IGFA Announces World Record Bass Status on Friday. Perry's bass was caught on June 2, 1932 from Montgomery Lake in Georgia and weighed 10.09 kg (22 lbs 4 oz.) “Lakes go through a natural aging process,” says Allen, who explains that trophy fish usually appear relatively soon after lakes have been formed. Introduction: TackleTog contributor and custom lure painter Brock Hiroshima reaches out overseas to connect with Manabu Kurita and discuss his world record tying Largemouth Bass and fishing for the forbidden species in Japan. He did not hesitate. Kurita claims he doesn’t mind sharing, since Perry’s record is what motivated so many anglers in the first place. For the next half century, no angler got within a pound and a half of his mark. 1/8/10 at 1:30 Pm eastern, http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/forums/topics/show/1876906-breaking-news-kurita-bass-igfa-announcement-1-6-10. One fish — known as Dottie for the prominent black mark near her gills — weighed close to 22 pounds when she was caught and released in 2003. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. asians are always humble about any bad talks to them. Big fish attract more fishermen, which is why fishery managers have introduced Florida largemouths not just to California, but also to lakes all over the world, including Mexico, South Africa and — yes — Japan. And while Florida bass and other largemouth bass usually grow to about the same size, only Florida bass have the potential to get truly huge. (In 2011, ESPN sold the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, which owns the tour, but it still televises the event. How do I know it's the truth? So, about 11:30 a.m., I went to the bridge piling and cast the bait to the north side. was caught on Oct. 24, 2009, and it has already been approved…. It was my first cast," Kurita explained. After my meeting with Kurita, I met with Yoichiro Oguri, president and owner of Popeye, a very popular tackle store chain (Japan's version of Bass Pro Shops). He beat the record. Well, it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out. They watch them year round and even name them and their kills are put in the record books. they'll just do better just because of the bickering/criticism. Perhaps that explains why far fewer giant bass have been caught in Southern California since the early 2000s. For a while, it looked like Perry’s record would fall any day. Other than that whats the problem? He could just as easily have taken me to another bridge support, one that would have completely negated the naysayers. But to understand why it took so long, it’s worth starting at the beginning, on a boat with George Perry, somewhere in rural Georgia. Since 2010, new extermination strategies, including electrification of spawning bass, has made all sizes of bass harder to find, he says. Manabu Kurita shows off the largemouth bass he caught in Japan in 2009. Over the next 30 years, every one of the IGFA’s records for largemouth bass — save for the all-tackle one owned by Perry — was rewritten by anglers using all sorts of lines and rods. So, I tried fishing for bass and I became passionate about catching them," Kurita explained. One of my sources in the know tells me that there is no way the JGFA will allow the grand fish to become a new Japan record– Caught up in politics…-dsc04276.jpg. Some records date back to George S Perry’s world record bass in 1922 while others state records seem to be ... we all could literally be one cast away from from the bass fishing record books. It weighed 22 pounds, 5 ounces and tied the record for the biggest ever caught. 8, 2015, It was stunning when a Japanese sportsman was recognized for tying G. Perry’s record. Kurita claims he’s seen a 25-pounder paddling through Lake Biwa. “Not only is the largemouth easily accessible, the tackle required to catch it is pretty straightforward,” says Jack Vitek, the world records coordinator for the IGFA. Mr. Oguri contacted JGFA and found out the delay was because of the fact that they were unsure of the local laws surrounding Biwa's no-fishing zones. He asked them if fishing was allowed near the three marked bridge pilings. This isn`t hunting, it isn`t a sport, and it shouldn`t be qualified as any record yet it happens every year. 1, a reported 22-pound, 5-ounce giant, has been caught on the other side of the planet by Depps Tackle Co. pro-staffer Manabu Kurita, form Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture of Japan. Then, around 2001, Japanese authorities started to treat bass less as a trophy fish and more as a foreign organism to exterminate, he said. The dude may get the record for the biggest largemouth, but he also deserves some sort of prize for that dyed-mullet hairdo thing he's sporting. In North America the largemouth bass, and especially the All-Tackle record, is considered by millions of anglers as the “holy grail” of freshwater fish because of its popularity and the longevity of Perry’s record. Unbelievable! His honesty was refreshing. (The other bridge pilings are not marked, so fishing, anchoring and tying to them is totally legal.). Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The 22-pound, 5-ounce behemoth ate a live sunfish he had rigged on a 5/0 Fina Power Finesse bait hook. While the two fish do not usually coexist in the same areas, the 12-inch trout stocked in these lakes (also to entice fishermen) have proven to be a perfect food for the mega-bass, which pack on weight far more quickly than they would hunting other prey. Manabu Kurita of Japan shocked the world of fishing by breaking the most cherished of all fishing records, the 75-year-old record for largemouth bass, with this bass weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces. Manabu Kurita fishes in the area where he caught the 22-5 largemouth. We are in the process of checking it; as soon as it is, confirmed of its validity, the application will be forwarded to the IGFA for a, world record. Fishing records are different from human athletic records. If approved Kurita’s fish would tie the current record held for over 77 years by George Perry caught on Georgia’s Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, near Jacksonville, Georgia. Does the "Do not stop" sign suggest, and thereby give authorities, the ability to ticket anglers fishing the marked pilings? All rights reserved. @dgoldenberg, Extremes (7 posts) So the two fish are co-record holders. State Largemouth Bass Record Chart. If this fish's reported weight holds up, Kurita's 29.4-inch giant is 1 ounce heavier than George Perry's 77-year-old, 22-pound, 4-ounce record. Photos and video were also submitted with Kurita’s written documentation. Something was going on in Southern California, and that something was a potent brew of favorable conditions for super fish. The fish Kurita tied is known simply as George Perry’s miracle bass. 2F, 1-11-2 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Since Kurita’s bass may have only eclipsed Perry’s by an ounce, it may be declared a tie….which seems pretty lame to me. Burke says a few monsters may lurk in the lakes of Cuba, where they have been off-limits to many record-focused bass fishermen for dozens of years. I wrote to the Japanese agency responsible for certifying the catch and here is their response. Anchor or tie to the bridge pilings are not marked, so fishing, anchoring and tying them. Taken this long than many submissions that became records with no problem 1980 Raymond. 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