend to post. I don't consider my self a redneck but its been said before. I'm from Wisconsin and really don't have a snowballs chance in he77 of ever catching a world record bass so I don't really have a dog in this fight. I just wanted to say anybody that talks crap about the fish being caught on livebait is jealous plain and simple. Has nothing to do with being a bigot or a redneck its all jealousy. Most rednecks I know use nothing but livebait for the most part anyways. Fishing is all about putting something in front of the fish that it will eat. If its live bait then the good fisherman will use live bait. Congrats to the fisherman.

[Capt. G]

This pic is from Deps Co., a sponsor of the angler that caught the pending record fish.