World Record Largemouth Bass

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2011-03-31T16:59:00.000-04:00

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2011-03-05T19:54:00.000-05:00

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2011-02-10T18:59:00.000-05:00

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2011-01-21T14:03:00.003-05:00

The new website with bass fishing courses online, sonar instruction,tournament tips,tactics,videos and forums with live help is now open.

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2011-01-09T19:39:00.000-05:00

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2011-01-03T14:27:00.000-05:00

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2010-12-23T19:05:00.000-05:00

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2010-12-23T10:21:00.001-05:00

What Is A Trophy?

2010-12-01T08:52:00.000-05:00

By Dan O'Sullivan
Bassmaster.com

Ten-pound largemouths, 6-pound smallmouths, 5-pound spotted bass — trophies?

Californians, Texans and Floridians make every cast with the knowledge that it might produce a double-digit largemouth. Anglers on Dale Hollow in Kentucky and Tennessee, Lake Pardee in northern California and those who frequent Pickwick in Alabama or Lake Erie, know a 6-pound smallmouth could come at any time. Enthusiasts in California, Alabama and a few other states know that a 5-pound spotted bass lurks around every corner.

For some anglers, the thought of eclipsing those marks on their local fisheries may be nothing more than a pipe dream. While the standards above will likely remain the standards for judging what categorizes trophy bass on a national scale, anglers can take pride in catching much smaller specimens.

When we examine the world records of each of those three main species, a trophy bass (by most standards) tips the scales at around half the body weight of the largest specimens on record.

In the case of Manubu Kurita's record tying 22.3106-pound largemouth, a 10-pounder would be roughly 45 percent of that specimen. For David Hayes' 11.9375-pound smallmouth, a six-pounder would be just over 51-percent of that size. When comparing the size of a 5-pound spotted bass to Bryan Shishido's record 10.2500-pound world record, the difference is also slightly higher than 51 percent.

That said, anglers across the country should look at the state in which they do their angling, and recognize the size differences in chasing trophy bass. For example, while the state record largemouth in Georgia is George Perry's all-tackle world record (22-4), the state record in Wyoming is a 7-14. To compare these two catches is unfair.

The same can be said for Smallmouth bass in Delaware, where the state record weighed 4.9688. And the smallest state record spotted bass was Virginia's 3-10.

Giant bass can become an addiction that keeps anglers awake at night and drives them from a warm bed before dawn. Some sleep in their trucks to be the first person to get to the rental boats at small San Diego lakes, while others brave blizzard-like conditions to pursue huge bronzebacks.

The truth is big bass hunting is what we make of it. Everyone wants the chance at a truly giant bass, and some pay healthy sums of money to chase them at destinations across the country, even outside our borders.

The saying "a bass is a bass" is commonly used amongst tournament anglers to describe the seasonal migrations of bass on tournament lakes across the country, and it can apply to big bass as well. Whether you are an angler in pursuit of a 20-pound largemouth in California or an 8-pounder in Wyoming, the pursuit is similar.

The tactics of trophy anglers may be used (often with minor modifications) almost anywhere. After all, a big bass is a big bass, regardless of its pounds and ounces. Check out Bassmaster.com's list of state records for the area you fish.

Jig Fishing Tips For Giant Trophy Bass

2010-11-30T19:26:00.000-05:00

Trophy Bass Fishing Videos and Tips

2010-11-27T18:19:00.001-05:00

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NEW WORLD RECORD BASS SOLD!

2010-11-07T23:45:00.003-05:00

n August, WFN: World Fishing Network’s announcement of Manabu Kurita’s fish being for sale hit the airways. The internet chatter generated over what a world record mount would command was immense. Much has emerged around offers and interest since the first announcement.

There have been inquiries domestically and abroad. Some offers have come from very private entities, while others have been fairly transparent with several legitimate offers.

Manabu’s passion is unprecedented. His quest can only be understood by other trophy hunters. In some ways, a trophy hunter’s trek of sacrifice is greater than even the tournament angler. Record seekers have to fish under less controls and wide spread variables. They are forced to make time sacrifices not based on pre-fishing or tournament clock. In trophy fishing you’re victim to opportunity; you have to make yourself available at any given moment.
Any Offers?

Confidential offers from a private company surfaced. Their interest was strictly to purchase the mount with no other explanation. Another company offer surfaced from a high ranking tech company. The CEO’s interest was to purchase the mount and make it available to the industry via a promoter. What’s the catch? Nothing. The CEO was willing to do it for free… no cost to the exhibitor.

The powerful camp of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops made several offers. An interesting perspective Bass Pro Shops claimed was the additional cost necessary to promote such a fish would exceed $200,000.00. Bass Pro Shops was also willing to tour Manabu as part of the offer.

A more impressive offer came from the owner of Legend Boats. Legend has taken their boat line from humble beginnings to quality custom boats recognized for their rough water handling.

Legend noted their interest in Manabu’s bass coincided with the increasing number of Japanese bass anglers inquirying about their boat. Although the specifics of the offer cannot be disclosed, it was a considerable package with residual benefits that would make any elite angler’s mouth water.
Good News

Manabu has finally selected a company. The disclosure of the well known entity remains confidential for a couple of months. What we can tell you… it is “big”.

What are folks saying about Manabu?

David Swendseid, the assigned associate to organize offers regarding Manabu’s mount, is the known product specialist for Jackall Lures and Toray fishing line in the US. Swendseid was responsible for helping Toray’s fluorocarbon and braid hit notoriety among professional anglers. He is also the specialist responsible for helping Jackall Lures grow expeditiously in the US. “We are all part of a sobering and historical experience,” Swendseid explains. “The gravity of what Manabu has accomplished cannot be readily assimilated. Trophy hunters specifically committed to chasing the world record have quietly pursued their dream, far from notoriety. In California, there have been as many as 20-30 very accomplished trophy anglers who hunt or have hunted the elusive world record. Several of them nearly broke the weight barrier, but the world record continued to stand for nearly 80 years. That’s amazing!”

Mr. Kuroye, President of Blackwater International Inc., imports Toray fluorocarbon to North America. Manabu is not sponsored by Toray, but it was the line that he used to catch his two records. Mr. Kuroye believes, “It’s no accident that Manabu has two fish records (a world record and all Japan record). Manabu may be the greatest trophy hunter in the world and I promise you he is not finished hunting. In Japan, he is known as the Maniac World Record Hunter and we wish him well”.

Allison Perry, the grand-daughter of World Record Holder, George Perry, had this to say: “Though I can no longer say that the current World Record is a part of my family heritage and the history of my nation, my hope is that Manabu’s fish will only add to the legend of the largemouth.

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Giant Largemouth Bass On SWIMJIGS!

2010-10-16T11:39:00.000-04:00

Want to learn the newest and hottest techniques for catching giant bass on swimjigs? Click the link and it will take you right to the articles, tackle and videos the show exactly how to do this. SWIMJIGS < click

TROPHY BASS FISHING TIPS TACKLE AND VIDEOS

2010-09-22T23:37:00.000-04:00

SPECIAL FALL SWIMBAIT SALE!

2010-09-20T00:08:00.000-04:00

If you are serious about catching a true trophy bass this fall or spring then you need the tackle to do it! You can't really be serious about it and try to skimp on the tackle and baits. That is why we are offering you several special tackle deals to get you started off right or add to what you already may have or upgrade to a better set up. If you aren't sure what you need, we have all the specs and articles and videos to set you in the right direction. Take a look and if you have any questions at all we offer live help from trophy hunters, guides, and pro anglers at the main site. Tight lines, Steve
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Trophy Bass Fishing Videos and Tips

2010-09-03T14:53:00.001-04:00

TROPHY BASS FISHING WEBSITE
PROFESSIONAL GRADE BASS TACKLE AT DISCOUNTS
TIPS, ARTICLES, TACKLE, FORUMS, VIDEOS

We have the largest selection of professional grade tackle available today for serious bass fisherman, trophy hunters and tournament anglers. We are affiliated with TACKLE WAREHOUSE and BASS PRO SHOPS featuring all their products at discount prices and many orders come with FREE SHIPPING! We offer even more in the way of contests for free tackle, video tackle tips, forums with live help, and full length articles by professional anglers and guides. We have over 300 bass fishing instructional videos for free and we will not be beat on any price! See policy for details. Visit our main website to talk to professional anglers, guides, and tournament anglers in the forums and get live help with many northeast locations including the Potomac River, The Chesapeake Bay rivers, and all Delaware and Maryland lakes, ponds, and rivers. Register for full benefits in the forums.
The site owner was sponsored by major manufacturers which included Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Okuma, Delaware Tackle, TTI-Blakemore, and Ambush Lures.

Steve was the owner of a bass fishing guide service in Wilmington, Delaware, Anglers Radio, and Delaware Tackle, a high end wholesale and retail bass fishing tackle store. He was a tournament angler, bass fishing guide, and freelance outdoor writer. He has over 45 years of total fishing experience with 10 years of experience being in California. He fished local tournaments in Delaware and Maryland and on the Redman Trail before it became the BFL, (part of the FLW tour), until 2005.

He competed in and won the Delaware State Sportfishing Tournament multiple times and registered two species that were just a few ounces shy of the state record, one of which was a largemouth bass caught in 1999 and registered in the Bassmaster Lunker Club at 10.16 pounds, just 5 ounces off the Delaware State Record. This bass also appeared in a feature article by the "News Journal" (Gannett Publications), and in all of Bass Pro Shops and Redhead Master catalogs for 2003.

He has worked with Operation Bass in assisting with Red Man Tournaments before they were the BFL, and competed in and won, several different tournaments both local, regional, and national. He is the 1998 Big Bass World Champ/De. He has been published by numerous magazines, including Bass'n, Bassmaster, North American Fisherman, and "THE FISHERMAN". He was a featured writer for "Big Fish Tackle" and "Delaware Valley Outdoors" radio and tv, as well as numerous other sites on the web. He appeared with his brother on several local tv shows produced by "Delaware Valley Outdoors".

He was profiled for fishing achievements in the "News Journal," and by the "Middletown Transcript" in 2001. He is also a contributor the the "N.A.F.C." series of hardback books, and is currently in the process of publishing his own book, "Bass Fishing The Northeast". He produced bass fishing videos featuring the Potomac and Sassafras rivers.

He was interviewed for an article on "Fishing Opportunites in Delaware" by Delaware Today magazine, which appeared in the May 2006 issue. Steve was inducted into the N.A.F.C. "Hall of Fame" in June 2003, and was a regular guest on radio talk shows, such as Alex Langers, "Outdoors This Week", and produced and appeared on his own radio show for many years called "Beyond Bass Basics" on Anglers Radio.

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2010-09-02T20:50:00.000-04:00

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Another Japanese Monster Bass Reported here First!

2010-08-31T14:49:00.000-04:00

0	April, 10th in Reinbow Dam A man caught a monster bass!! It has 71cm length and 9140g weight (322.367oz). 20 lbs 7.872 He is "Sunday angler". It's very Lucky fish!! If this is recognized to IGFA, it gets The 12th World record ranking and WORLD RECORD of 16lb line's ranking.

World Record and Trophy Bass Fishing - Videos

2010-08-10T23:45:00.000-04:00

MIKE HART BANNED FOR LIFE! US OPEN CHEATER!

2010-08-05T10:51:00.000-04:00

Above is a photo of lead weights retrieved from the bellies of Hart’s fish WON Bass has indicated that due to what it believes was a cheating incident today at the U.S. Open, Mike Hart of Winnetka, Calif. has been banned for life from all WON Bass tournaments. WON Bass stated that it will press charges against Hart. Allegedly, Hart stuffed weights into fish before weighing them. When confronted at weigh-in, Hart immediately left the scene, WON Bass said.

More on this story will be posted soon.

VIDEO OF CHEATER!

WHY MANABU KURITA IS SELLING THE WORLD RECORD BASS!

2010-07-26T08:58:00.000-04:00

I just talked with Manabu Kurita, and he explained to me why he is selling the mount of the new world record bass! Here is the direct quote, unedited from him!

Thank you for many comments for me.
I did not think that I got so a lot of opinions.
I read them all.

There are some reasons why I part with the mount.
...At first the bass of this mount is a tie record, not a new record.

I think that a record is updated soon.(Of course, I wanna do it again.)
At the moment, my record loses value.
There was this mount in my house for this half a year.
It may be unbelievable for you, it is covered with dust by the corner of the room.

I think that it is a waste of this situation for this mount.
I'm just maniacal Angler.lol

I want to keep chasing the record.
But my motivation disappears by watching it every day.
I am satisfied with this fish someday...I hate it above all.
I think it is necessary for me to leave it from my hands.
So, I decided to look for a person using this mount more effectively than me.

Thank you for your understanding.
Fortunately, a lot of people work for my bass.
I'm really happy man.
Thank you again.

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NEW WORLD RECORD BASS MOUNT FOR SALE!!

2010-07-25T03:21:00.000-04:00

Well, In case you haven't heard.. Manabu Kurita is selling the NEW WORLD RECORD BASS mount! I tried to talk to him but he apparatly needs the money that bad! He really thinks that somebody will catch another world record soon and that he will be forgotten and that nobody will care and he will not make any money at all! You could not convince him otherwise, so it is for sale!
You would not be able to pry that mount from my cold dead hands if it were me, but he is a different person. So...although there are several companies and some businessmen who have already made a bid, if anybody wants to make an offer or try to beat their offers then feel free to send an email with an offer to me here and I will forward it to him or go to his blog from the links section here and contact him directly. Here is a picture of the mount again in case you have not seen it.

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http://delawaretrophybass.com

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2010-07-24T15:44:00.000-04:00

Bass fishing forums - Trophy Bass Fishing Videos and Tips

2010-07-20T19:34:00.000-04:00

Bass fishing forums - Trophy Bass Fishing Videos and Tips

The "REAL DEAL" On Catching Trophy Class Largemouth Bass!

2010-07-15T09:33:00.000-04:00

When the water "Clarity" is below 40%, and the "Visibility" is less than 10 inches, then throw all the basics you hear about baits and tactics out the window! Baits and tactics change when the conditions are they way I described here and regardless of the time of year, depth, or water temperature, the baits and tactics you need to catch trophy class bass on the east Coast lakes and rivers change!! To learn just what it takes to catch trophy largemouth bass in these conditions visit the main site at THE BASS COLLEGE
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2010-07-08T14:54:00.000-04:00

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2010-07-08T14:33:00.000-04:00

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2010-07-03T08:04:00.001-04:00

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2010-06-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

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2010-06-28T08:09:00.002-04:00

Bass Fishing Tips For Giant Bass

2010-06-10T08:17:00.000-04:00

Beauty is only skin deep. It is how you behave that matters.

By Gord Pyzer

Bill Siemantel is the shrewdest thinker I’ve ever met, which is a good thing to be when you specialize in catching giant size fish.

Indeed, the barrel-chested San Diego firefighter has arguably caught more monster bass than any other human being on earth. At last reckoning, the body count included 300 largemouth bass over 10-pounds, 41 over 13-pounds and 12 over 15-pounds.

Still, while the sizes of Siemantel’s fish are staggering, it is how he thinks that will impress you the most. When most other anglers rock, Siemantel rolls. When they zig, he zags. And while his best selling book, Big Bass Zone and video Swimbait Techniques focus on bass, the concepts and theories that he espouses are applicable to giant muskies, northern pike, walleye, lake trout and salmon as well. Ironically, maybe more so.

Take Siemantel’s philosophy on selecting lures to match the forage upon which the big fish are feasting. Most anglers reckon they have completed the job when they determine that the walleye are stuffing their faces with smelts, the bass are dining on crayfish or the muskies are gorging on suckers.

The more progressive may even believe they’ve taken the task a step further if they can subsequently match-the-hatch with a hard-to-find, custom-painted lure that looks as though it will swim out of your hand at any given moment.

That is all fine and good as far as it goes, which isn’t very far the way Siemantel sees things. “If you look like one,” he says as we chatted at the ICAST show in Las Vegas, “you better behave like one.”

It is a brilliant concept that most anglers fail to consider. For what Siemantel is saying is that it is not enough to select a lure that looks like the bait the fish are eating, you have to make it behave like one.

Let’s take big northern pike as a great case in point. Giant ‘gators are ambush predators that like to cozy up along the outside edges of deep weedlines and behind large boulders and pounce on their prey. So you’d think it would be good enough to throw a natural looking lure in areas like these and start reeling in the trophies. Not so.

According to Siemantel, looking good is only skin deep. As you retrieve the lure along the weedline you have to make it behave like the herring, smelt, whitefish or walleye it truly represents. That means as you swim it nonchalantly toward the most prominent point sticking out of the weedline – where a prodigious pike is most likely to be lying – you need to make it suddenly and erratically change direction and veer it away from the ambush spot as though fleeing in fright.

Further to the point, Siemantel suggests you should retrieve the same lure differently, when you’re fishing it in open water, on the surface, in the middle of the water column or close to the bottom.

Visualize, he says, how a baitfish swims when it is alone in the middle of the lake. Now, imagine how that same baitfish behaves when it is a member of a huge school. Out on a stroll by itself, it swims in a lazy straight ahead manner.

As the member of a much bigger school of baitfish that you’ve marked on your sonar screen, however, that same baitfish will be darting and dashing erratically, all over the place. The very same baitfish, behaving naturally, but in a completely different way.

Siemantel says giant size fish are tuned in to recognize these differences and to attack – or avoid – our lures accordingly. And the best anglers capitalise on these differences. With more double digit bass to his credit than anyone else on earth, Siemantel has the results to back up the theory.

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2010-06-01T18:45:00.000-04:00

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2010-05-23T17:02:00.002-04:00

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Swimbaits, Rods, Reels and More All On Sale Now!

2010-04-26T08:33:00.000-04:00

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New IGFA 16 Pound Largemouth Record?

2010-04-12T07:40:00.000-04:00

It looks as if a new IGFA 16 pound line class largemouth bass record was just taken in Japan, and not by Manabu Kurita but a weekend angler. The full story is at World Record Trophy Bass at http://delawaretrophybass.com That makes this bass 12th all time at 20.782 pounds!

Bad News For Japan

2010-03-14T22:44:00.000-04:00

Bad news from Japan 3/8/2010

Many BassFans know the Japanese government isn't too fond of black bass. Several years ago, anglers were barred from releasing bass on famed Lake Biwa – they were supposed to kill each one they caught. Some pros and guides on Lake Biwa got special permission to catch and release bass, but for the most part, anglers ignored the rule.

However, the government's campaign against black bass appears to have reached a new height. Hideyuki Nomura, editor of Japan's Lure Magazine, spoke with BassFan this week and said that starting next month, officials will destroy bass spawning beds in southern Lake Biwa located in 4 feet of water or less. The budget for the project is approximately $10 million.

Biwa, of course, recently produced the largemouth bass that tied for the world record. It's a sprawling (165,000 surface acres), fantastic bass fishery, and the birthplace of many Japanese angling techniques and advancements.

The government has taken the side of commercial fishermen in the black-bass debate. Biwa is home to a pond smelt and comparatively large freshwater shrimp that are both prized Japanese delicacies. At the same time, bass angling at Biwa has a tremendous economic impact on the surrounding Shiga prefecture. Influential bass anglers don't necessarily disagree that bass have some influence on the prevalence of native species, but they seek a balance between the commercial and recreational interests, as well as a focus on the habitat-degradation issues that stem from shoreline development.

More on this story as it develops.

2010-03-14T22:26:00.003-04:00

WORLD RECORD BASS FISHING NEWS AND UPDATES ON CURRENT AND POTENTIAL WORLD RECORDS

IT'S OFFICIAL! Congratulations To Manabu Kurita. World Record Holder!

The International Game Fish Association today rocked the bass fishing world by announcing a new world record or co-world record caught by Manabu Kurita of Japan. The fish ties the all-tackle record for largemouth bass held for 77 years by George Perry of Georgia.

The announcement came after six months of deliberation by the IGFA.
Here's the press release isued today by the IGFA in Florida:
Today the IGFA approved Manabu Kuritas application for the fish caught from Japans largest lake on July 2, 2009. The 70-year old non-profit fisheries conservation, education and record-keeping body, received Kuritas application and documentation on Sept. 19, 2009. The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), was caught from Lake Biwa which is an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto.

Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan, was fishing Biwa that July day using a Deps Sidewinder rod and a Shimano Antares DC7LV reel loaded with 25 lb Toray line when he pitched his bait, a live bluegill, next to a bridge piling. It was Kuritas first cast to the piling where he had seen a big bass swimming. He only twitched the bait a couple of times before he got bit. After a short, three minute fight he had the fish in the boat.
Kurita was quoted as saying ï¿½I knew it was big, but I didnt know it was that big.
But big it was. Using certified scales, his fish weighed in at 10.12 kg or 22 lb 4 oz. When measured, the fish had a fork length of 27.2 inches and a girth of 26.7 inches. The IGFA only has line classes up to 20 lb for largemouth bass, so Kurita had no chance at a line class record as well.

IGFA rules for fish caught outside the U.S. allows anglers 90 days to submit their applications from the date of their catch. The documentation was received through the IGFAs sister association the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA). IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said Kuritas application was meticulously documented with the necessary photos and video.

Kuritas fish ties the current record held for over 77 years by Perry who caught his bass on Georgias Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, near Jacksonville, Georgia. That 22 lb 4 oz behemoth won Field and Stream Magazines big fish contest and 46 years later, when the IGFA took over freshwater records from Field and Stream, it became the All-Tackle record now one of over 1,100 fresh and saltwater species the IGFA monitors.
IGFA All-Tackle records are now free for viewing by the public at igfa.org. Kuritaï¿½s name is now on the IGFA Web site with that of Perrys and will appear in the 2011 edition of the World Record Games Fishes book. unless that record is broken this year.

The IGFA announced the decision at its headquarters with a live video feed carried on Bassmaster.com, one of the most popular fishing Web sites in the world and the official site of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS).
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 Perrys record. That fish undoubtedly helped to spawn a billion dollar industry that today makes up a significant part of the sport of recreational fishing.
Schratwieser said, The moment Kurita weighed his fish, word spread like wildfire. We knew this would be significant so we immediately contacted the JGFA for more information. Established in 1979, and JGFA compiles and translates all record applications of fish caught in Japan before forwarding to the IGFA.
It works out well because they not only translate applications but can also contact the angler if more documentation is needed.

It turned into a lengthy process

Since the IGFA requires three months from the time of capture before a record can be approved, the official word would have to wait until October 2,said Schratwieser.
However, almost right away rumors began to circulate that Kurita may have caught his fish in a no-fishing zone. In response, the IGFA immediately corresponded with the JGFA to speak with the angler about this issue and to gather information regarding the legality of fishing where Kurita caught his bass. Official word came back that the location of the catch was not a no-fishing zone, but was an area where anchoring or stopping was prohibited. This spurred more correspondence with the JGFA and the angler, including affidavits asking the angler if he stopped his boat at anytime. Again, the testimony and affidavits that came back indicated that the Kurita did not violate any laws and that his catch was indeed legitimate.

It didnt end there.

A considerable amount of time and correspondence was to continue between the IGFA, JGFA and Kurita, a primary reason it took so long to come to a decision.
During this time, the IGFA was also besieged with letters and emails from the bass fishing community, said Schratwieser.
Many were incredulous that the All-Tackle record could be tied from a fish in Japan. Others beseeched the IGFA to approve the record and give Kurita the credit he deserves. Still others wanted to know why the entire process was taking so long. It soon became clear to the IGFA staff that this would be a contentious issue no matter if the record were approved or rejected.
The IGFA was also sensitive to this particular record because in past years there have been several attempts to sue us over largemouth bass record claims. Although none of these claims have been successful, they have resulted in considerable legal fees for the IGFA, he said.
In the end, the IGFA staff concluded it would be both in the best interest of the IGFA and that of Kurita if he submitted to a polygraph analysis. The IGFA reserves the right to employ polygraph analyses to any record application, and this is explicitly stated in the affidavit section of the world record application form.
Again, more correspondence was issued to the JGFA to request that Kurita take a polygraph test.

He immediately agreed.

On December 15, Kurita was examined by a professional polygraph analyst in Japan. The many questions he was given included if he was truthful about the information reported on the application form and if his boat ever came to a complete stop while fighting his fish.
The results from the polygraph concluded that Manabu Kurita answered the questions honestly and that the catch was legitimate.
George Perrys 77 year old record was officially tied.

Due diligence pays off

Six months may seem like a lot of time to determine if a fish ties a record, said Schratwieser. Hopefully, people now understand the amount of due diligence the IGFA conducted on this record. Although we treat all records with equal rigor, the All-Tackle largemouth bass record is nothing less than iconic and the bass angling community deserved nothing less.
Schratwieser added, The IGFA wishes to applaud Kurita on his outstanding catch and would also like to commend him on his patience and candor during the entire review process. We would also like to thank the JGFA for their diligence and tireless assistance in corresponding with Kurita and fisheries officials.
Biology and bass across the globe; where will the next record come from?
Largemouth bass have also been introduced in many countries but in Japan fisheries officials consider it an invasive species. In addition, because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculated that the big bass was a sterile triploid. However when biologists in Japan examined the ova of the big female, Schratwieser said they concluded that the fish was not triploid.

For over 77 years the record stood as bass fanatics theorized when and where the record would be broken. Over the years there have been rumors and unsubstantiated reports of bass that could have tied or eclipsed Perrys record, but nothing ever passed IGFA criteria. Some anglers did come close, however.
Schratwieser said the closest came in 1991, when Robert Crupi caught a 22 lb bass in Lake Dixon, California USA, that still reigns as the 16 lb line class record and the third heaviest approved bass record in IGFA history.
Most people thought that the next All-Tackle record would come from California. Until Kuritas tie the seven heaviest bass records behind Perrys came from California lakes. Although not native to California, it appears transplanted bass have adapted quite well to the deep, clear lakes and reservoirs and the abundant trout forage found in some of them.
Little did people know that introduced bass grew big in places besides California, and that there are true monsters swimming on the other side of the world in Japan.
Among the issues that had to be settled were claims that Kuritas bass was caught in an area closed to fishing, and later that it was caught in an area where boats couldnt anchor or stop. Affidavits and testimony received through the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA) supported Kuritas claim of the fish being a legal catch.
The IGFA asked Kurita if hed take a polygraph test. He agreed and passed the Dec. 15 test administered by the JGFA.
Hopefully, people now understand the amount of due diligence the IGFA conducted on this record, said IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser. Although we treat all records with equal rigor, the All-Tackle largemouth bass record is nothing less than iconic and the bass angling community deserved nothing less.

Japan officials consider bass an invasive species. In addition, because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculated that the big bass was a sterile triploid. However, tests on the ova of the big female concluded that the fish was not triploid.

PART 2 Bassmaster Interview video Part one above. These are two different videos, part one and part two.

News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender
Watch This Bass being weighed In "ALIVE" and Kicking At The Dock! Click here.

SIGNED POSTERS OF THIS BASS NOW AVAILABLE! CLICK TO ORDER!

Certified weight: 10.12 kg. = 22 lb. 5 oz
Length: 29.4 inches
Location caught: Lake Biwa, Japan
Angler: Manubu Kurita

This was just on the TV news about an hour ago, so this is all the info I have. Mr. Okamura, the president of Deps Tackle Co., helped with the interview; I did not catch the anglers name.

We are well past the spawning season when most of the giants are caught at Lake Biwa; most of the fish now are quiet slender (after spawn condition). Not this one!

Scale sample of the World Record Bass The bass is 13-15 years old.

Politics At Work! Why There Is No Decision On The New World Record Bass

There still has not been any ruling on the pending record bass caught by Mr. Kurita at Lake Biwa. It has been half a year; usually records are either approved or disapproved within a couple of months at best.
A new Japanese Yellowtail record (over 100 pounds!) was caught on Oct. 24, 2009, and it has already been approvedï¿½
But yellowtail record submissions do not have all the politics that largemouth black bass record submissions do here in Japan.
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 recordï¿½

especially since it comes from ï¿½catch and killï¿½ (catch and release of bass is illegal) Biwa Lake.
Interestingly enough, the IGFA is an autonomous body, and is supposed to make decisions regardless of what other (ie. JGFA) organizations allow/disallow.
Yet the IGFA has not rendered a final decision on this fish.
Steve Mras, multiple IGFA WR holder, emailed me the following:
No decision yet on possible record bass caught in Japan
The IGFA is still waiting additional information before making a decision for world record recognition on a 22 lb 4 oz largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), caught by Manabu Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan, from that countryï¿½s largest lake July 2. IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said the World All-Tackle application is still under review after it was received in mid-September through the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA). ï¿½Weï¿½ve been corresponding with the angler via our sister organization, the JGFA,ï¿½ said Schratwieser. Besides being a non-profit fisheries, education and conservation organization, the 70- year old IGFA has long been the worldï¿½s recognized record-keeping body for over 1100 salt and fresh water recreational fish species. Schratwieser said the bass weighing 10.12 kg (22 lb 4 oz) was pulled from Lake Biwa an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto. Photos and video were also submitted with Kuritaï¿½s written documentation. If approved Kuritaï¿½s fish would tie the current record held for over 77 years by George Perry caught on Georgiaï¿½s Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, near Jacksonville, Georgia. In North America the largemouth bass, and especially the All-Tackle record, is considered by millions of anglers as the ï¿½holy grailï¿½ of freshwater fish because of its popularity and the longevity of Perryï¿½s record.

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Mr. Kurita has made a complete submission, with more info provided than many submissions that became records with no problem.
It makes one wonder what ï¿½additional informationï¿½ the IGFA could be possibly be waiting for?
I have met Mr. Kurita several times in my tackle store in Aichi, Japan. He is an avid bass angler, with a passion for hunting big fish; it seems very unfortunate that such a fine catch that should bring so much controversy.
Nobody I talked to here can remember a JGFA record submission that has taken this long. I am not going to hold my breath on a ruling anytime soon.
MORE INTERVIEWS, RADIO SHOWS, AND VIDEOS WITH TROPHY BASS HUNTERS < Click Here!

Here is a COMPLETE interview with Manabu Kurita as of November 2009. Click here to view.

NEW BASSMASTER ARTICLE 1/2010 LEARNING JAPANESE

Top Japanese Pro Anglers and Guides

NEW VIDEO OF LAKE BIWA BASS GUIDE DIRECT FROM ICAST 2009 http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/videos/videos/view/4215195-lake-biwa-bass-guide

The previous Japanese bass record weighed 19.15 pounds and was caught by Kazuya Shimada from Lake Ikehara on April 22, 2003, on a swimbait.
Many thought the next world record bass would come from a California reservoir that gets stocked with trout. Dixon Lake in Escondido, north of San Diego, served up a 25-pound, 1-ounce bass in March 2006, but angler Mac Weakley of Carlsbad inadvertently foul-hooked the bass and never submitted it for record consideration.
Other Southern California lakes such as Mission Viejo, Lake Murray and even Lake Cuyamaca, because of the amount of stocked trout they get, have been considered contenders to turn out a world-record bass. The larger bass eat stocked trout and get much heavier than bass at lakes that aren't stocked with trout.
One exception was Lake Hodges, which turned out a 20-pound, 4-ounce bass in 1985.
Diamond Valley Lake also is considered a top candidate for producing a world-record bass. It is stocked heavily with trout, but bass fishermen must work from rental boats there. The lake's launch ramp is out of service due to California's drought conditions.
THE VIDEO OF THIS BASS IS NOW UP IN THE VIDEO SECTION OF THIS SITE. http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/videos/
PODCAST about the new world record bass from Japan With Denny Brauer and others talking about the record.
http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=podcast&id=4310782

certified scaled used by Deps to weigh the new pending record.

SPECIAL** JAPANESE BASS FISHING HISTORY Click Here

Diamond Valley Lake California

Diamond Valley Lake , CA

Location and OverviewLike so many good California fishing lakes, Diamond Valley Lake is close to major population centers and easy to get to, making it a natural weekend getaway. It's located right off SR 79 near Hemet, CA, conveniently close to Interstates 15 and 215 (check out the map). The lake is managed by the Metropolitan Water District, which manages access so that the lake does not get overcrowded or overused.

Fishin' Diamond Valley Lake
Since its opening in 2003, Diamond Valley Lake has made a name for itself as a world-class largemouth bass fishery. Its prominence is underscored by the fact that over 50 bass tournaments are scheduled to take place on the lake in 2007, including such big names as WON Bass, ABA, and National Bass West. Hardcore bass fishermen always have their own preferred baits for different conditions and times of year, and a variety of artificial lures have been proven effective here including swimbaits, buzzbaits, rubber worms, crankbaits, and jigs. Natural baits also produce big ones, with anglers reporting success on nightcrawlers and live crawdads.

Smallmouth bass also live in the lake, and are catch and release only.

Click here for the latest Diamond Valley Lake fishing reports.

Fishermen bringing privately owned boats may make a reservation, and this is highly recommended because of limited parking capacity. Reservations are also accepted for shore fishing. For applicable entrance and reservation fees, check out the lake's website. Float tubes are not allowed.

THE BIGGEST BASS:

If the weight of yesterday's catch in Japan is verified, these are theheaviest largemouth bass ever caught. Of the top 10, three were takenin San Diego County:
1. 22 pounds, 5 ounces, by Manabu Kurita; July 2, 2009, at Lake Biwa, Japan
2. 22 pounds, 4 ounces, by George W. Perry; June 2, 1932, at Montgomery Lake, Ga.
3. 22 pounds, ï¿½ ounce, by Bob Crupi; March 12, 1991, at Castaic Lake
4. 21 pounds, 12 ounces, by Mike Arujo; March 5, 1991, at Castaic Lake
5. 21 pounds, 11.2 ounces, by Jed Dickerson; May 31, 2003, at Dixon Lake
6. 21 pounds, 3ï¿½ ounces, by Raymond Easley; March 4, 1980, at Lake Casitas
7. 21 pounds, ï¿½ ounce, by Bob Crupi; March 9, 1990, at Castaic Lake
8. 20 pounds, 15 ounces, by David Zimmerlee; June 23, 1973, at Lake Miramar
9. 20 pounds, 14 ounces, by Leo Torres; Feb. 4, 1990, at Castaic Lake
10. 20 pounds, 12 ounces, by Mike Long; April 27, 2001, at Dixon Lake
Interesting Facts:
22 of the top 25 LMB were taken in California.
Florida and Georgia are the only other states to make the top 25 with a latest entry of 1961.
20 of the top 25 LMB were taken in the last 20 years.
20 of the top 25 LMB were taken from February through May.
2 anglers - Bob Crupi and Dan Kadota have more than one entry on the top 25 list.
Castaic Lake in Southern California produced 6 of the top 25 LMB.
Miramar Lake in Southern California produced 4 of the top 25 LMB.
All except one (Hodges) of the California Lakes in the top 25 list are heavily stocked with rainbow trout.

Also: A 25-pound, 1-ounce bass was caught by MacWeakley on March 20, 2006, at Dixon Lake, but Weakley decided not topursue world-record consideration because the fish was foul-hooked.
The baits that sponsor the angler that caught the new world record are called Deps. Here are the baits and the story.
In 1992, Japanese angler Kazumasa Okumura started to gain much media attention by breaking the ten pound barrier several times in a row on Japan's famed bass water, Lake Biwa. He used an original design heavy weight spinnerbait, slow-rolling it deep along the bottom, a tactic not practiced much in Japan. However, the lure and technique started Kazumasa's career and legend as one of Japan's foremost big bass experts, and led to his founding of the deps lure company.

Kazumasa loved to fish with big spinnerbaits, and in 1997, at the age of 28, Kazumasa founded the deps company in order to make his now legendary spinnerbait available to other anglers. Kazumasa's habit of catching monster bass, especially when outdoor writers/photographers were fishing with him, helped establish the success of and the aura surrounding deps lures.

Kazumasa's spinnerbait, named the B-Custom, became an immediate sensation in Japan and still ranks as one of the best fish catching lures in Japan today.

But Kazumasa didn't stop there. Kazumasa and deps continued to test and release new products, focusing on big bass, adding up to a full line of hard, soft and hybrid lures, many of which are only available in Japan.

In 2000, swimbaits and the big bait boom got started throughout Japan. Kazumasa and deps began to test and manufacture various styles of big baits not seen before in Japan, or anywhere. Japanese bass anglers typically focused on finesse fishing and light tackle, but the ingenuity of deps new big bass baits grabbed the attention of anglers and bass across Japan.

Released in 2003, one radical new design was a big wake bait named the Buzzjet. It was voted the most popular lure in Japan for 2003 by Lure Magazine readers..

Buzzjet Q&A with Mr. Kazumasa Okumura:

Q. How did you think of the Buzzjet prop bait, crankbait lip and fat body bait idea?

A. The idea was not there from the start to combine all three of these styles. In the past I had made a deep crank that was fat in body style and also have made surface style wake baits. I wanted to create a bait that had a strong surface appeal and that was when the idea of combining a fat crank body with a prop style wake bait occurred to me. The toughest part of it was playing around where the weight transfer system should go and how much weight. The key was the left to right weight transfer system to give it that added roll which adds the flash and extra wake.

In 2004, deps released the Basirisky, a hollow rubber frog with a crazy yet brilliant twist. Its unique back legs face forward so that it crawls on the surface creating a huge rollicking ripple behind it.

Basirisky Q&A with Mr. Kazumasa Okumura:

Q. How did you come up with the fluke leg concept on the Basirisky?

A. We were kicking around the idea of coming up with a soft hollow body frog type bait that you could use not just for heavy cover but in open water on a straight retrieve or in open pockets. We built the idea off the Crazy Crawler and started by trial and error with various prototypes, eventually achieving the fluke style legs you see today.
deps Lures Debut in North America

In late 2005, deps lures started to become available in North America. It is really the deps Basirisky (two sizes) plus the deps Buzzjet (two sizes) that have captured the interest of North American anglers.

DEPS are relativley expensive lures. Nevertheless, across the USA, deps products are mainly being bought by tournament anglers or by otherwise expert anglers who have seen the product videos on the Internet and have been blown away by their unorthodox look and action.

Especially to tournament anglers, the higher price is offset by the hope to win tournaments with deps, and that has proven to be the case for some.

Regional Hotspots

Currently, deps products are most widely used in both north and south California, all over the Potomac area (Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland), South Carolina and North Carolina. On the other hand, deps haven't caught on yet in many other regions, including much of the South as well as Texas and Florida. There's still a lot of water where a deps has never been thrown in most states, Canada and Mexico.

An International Phenomena

What's an interesting phenomena and one other region (actually, continent) where many of the deps lures for sale in North America are going is overseas to tournament anglers in Europe, especially France, Italy and Spain. Many European tournament anglers are racking up high scores in competition by depending on deps basirisky and buzzjet lures. The Internet has helped sophisticated French, Spanish and Italian anglers to leapfrog smack dab onto the very cutting edge of new lures and very latest information on what's hot. They're tapping the latest and greatest bass tackle and tactics that have not yet made their way into slower-moving European tackle distribution chains or magazine articles there. Of course, these advanced anglers would like to keep it hush-hush because they're onto a good thing here. The instant Internet access to world class tackle and tactical knowledge can definitely be an advantage to them since they're getting items and information not used by many other anglers in Europe.

Getting back to the states, there's an element of hush-hush about deps too, yet it has been the eventual word of mouth praise that has been the key to deps' growing success in the states. Although guys try to keep it a secret, the deps products popularity grows because anglers share their positive experience with each other.

Captain Karl Bunch

One such angler who is willing to share his deps lure secrets with us is Capt. Karl Bunch. He operates Karl's Bassin' Adventures Guide Service (at karlsbassinadventures.com) on the Potomac River, the Upper Chesapeake Bay headwaters and the Susquehanna River flats.

"Several years ago I first heard rumors about the deps products from tournament anglers. Then in early spring 2006 the Basirisky was quickly becoming the whispering topic of tournament anglers on the Potomac River,: says Capt. Karl. "Word got out that finally here is a topwater lure that can be cast long distances back deep, deep into the thickest of grass beds and simply retrieved across the dense grass beds with great success at getting old bucket mouth to attack it. As I started using the Basirisky I found that several of my tournament angler clients who I was guiding, they would not talk about the Basirisky until I pulled one out for them to use. Yes, they were trying to keep the Basirisky a secret as the Basirisky was winning tournaments and anglers were cashing checks in tournaments using the Basirisky."

"But you can't keep a great lure a secret for long and by the summer of 2006 the Basirisky was the must have lure on the Potomac River and Upper Chesapeake Bay/Susquehanna Flats," says Karl.

"It got a little surreal, and a real worry to those who did not have any as tournament anglers were making early morning deals with their fellow anglers for the Basirisky prior to launch time at the tournaments."

"I have found that a good quality 6 foot 6inch to 7 foot medium-heavy fishing rod with 40 to 65 pound test braided line works best for fishing the Basirisky. Give the Basirisky a good long cast deep into the thick grass bed, hold your rod tip at the 10 o' clock position and give it a steady retrieve. As the Basirisky gets to within two feet from the edge of the grass bed, many times I will stop the Basirisky and work it as a popper, and just as the Basirisky clears the edge of the grass bed, I will without pause start the steady retrieve again. I have found this technique to be very effective even on the most reluctant bass with heavy fishing pressure." reveals Karl. "I prefer to use the smaller/lighter 60 series most of the time but on the breezy days when there is a slight chop on the water I will use the bigger/heavier 70 series Basirisky," advises Capt. Karl Bunch.
Buzzjet

"The Buzzjet is just getting it's due attention in the region in 2007. The popularity of the Basirisky has helped to get many anglers to give the Buzzjet a go, and this exciting topwater wake bait is rewarding anglers with great success. Recently, Mike Acord of Susquehanna Fishing Tackle in Lancaster, Pennsylvania won the B.A.S.S. Weekend Series Co-Angler side on the Potomac River using the Buzzjet Jr. as one of Mike's key lures during the tournament," says Karl.

"I have found that a good quality 6 foot 6 inch medium-heavy fishing rod with 20 to 40 pound test braided line to work best. Hold the rod tip at the 10 o' clock position with a steady retrieve. I prefer the Buzzjet Jr. on the waters of the Potomac River and Upper Chesapeake Bay as the smaller size more effectively matches our bait fish size. The Buzzjet Jr. is very effective when fished over submerged grass and retrieved parallel along side the edge of the grass beds," says Karl.

Capt. Karl Bunch uses the smaller sizes - Basiriky 60 and Buzzjet Jr. - most often.

"I hope these tips can help you to depend on deps lures for fishing success," concluded Capt. Karl Bunch. You can visit his site at karlsbassinadventures.com.

http://www.depsweb.co.jp/

WORLD RECORD AND TROPHY BASS FISHING DISCUSSIONS AND VIDEOS

George Perrys World Record Bass

In football, "the catch" was Dwight Clark's snag of Joe Montana's pass to win the 1982 NFC Championship Game. In baseball, "the catch" was Willie Mays' grab of Vic Wertz's long drive to centerfield in the 1954 World Series. And in fishing, "the catch" is George Perry's world record largemouth bass taken on June 2, 1932 from Lake Montgomery, an oxbow of the Ocmulgee River in South Georgia. The fish weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces and is the most sought after sportfishing record in history.
In 1932, George Washington Perry was a 20-year-old farmer living in rural Georgia. This was in the depths of the Great Depression and fishing was more than recreation. It was a way to get food.
Spring was wet that year, and on June 2 the fields were too soggy to work. So Perry and his friend Jack Page set out for Montgomery Lake to do some fishing. They kept a small homemade boat there and carried a single rod, reel and lure. Each would take a turn casting while the other sculled the boat.
At some point, Perry noticed a disturbance near a shallow stump and made a cast to it.
Years later, Perry told the tale to Vic Dunaway for a 1969 Sports Afield article:

I don't remember many of the details but all at once the water splashed everywhere. I do remember striking, then raring back and trying to reel. But nothing budged. I thought for sure I had lost the fish — that he'd dived and hung me up. I had no idea how big the fish was, but that didn't matter. What had me worried was losing the lure.

The lure was the only one they had, a Creek Chub Fintail Shiner, and their day would be over without it. Fortunately for Perry, the lure wasn't hung up at all, and in a moment the fish moved. The battle was brief and soon he was lifting the bass into the boat with both hands.
Neither Perry nor Page had any idea that the bass might be a record of any kind. In fact, there really weren't any records in those days. Although Field & Stream sponsored an annual big fish contest and maintained the most authoritative records of the day, they did not list world records at that time.

Photo courtesy of Ken Duke

George Perry poses with a 13-pound, 14-ounce largemouth that won the Field & Stream big fish contest in 1934.

All Perry and Page knew was that the bass was bigger than any they had ever seen. "The first thing I thought of was how nice a chunk of meat to take home," Perry told Sports Afield almost four decades later. But before they took the bass home, they stopped at the nearest town, Helena, and pulled into J.J. Hall's General Store to show the fish off to anyone who might care. Once inside, Hall pulled out a tape and measured the bass at 32 1/2 inches long and 28 1/2 inches around.
Then they took the bass to the post office and got it weighed on a set of certified scales where it registered 22-4. Someone told Perry about the Field & Stream big fish contest, they found an issue with the submission rules and he entered his catch.
After that, Perry took the fish home and cleaned it. It was a female full of roe. His mother fried one side of the fish for dinner to feed the family of six. The other side was dinner the next night.
Of course, Perry's entry won the Field & Stream contest. For his victory he collected a shotgun, shells and some clothes — $75 worth of outdoors gear in total.
It would be two years before the catch would be recognized as a world record. That's when Field & Stream reviewed their contest records and decided that Perry's catch belonged on top of the largemouth bass category. That same year Perry won the annual contest again, this time with a 13-pound, 14-ounce bass taken from Georgia's Altamaha River.
Perry received little notoriety for his catch. He died in 1974 when the plane he was piloting crashed into a mountain in Birmingham, Ala. This was not long after Ray Scott founded the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) and just before the sport of bass fishing really boomed. Had he caught the fish today, many speculate that it would be worth millions. All Perry got for the catch was the Field & Stream prize package.
Naturally, with any record that is so revered and which came so long ago, there is controversy surrounding Perry's catch. Part of the problem was the lack of photographic evidence. The Field & Stream contest didn't require photographic proof, so none was submitted. Furthermore, Perry's entry was lost by the magazine in the 1950s after loaning the materials to an outdoor writer.

This photo surfaced in Georgia in the effects of a woman connected to the Perry family. Seemingly, you are feasting your eyes on the only known picture of the world-record largemouth.

It wasn't until 2005 that a photograph of a man and a little boy holding an extremely large bass surfaced in the effects of a woman whose family was close to Perry's. Though the man in the photo is not Perry (is it Jack Page?) and neither he nor the boy have been positively identified, the background appears to be the area just outside the Helena post office. Record aficionados were thrilled at the possibility that were actually looking at a photo of the fish. That a photo surfaced at all is not entirely surprising. In recently discovered correspondence between Perry and the Creek Chub Bait Co. in the mid-1930s, Perry referenced at least two such photos — one that was "not a real good photo" and another he described as "a real good picture of myself and the big Bass together...." If the photo discovered in 2005 is one of these, it must be the former since family members agree that Perry is not the man pictured.
Another controversy surrounds Jack Page. Who was he? Where did he go? Did the two men have a falling out over the prize materials or the fish — neither of which Perry shared? Page has completely disappeared.
It's also true that there's only been one other certified bass weighing better than 18 pounds ever taken from Georgia waters. What are the odds that there would be more than a 4-pound (23 percent) gap between the two biggest bass? A look at almost any other state's records shows that mere ounces separate the top catches.
Could the bass have been something else? Some have speculated that it might have been a striped bass and that locals might not have recognized a striper as something different from a largemouth. It's almost certainly true that stripers swam in those same waters.
Ultimately, the controversy doesn't matter. For generations of bass anglers Perry's mark has set the standard and is the number we dream about. Nothing less will do.

The Unofficial World Record

The Unofficial World Record

The One That Got Away

By Kyle Carter
ESPNOutdoors.com


		Jed Dickerson holds world-record class bass Dottie after she was found dead on Dixon Lake Friday.

Jed Dickerson had just left Dixon Lake exhausted and was about to sit down for lunch when he got the call from Jim Dayberry, one of the Ranger supervisors with the park's lake division. "You might want to come back down here," Dayberry told Dickerson at around 11:45 a.m. PT on Friday. "We just found Dottie floating on the north side of the lake." There was a group of Rangers, including Dayberry, waiting for Dickerson on the dock, shaking their heads. Dickerson picked up the 19-pound dead bass and looked for the spot on her gills that had famously earned her the nickname "Dottie." "Yup, that's her," Dickerson said. "It's over." What Dickerson held represented almost a decade of commitment, putting him on a journey that labeled him, in certain people's eyes, as both a record holder and a fraud. It began with old friends Mac Weakley and Mike "Buddha" Winn and ended with new friend and former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green. This was the third time he'd held Dottie, and for the third time, it didn't accompany the title he wanted so badly — largemouth bass world-record holder. George Washington Perry's record mark of 22 pounds, 4 ounces, set on June 2, 1932, at Montgomery Lake in Georgia, dodged the biggest bullet of its nearly 76-year-old life on Friday, and Dickerson, Dottie's most devoted hunter, will finally get some rest. "In my opinion, this is one of the greatest days in bass fishing history," said Dickerson, who had spent the week with National Geographic, working on a documentary on bass. "It's the end of an era and Perry's record lives on. I don't think anyone is ever going to break it." Chasing Dottie
Dickerson, Weakley and Winn all grew up fishing together on Dixon Lake in Escondido, Calif., but they started their career hooking trout. Then one day they all watched as a guy stayed in one area all day, staring at one fish (sight fishing). Eventually he hooked a huge pregnant female and at the same time, hooked three kids on chasing bass. But it wasn't until the late '90s that they realized their chase for big green bass would turn into a chase for the biggest green bass. A rumor and then a sighting of, at that point, a nameless, massive female bass, ended up defining their lives.


	Jed Dickerson loads Dottie into a bag for the Game and Fish Department. Dottie was put in a freezer to be examined later.

"We just think it's really bizarre — kind of like it was meant to be," Weakley said. "The three of us grew up in that area, and that's the lake we used to fish out of every day when we were 6- and 7-years-old. "And it turns out there was a world-class bass swimming in that lake three miles from our houses." They devoted every minute of their free time to catching Dottie, which they believed would be large enough to score them the most coveted and historic record in bass fishing. Dickerson was the first to realize the dream in 2003, and he thought the record was officially broken when he picked her off a spawning bed. He said the three friends immediately weighed Dottie at around 23 pounds, but it took the Game and Fish three hours to get to the lake to verify it as a record. By that time, they said, it was stressed and had lost a lot of its weight. She officially weighed 21 pounds, 11 ounces, which still holds as the fourth largest largemouth bass ever recorded. That's when they noticed the spot on the gill and declared the race for "Dottie" and the record officially on. They didn't pull her in again until 2006 when they again spotted her on a spawning bed and Weakley went to work. He eventually was able to set the hook, but when he got her to the boat, they noticed she had been foul hooked (not hooked in the mouth). Against his friends' wishes, Weakley decided not to try and make the record official with the Game and Fish. Before releasing her, they weighed Dottie at 25 pounds, 1 ounce, shattering the record, took some photos. Weakley said he wasn't prepared for the scrutiny that followed. The three were pounded by the media with requests for interviews and scolded by some conservation agencies and even other anglers about the way they handled Dottie. They were told by many that they had all but buried Dottie and some anglers even reported finding her dead. "After all the scrutiny we've taken over the fish, people can see the truth now," Weakley said after seeing Dottie for himself on Friday. "Even though the fish was foul hooked, which sucked, I think it was good because it showed what the fish was in her prime. "If we hadn't caught her in between Jed's catch in 2003 and her death today, people might have thought she topped out at 21 pounds." Weakley and Winn backed off from the hunt after 2006. Winn eventually took a job that moved him away from Dixon and Weakley felt like the deed was done. But Dickerson wasn't finished. He wanted to see Dottie officially go down in the record books. "I looked at it like the final chapter in that book had closed, but Jed didn't see it that way," Weakley said. "He wanted to keep pursuing it and get the official record. I think it became a personal thing with him, while for me, I kind of felt like I had been there, done that." Dickerson said it went beyond just wanting to see his name in the books. Because of the time invested he felt like Dottie was his (along with Weakley's and Winn's), and he didn't want any "one-time angler" to come to Dixon, a public lake, catch Dottie and claim the record. He wanted to make sure it stayed close to home. And, according to Dickerson, they were coming from all over the U.S., and even some from Japan to try and put their name above Perry's in the book. Meeting Dennis Green
Dickerson didn't have any luck with Dottie in 2007, but he spotted her in Dixon three months ago, with the females in the early stages of the spawn. A few days later he met an unexpected new friend and business partner, Green.


	Jed Dickerson and Mac Wheatley compare Dottie to her mounted self.

"I heard he was on the dock, but I didn't want to get into his business," Dickerson said. "But when I got back, I found out he was looking for me." Green, who lives 45 minutes from Dixon in San Diego, said he knew Dickerson's story and thought he'd take his 9-year-old son Zach to check it out for himself. They struck up a quick friendship and Dickerson starting guiding for Green and Zach, both of whom love to fish. "Talk about the biggest bass is always part legend and part myth," Green said. "Sometimes that giant bass doesn't really exist, but everyone talks about it." A few days after that, Green and son Zach witnessed something he described as "unbelievably beautiful." "When we saw her — it was just unbelievable," Green said. "She had two males swimming beside her — I called them her security guards — and she was more confident than any fish I've seen in my life. "She was doing her thing, man. We think of a big fish as a fish that's lazy, but she was moving with a purpose." Green was so enamored with the chase for the record and the mystique that followed it, he signed Dickerson on to be represented by his new business, Dennis Green Sports Marketing. "Jed's a great fisherman and a great guide, and I think fishing is the future," he said. Dickerson, balancing time with his job banking for a casino and his family, spent about eight hours a day, every day, looking for Dottie this spring, but the next time he saw her was when he held her on Friday. Life after Dottie
He had all but given up hope of catching Dottie this spring when he got the call from Dayberry, but surprisingly, he said the first feeling he had after hearing Dottie had been found dead was relief. "Now I won't wake up every morning, worrying that someone else was going to catch her," he said. "It's cost me an arm and a leg, and my family has been very, very understanding through this process. "I'm just totally exhausted." Weakley had a similar reaction. Tired of the scrutiny and attention, he was glad that the hunt was over and happy how it ended. "I think it's great that she didn't end up in an aquarium or on somebody's table or on a mount," he said. "It's good to see that she lived her life out and came back to visit us one last time so people can really see just how big this fish is. And now we get to share her and let other people see her." Green said he couldn't think of a better ending to Dottie's story. One of the most impressive bass in recorded history spawned one last time and passed away on Mother's Day weekend. "Dottie was spawning just like a 3-pound fish," he said. "As a big fish, she still was into spawning. When they found her today, she was totally spawned out. "She did what she had to do, and she did it on Mother's Day weekend. And her legend as the biggest fish ever goes on." Editor's Note: Dickerson is a guide on Dixon Lake. He can be contacted at lunkers@cox.net.

Potential World Record Photos are available here at this site in our gallery.

The Real World Record Bass

International Game Fish Association to take the 25-pound, 1-ounce bass under review

By Ed Zieralski

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

11:00 a.m. March 21, 2006

MAC WEAKLEY

Mike Winn of Carlsbad hefts the 25-pound bass, heaviest ever caught by rod and reel.

SAN DIEGO – An official for the International Game Fish Association said today that the 25-pound, 1-ounce bass caught and released by Mac Weakley of Carlsbad at Dixon Lake Monday will get consideration as a world record. Jason Schratwieser, conservation director for the association, commended Weakley and his crew of Mike Winn and Jed Dickerson for releasing the big bass, which, if certified as a record, will shatter the present mark of 22 pounds, 4 ounces, the weight of a fish caught by George W. Perry in 1932 at Montgomery Lake in Georgia.
Weakley foul-hooked the largemouth bass, with the hook lodged on the fish's left side, just below its dorsal fin.
California Department of Fish and Game regulations state that a fish, to be legally caught, must be hooked in the mouth while it tries to take a bait, lure or fly. The game fish association states, for its record-consideration process, that a catch will be disqualified if a fish is “intentionally” foul-hooked. Weakley said he wasn't intentionally trying to foul-hook or snag the bass, and three witnesses to the catch confirmed that.

From today's U-T

Record* bass caught at Dixon

“We don't have any information on the fish right now, so we don't have any comment,” Schratwieser said. “But if it is submitted it's something we'll discuss and look at. Absolutely. One thing we never want to do is penalize a recreational angler for releasing a fish. I commend the guy for releasing such a big, spawning female because she'll contribute a lot to that lake. “A big female like that will produce more eggs, but more importantly, more quality eggs. There may be a genetic component that she passes on to subsequent generations of larger, healthier fish.”
Schratwieser added that the fact Weakley didn't take measurements of the fish – length and girth, an integral part of the IGFA's application process – might not matter if the photos and video they took substantiate the size of the bass.
“We like to have the measurements for several reasons,” Schratwieser said. “One is for scientific purposes, so we can get a better understanding of the size of the species. Measurements also help confirm the dimensions of the fish if the pictures are lacking in the application.”
Schratwieser said it will take a month or more to confirm the fish as an all-tackle world record.
Weakley said Monday that he will apply for the record. He defended his decision not to take measurements.
“I didn't want to lay it (the bass) on the dock and have it stressed more than it was,” Weakley said. “People can take it for what it's worth. That's just how it is.”
Added Dickerson: “Whatever happens, we know it's the world record. Unless that one gets caught again, no one will ever see another bass that big.”
Meantime, Dixon Lake was quiet Wednesday morning considering that the world-record bass still swims there.
“It rained all night and there's no one here,” said Jim Dayberry, supervisor of rangers at Dixon. “I would expect that later today and into the weekend it's going to go crazy here.”
Dayberry also explained how Weakley, Winn and Dickerson had early access to the lake Monday He said the anglers bought a camping permit that allowed them to bypass the line of cars that had to wait until the lake opened at 6 a.m.
Weakley, Winn and Dickerson were able to buy their lake permits and rental boat before the anglers in the vehicle line reached the lake.
“We allow campers to come in anytime,” Dayberry said. “That's why we have a ranger here 24/7. If not, we'd have this lake poached every night. But campers come to the gate and wait in the parking lot for the ranger to come up and sell them a spot.”
The fact Weakley and his crew got in early that way didn't sit well with some anglers, but it was legal.
“When the ranger opened the gate, we were the first ones in, so we were stoked,” said Rancho Bernardo's Steve Barnett, who was there with his younger brother, Dan, trying to get in some fishing before school. “Dan knew a guy was fishing for that fish the day before and that there was a 20-pounder out there. We were going to try and catch it. I wanted to get Dan a junior record before he turns 16. But when we got to the lake we looked out and (Weakley, Winn and Dickerson) were already on the lake. So we just decided to sit there and watch them. At least we saw the world record caught.”
Dayberry said he respected the way Weakley, Winn and Dickerson handled the bass after it was caught.
“They saw how much Jed's 21-pounder (the 21 pound, 11 ounce fish caught in 2003 and also believed to be the same bass) was stressed by being out of the water so long,” Dayberry said. “They knew keeping it out of the water would have been the kiss of death for that big bass. They wanted to do minimal damage. And there was a lot to be said about their honesty. These are stand-up guys we've known since they were kids. They have a lot of heart.
“Sure, we'd love to post it as the world record right now, say it's done and in the record book. There could be a 24½ -pounder caught at Casitas or Castaic today, but everyone will know there's a bigger one swimming in Dixon.
“We know because we saw it.”
Weakley Gives His Account Of The Catch
Thursday, March 23, 2006

Photo: Mac Weakley

Mac Weakley said Mike Winn held the fish for the photo because he was an experienced fish-handler.

On Monday, March 20, Mac Weakley fished California's Lake Dixon with friends Jed Dickerson and Mike Winn. In the early hours of that day, he hooked and landed what was potentially a new world-record largemouth bass. That record has stood for more than 70 years. The bass weighed 25-01 on a handheld scale – with evidence captured on video. However, the fish was foul-hooked from a nest, and Weakley returned the fish to the water before it could be measured or weighed on a certified scale. The current world record is 22-04, set by George Perry in 1932.

In the days that followed, controversy erupted around the catch. The public wondered why Weakley and friends conferenced prior to bringing the fish to the dock. Some questioned whether Weakley had intentionally snagged the fish. Other questions included why the fish wasn't weighed on a certified scale, and why the trio had first access to the fish that morning.
In the following Q&A, Weakley tells BassFan the facts from his point of view. Key points that Weakley stresses are:

He did offer to pay Kyle Malmstrom $1,000 on Sun., March 19 for a 30-minute chance at the fish.
He did purchase a camping permit at Dixon, which is in-bounds in hyper-competitive San Diego.
He did not intentionally snag the fish.
He conferenced before bringing in the fish to both celebrate with his friends, and discuss the ramifications of such a monumental fish.
He did not intend to obscure the fact that the fish was foul-hooked.
There was no longer a certified scale at the Dixon dock. He said it was removed when control of the concession stand changed.
He released the fish without measurements and additional photos because he didn't want to risk killing it.
He won't submit the fish to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) for potential world-record certification.

BassFan: What did it feel like when you hooked, then landed the fish?
Weakley: You know you're fishing for something that's just huge. It was just a full adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, she got snagged on the side. It sucks, but it happened.
I caught the fish, brought it in, got it in the boat, saw it was foul-hooked on the side, and I couldn't even really think straight – it was such a full adrenaline rush. It was just a really exciting experience to see a fish that big. To see they can grow that large – it was pretty neat.
You've said you won't submit the fish to the IGFA for possible world-record certification. Why not?
I don't want it to be an official, or unofficial, record. The three of us had put so much time into this. At first, people were pushing the fact that it could be (a record) because was it intentional (snagging) or not? If not, it could be.
I didn't even know those rules even existed. I had no idea they were there. We knew because it was foul-hooked there would be tons of controversy. I didn't know the rules, but I didn't think it would count.
I was just stoked to get a 25-pound bass. That's what the video was for – for us to share as we get older. Everybody wanted a copy, so I gave it to them. People are saying they'll give me money for it, but I haven't received one dollar. I don't want to receive a dollar. I've told everybody, if they send me money, I'll send it to Make-A-Wish.
I have a great job. I really don't think (potential money) would change my life. I'm very fortunate and blessed for what I have. I'm truly blessed with great friends, an awesome family, a good job. So I don't think it would change my life at all.
Even if I hit the lottery, I'd still be going out there with Jed and Mike. We fish saltwater too – we have our own skiff. In fact, I enjoy saltwater fishing more than bass fishing.
The thing that's really sad is, I feel this record's really tarnished by everybody looking at it for this big cash-in they're going to get. That's why I think the record is so popular.
Not only that, but the fact that people are wondering if (bass) can actually grow that large. Between the three of us, we know they can get bigger than that. When you see big fish repeatedly – these fish are 23-, 25-pound fish – you don't see them often, that's for sure. But you definitely know it when you see something that large.
Now that some of the dust is settling, are you anxious to put the whole catch behind you?
Totally. I felt I did the right thing by releasing the fish. The fish is still alive and swimming in there for anybody to have a chance to catch it – whether it's a 12-year-old boy or a 60-year-old man.
That's what I feel is the most important thing – why I was in such a rush to get this fish back inside the lake.
Is that why you didn't officially weigh and measure the fish?
To set the record straight, I didn't want a bunch of people taking photos of it. It's not healthy to pass around the fish. All it takes is one person to drop it on the dock and that fish dies.

"It was not intentional. I was trying to do everything but catch that fish the way I did." – Mac Weakley

Mike (Winn) has been a charter captain, and he has tons of fish-handling skills. I was confident to let Mike do the handling of the fish. Again, the cool thing is the fish is still living. Catch and release is proved to be a very good thing for a lake. But I'm pretty much ready to put this behind me. This will probably be the last interview I wind up doing. I don't want any product endorsements. If someone sends me free products, I'll give them away to charity.
The other thing is, I've been very open about giving away the pictures and video. It doesn't matter to me.
There seems to be some discrepancy about how you got on the water so early. Could you walk us through that?
People keep talking about that. It's a public thing, and people can go there and do the same thing. If they get outwitted because we actually figured that out (the camping permit), how is that our problem? They have the same right to do the same thing.
San Diego is very competitive – especially for bed-fishing. The more that I look at it, I'll still always enjoy the sport, and there's some really good sportsmen out there – like Mike Long, and definitely five stars for John Kerr.
The fish was foul-hooked – it wasn't properly caught. Therefore, I believe, after thinking about it, that it should not be the record out of respect for the rest of the guys like Long and Kerr, who've put thousands of hours into doing this.
I would like to see people actually try to get the rules down to the wire. All this speculation – what if you're fishing a private lake? What if you have access to certain areas that other people don't have? How is that fair?
So you think the world-record rules need to be refined?
One thing I always discussed is if you're fishing a private lake, and the general public doesn't have access to it, how can that be considered a record?
There's a gray area and people definitely need to refine it if we're to continue to pursue the world record. So when it's caught there's no controversies behind it. I think the controversy sells, and people want to stir everything up with it.
After you caught the fish, you went out toward the center of the lake before coming to the dock. Can you discuss that?
We went to the middle of the lake because it was something we wanted to experience for the three of us. We were high-fiving each other, and stoked to see the fish. That's it. Those were our thoughts.
And, "What do we do?" It wasn't because I'm going to turn this fish in as the official record. That's ridiculous. There were already witnesses on the docks who saw it was foul-hooked.
People also need to understand, I can't respond to people's questions that everyone has immediately on the Internet. I don't know how many calls I got. It was like people were pulling from every limb of your body.
So to set the record straight, you did not intentionally snag the fish, and you had no intention of ever obscuring the fact that is was foul-hooked?
I don't even know how I could answer that. My intention was to catch the fish. Things happen when you're fishing. Maybe I jumped the gun, and I set (the hook) out of sequence. Obviously I did. You know how it is when you're bed-fishing. A big fish can come in and in a second suck in and blow out a gallon of water. There was also the male to contend with.
When you're fishing that early in the morning, and it's windy, and rainy, and I pretty much have a major astigmatism, so I can't see that well as it is. The fish was foul-hooked. I admit it.
Kyle (Malmstrom) told us (on Sunday) that he actually saw the fish, felt it – actually saw that it picked it up his bait, that he got bit by it. That's the nature of the bass. That's just how it is.
We're human beings. We're not perfect. You can't always be perfect. The guys on tour fishing professionally, they do one little thing wrong and they lose a big fish. It comes out after the fact that maybe you feel bad, maybe you should have got the net out instead of flipping it up on the boat.
I'm human. I made a mistake. Unfortunately, it happened on a big fish. But it's not the only big fish it's happened on.

Photo: Jed Dickerson

Weakley said Jed Dickerson's fish first weighed 22-09, but by the time the warden arrived, it weighed 21-11.

I've had other big fish eat a jig and I didn't have the drag set right. Everybody has their fish story about the one that got away. That's the thing. Everybody wants to know if it was intentionally snagged. It was not intentional. I was trying to do everything but catch that fish the way I did. Kyle Malmstrom told us you offered him $1,000 on Sunday for a chance to catch the fish. Is that true?
I sure did. Absolutely. Everybody thinks I'm going to stray away from that question. Jed offered him five rods (for the chance). We saw him (Kyle) fishing for this fish for a long period of time. He even let me inside of his boat, so I could take a look at that fish.
The first words out of my mouth when I saw it were, "That's Jed's fish." (Weakley's fish is believed to be the same fish Jed Dickerson caught in 2003, when it weighed 21-11. – Ed.)
He (Kyle) wanted to borrow my cell phone. His wife was giving him a hard time for being out there so long, so he made me talk to his wife to convince her that is was Jed's fish, and that he needs to stay.
He kind of stared at it in the water, and we talked back and forth. At that point, he said he's not going to leave. We decided we'd get a campsite so we'd be the first ones out.
People are losing sight of the fact that people can actually see a fish that big on a video and photo. There's so many people here that do things like poach, and there's people that snag – people who do all kinds of things. And the nature of the bass – that's how it is.
That's why I tell everybody, I hope it's a 12-year-old boy sitting on the dock (who catches the official record), so people will give it a break. If it comes from any professional, they'll always be wondering, how did you catch it?
Does that controversy have you feeling down?
I'm setting the record straight, telling you right now, it's not the record, and should not be the record.
It's the same bad beating I watched Jed take. I saw Jed weigh his fish at 22-09 (in 2003). But by the time the warden got there, it weighed 21-11.
Back then, we were like, "That's ridiculous. All the witnesses said the fish was 22-09, and (he) should be awarded that." Well, I'm not a biologist, but from what I hear, these fish can actually lose weight as they stress out. They regurgitate.
The ranger on the dock watched it spit out food. Jim Dayberry, the ranger, was like, "That's BS, I saw the thing weigh 22-09. He got robbed."
He was a member of the BBRC (Big Bass Record Club) at the time. (The BBRC would have paid $1 million for a new world record. – Ed.) We could have caused a huge stink. I'm not going to cause a huge stink of this.
There was a certified scale at Dixon when Jed weighed his fish, but it's no longer there, right?
Before, back when Jed weighed his fish, there was a certified digital scale up on the dock. What happened was, the man that owned the dock and concession stand – his name was Lyle – he got rid of the dock, and apparently the city owns the rights to the concession stand.
Lyle took his certified scale. But after the fact, (lake superintendent) Tony Smock told us they have a digital scale in the ranger station.

"It's the same bad beating I watched Jed take." – Weakley

First of all, I didn't know they had that scale. Second, I was not about to go toting that fish all over the place. It's not right when there's a whole circus around with a bunch of people poking at it and lifting it out of the water. When Jed weighed his fish, at the end of the day, at least a hundred people had to pick up Jed's fish just to see it. That's what people aren't looking at here. People want to bring up a bunch of negative crap because it sells, and people are jealous.
The thing they shouldn't discount is the fact the fish weighed 25 pounds. There's no doubt it was foul-hooked, and no doubt it shouldn't qualify, but it weighed 25 pounds.
I looked at some of the comments on BassFan and other sites, and told the guys from ESPN that it looks to be the public out there is looking at this like a 50-50 thing – 50% are wanting this thing to be the world record, then 50% don't.
Mike and Jed and myself talked (Tuesday) night. We said, "We've been doing this a long time, and we know we have the edge as far as breaking the record. We've gotten close so many times, but we've always gone back after the fact and said, 'Forget it.'"
I looked at Jed when his weighed 21-11 and said, "Forget it. We'll go get a bigger one and blow everybody's mind."
So we decided we'll go back out, do what we do well, have a good time, and if we break it, we break it.
I think this thing has gotten way out of control. The thing I want to get across is, let's keep the integrity of it – keep that right there at all times.
I know there's a lot of people out here that do a lot of fishing at nighttime, and a lot of BS stuff. Hopefully, this will push people to do the right thing about it.

Bassmaster Magazine Scale Sample Results and Article On Manabu Kurita

2010-03-06T18:38:00.001-05:00

06:28 PM on 03/06/2010

World Record Bass Posters Now Available.

2010-02-24T16:18:00.001-05:00

I have ordered the posters of the new world record bass and when they arrive I will make a post. Here is the sample of it. The price is $19.95 each plus shipping. If you live close to me you can call and pick it up instead. You can decide what method of shipping when you order. Anyone who wants one of these should make a reservation as they are limited in quantity.

http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/forums/topics/show/2156494-world-record-bass-posters-available-now

The Age Of The World Record Bass

2010-02-17T18:54:00.000-05:00

Scale sample results of the new world record bass done by Bassmaster are in now.
Click the link for the entire story and photos.

Scale Sample Results and pictures

The Ultimate Bass Fishing Trophy Bass Site

2010-02-15T16:15:00.002-05:00

This site and ALL my other sites are merely a GATEWAY to the real and MAIN site with contests, articles, videos, tips, tactics, reports, podcasts, and trophy bass forums with guides and pros to assist you. To register at the main site just click the link and register and I'll see you there. Steve World Record Trophy Bass Fishing http://delawaretrophybass.com

WIN A FREE DVD ON BASS FISHING TACTICS!

2010-02-04T17:04:00.001-05:00

Win A 60 Minute DVD of DETAILED tips, tactics, and SPECIFIC locations for catching more and BIGGER bass in tournaments or for fun on the Upper Chesapeake Bay Rivers like the Sassafras and Northeast, and the Potomac river, along with tactics and tips for bass on Delaware and Maryland Lakes. This DVD will sell for $14.95 retail as it has in the past, but you can get it free! Just register at the main site and make a post or posts in the forums in the bass fishing tips section and we will pick 10 of the best posts and each one will receive the DVD and free baits that are used in the video. World Record and Trophy Bass Fishing You can see a short sample of this video at the site in the forums.

The Spawn Is Trophy Time1

2010-02-01T18:22:00.001-05:00

The spawn is a highly regional event, taking place at different times during the year. In the extreme south (Florida, mostly) fish can be found spawning as early as December with late spawners starting in February. Further north (south Georgia to the Mason-Dixon), the spawn kicks off in April and goes through early June. Further north still, the spawn can start as late as June and go through late July. Regardless of when the spawn is in your area, one thing is certain: It's your best chance at a trophy fish.

Here's how a pro from each region tackles the spawn and wrangles big bass from their love nests.

Extreme South: Bobby Lane, Florida
Bobby Lane

The mild weather of the Sunshine State can be a boon to bassers fishing the spawn. Florida pro Bobby Lane counts on cold fronts to produce some of the best spawn-time fishing anywhere.

"We're fortunate in Florida that the fronts don't always make it this far South, but if they do, the times between are without a doubt the best times for an 8-plus-pound fish," he says. "If you schedule your trip where there's a full moon, and it's in between cold fronts, your chances of getting a 10-pound fish are about 95 percent.

"If that's not good enough, if you get a couple of hot days around a full moon, you're almost guaranteed several fish over 8 pounds if you're looking in the right areas."

When searching for these nest-guarding lunkers, Lane starts at the north end of the lake. He reasons that the water will be clearer as the north winds whip up the south end, making it harder for both fish and anglers to see. If he's fishing in a pocket, he fishes the sunny side first — it's warmer.

When approaching a bedding bass, Lane makes sure three requirements are satisfied: He's using 50- to 65-pound-test SpiderWire Ultracast braid, his bait is bulky and it's a natural color. Using this combo, he has won thousands of dollars in tournaments and weighed in a 9-8 lunker, all in less-than-optimal spawn periods.

His final piece of advice?

"Leave your finesse stuff at the house. If you hit it right, these are great big fish moving up. You don't need to be throwing wimpy baits or light line," he says. "If you're catching small fish, don't leave that area. Go check somewhere else, but always come back to that area. They might not be there in the morning, but they'll be there in the afternoon."

South: Mike McClelland, Arkansas

Mike McClelland

Mike McClelland agrees that the spawning season is your best bet for nabbing those elusive lunkers, but he also says that you may have a better shot at a trophy bass before its bed time.

"I truly believe the biggest fish are the first to spawn, so in my region late March to early April is your best shot at a monster. By the time most fish are on beds, the big ones are guarding fry," he says. "In this case, a buzzbait or a swimbait is the ticket."

McClelland favors War Eagle's black and blue buzzbaits and a Spro BBZ-1 soft swimbait. He sticks to the spawning areas but targets areas close to deeper water. The harder the bottom, the better. Pea gravel, big gravel or a mixture are best.

Since bass of the same size typically run together, if you're catching small fish, that's probably all you're going to get. He reiterates the fact that spawning areas adjacent to deep water are lunkers' preferred spawn-time haunts.

If you're a night owl, McClelland says a lot of the biggest fish are caught in the nighttime hours during the spawn. If you do head out at night, take dark-colored buzzbaits and big, dark Colorado blade spinnerbaits.

North: Bill Lowen, Ohio

Bill Lowen

"Typically, when I'm looking for trophy fish, I'm looking for places where the fish can stage — especially where the big ones hang out before the spawn. These are usually secondary points, deeper banks that lead to the spawning flats. The big ones stay out a little further," he says. "If neither of these work, look for fish that are actually on the bed."

When working secondary points prespawn, Lowen likes moving baits such as spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, swimming jigs and crankbaits. The fish that aren't actively spawning are feeding heavily in preparation for the spawn.

For bedding fish, Lowen goes for small-profile baits like a Gitzit tube or a finesse worm with a light weight. When bed fishing, Lowen opts for 15- to 20-pound Trilene fluorocarbon on a flipping stick. He likes to use his flipping stick year-round. He will let the mood of the spawner determine how long he tries for it.

"They'll either run off the bed if they're spooked or get in close to it to investigate. If their gills and fins start moving, they're excited and will bite; you can even watch 'em change color," he says. "If they're not active or are spooked the first time you try it, go back an hour or so later. You never know when she's going to light up."

Lowen goes on to say that lakes in his area have poor water clarity. He will get as close as he needs to investigate the fish's mood. He's been within a rod's length and successfully caught big bass.

No matter where you live, the spawn is your best shot at a wall-hanger bass. Pack your patience, do your homework and watch for the shadows in the shallows. The spawn is on!

NEW World Record Trophy Bass Fishing - Articles

2010-01-17T18:00:00.001-05:00

World Record Trophy Bass Fishing - Articles

Bassmaster article advance copy

Manabu Kurita's First Seminar

2010-01-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

Manabu Kurita helld his first seminar since being declared the new world record largemouth bass holder by the IGFA this week. It was held in Japan and sponsored by The Lure shop Andou.

Manabu said he was nervous but he was received very well by the people there and they were very attentive and serious and interested in what he had to say.

Mr.Maeda, Deps's Pro Guide and Mr. Go also a Giant bass hunter performed together.

They held a raffle and gave away a lot of prizes and people took pictures of the new world record bass and handled Manabu Kurita's tackle that he uses.

Manabu wishes to thank everyone who came and were involved with his first seminar.

World Record and Trophy Bass Fishing- Videos

2010-01-08T14:04:00.002-05:00

Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass - Videos

OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE SIGNING

IGFA SAYS YES TO KURITA BASS!

2010-01-08T13:47:00.002-05:00

Today, in a live press conference, the IGFA, announced that it has officially certified the catch of Manabu Kurita, a 22.311 pound largemouth bass, making his bass the new world record largemouth bass.

While according to IGFA rules, the bass must exceed the current weight by 2 ounces to be called a new world record, trophy bass hunters and many tournament anglers, myself included, recognize that less than an ounce wins a tournament anywhere in the world, so in my book, this is the new world record bass. Bassmaster magazine lists it in the top 25 at the top of the list, as 1A above George Perrys record that stood for more than 77 years.

If you want to learn more about trophy bass fishing, or the tactics that Manabu Kurita uses, or watch videos and see photos of his bass and his baits that are not seen on ANY OTHER website, including Bassmaster, you can talk with him and others in the forums at Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass where he is a member and close friend of the owner.

Northeast Trophy Bass and a new World Record by Manabu Kurita. A Great Start to 2010!

CONGRATULATIONS MANABU KURITA! "A TRUE TROPHY BASS HUNTER"

IGFA Theater | IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum

2010-01-07T23:22:00.001-05:00

IGFA Theater | IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum

World Record and Trophy Bass Fishing - Videos

2010-01-07T23:00:00.001-05:00

Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass - Videos

What Does It Cost To Fish In Japan?

2010-01-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

Perhaps even more fascinating was Editor Hall's report on explaining to
the accountants at the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society about how he
spent so much of his company's money on this recent visit to Japan.
A McDonald's Quarter Pounder meal in Tokyo cost him 883 yen or about $9
in American money. That was no big revelation, but Hall also paid for
Kurita's expenses when they fished together on Lake Biwa.

One gasoline bill was for $200 and that was just for Kurita's truck.
Add another $130 in gas expenses for their boat. It seems gasoline
costs between $4.20 to nearly $7 a gallon in that country.

Kurita also had to pay $130 in tolls to travel from his home to Lake
Biwa. The Japanese government discourages highway traveling during the
week by making it so expensive. That same trip would have been just
about $12 on a weekend.

Add in another $30 to launch the boat. In the land of the Rising Sun,
bassboats are generally stored just like we do some of our boats in big
marinas with limited space.

You need to hire the forklift guy to get it out of storage and into the
water for you. It would appear that all the land in Japan is so much a
premium, and a very limited, essential.

So, bottom line, it costs an average Japanese angler like Kurita just about $500 every time they go fishing.

IGFA To Announce Status Of New World Record Bass

2010-01-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

The IGFA will announce the status of the new pending world record bass caught by Manabu Kurita LIVE in a press conference on Friday. read the whole story at Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass

World Record Bass Mounted!

2009-12-22T20:49:00.002-05:00

Bass The Movie ESPN

2009-12-17T15:14:00.001-05:00

Keep Chasing the World record

2009-12-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

swimbaits

2009-12-12T21:35:00.000-05:00

Manabu Kurita

2009-12-09T19:52:00.002-05:00

A Fishy Tale About The World Record Rod

2009-12-02T14:38:00.005-05:00

A fishy tale about the world record rod
By James Hall

Kurita's rod and reel combo

Manabu Kurita caught the 22-pound, 5-ounce bass on a Deps Sidewinder Flipping Edition rod and Shimano Antares DC 7-LV reel.

Every angler has a rod and reel that just seems to catch more fish than the rest of the combos in his or her boat. Manabu Kurita, catcher of the pending world record largemouth, is no different.

On his lucky rod (Deps Sidewinder Flipping Edition) and reel (Shimano Antares DC 7-LV), Kurita had landed an 18 1/2-pound largemouth last year by catapulting a 12-inch Mother swimbait (handcrafted by Roman Made). And what’s more, he caught the pending world record fish on this combination. But perhaps what makes it most lucky is the fact that it was still in his possession when the 22-pound, 5-ounce bass swallowed his sunfish on July 2 of this year.

Just one month earlier, the rod and reel were lying on the bottom of Lake Biwa.

In late May, Kurita was using the Deps/Shimano combo to fish a live ayu on Lake Biwa. Ayu is a popular food fish (about the size of a sardine) in Japan during the summer months, and bass forage on this fish spring through fall. After casting the weightless live bait, he had set the rod down while working on some tackle. While not paying attention, a bass ate the live ayu, dragging overboard his favorite rod and reel combination. He watched it sink to the bottom of Lake Biwa, which at its deepest point is 300 feet.

He assumed it was lost forever.

However, almost one month later, he was fishing near the same spot when he noticed a large bass floating in the lake. He trolled up to the dead, double-digit fish, to find a line coming out of its mouth. After pulling on the line for several minutes, Kurita’s lucky rod and reel appeared from the bottom of the lake.

“It was scratched up from where the bass dragged it around the lake bottom, but it still works perfectly! It really is lucky,” Kurita grinned.

Hard to argue that fact.

http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/forums/topics/show/1707426-bassmaster-article-on-manabu-kurita-new-december-2009

Manabu Kurita Interview

2009-11-20T10:26:00.002-05:00

Epic Interviews With Japan's Top Trophy Bass Hunters

Story by Matt and Chinami Paino, Dr. Rogelio Villarreal and Russ Bassdozer

September 28, 2009

To begin our trophy bass hunter series in Japan, these are some of the first stories to inform the world about Japan's trophy bass fishing as told by the top trophy hunters themselves.

There have been trophy bass in Japan for many years, but trophy hunters there have always felt that Japan did not get enough recognition for its trophy bass potential. Now, we've given each trophy hunter a chance to tell their story, and we'll publish each one-by-one in the order shown:.

Interview with Shimada (the previous 19.15 record holder)

Interview with Kurita (the new 22.4 record holder)

Interview with Okumura (deps tackle company owner)

Interview with Yasumura (monster bass hunter)

We asked each trophy hunter identical questions about big bass in Japan, and their answers translated to English for you.

It is a special honor for us to be able to tell the world about Japan's trophy fisheries and fishermen in their own words.

And although many of us may never fish in Japan, the interviews have lots of key info that's useful to try to relate how these trophy hunter's game plans can help you catch some of the monster bass on your own home waters.

Here now is Okumura's story, beginning with a little background. In 1992, Okumura-san started to gain much media attention by breaking the ten pound barrier several times in a row on Japan's famed bass water, Lake Biwa. He used an original design heavy weight spinnerbait, slow-rolling it deep along the bottom, a tactic not practiced much in Japan. However, Okumura loved to fish with big spinnerbaits, and he had an uncanny knack of catching monster bass, especially when outdoor writers/photographers were fishing with him. So that lure and technique started Okumura's career and legend as one of Japan's foremost big bass experts, and it led to his founding of the deps lure company in 1998, at the age of 28.

At first, deps offered Okumura's legendary spinnerbait named the B-Custom. It became an immediate sensation in Japan and the B-Custom still ranks as one of the best fish catching lures in Japan today.

But Okumura didn't stop there. Okumura and deps began to test and manufacture new styles of big baits not seen before in Japan, or anywhere. One radical new design was a big wakebait named the Buzzjet 96, released in 2003. It still remains the most popular big wakebait in Japan today.

In 2004, deps released another big bait, the Silent Killer jointed swimbait which features a hard plastic body encased within a soft silicone skin covering it. As the name implies, this big bait is both a silent runner and a subtle killer on big bass. This bait has demonstrated that there are times when silence and subtleness, even in a big bait, is key to catching monsters.

Okumura's next triumph was the release of the Realiser, a big bait which capitalizes upon the plentiful bluegill population of Okumura's home lake, Lake Biwa. With its larger profile, the Realiser features an unorthodox look and an action that's designed to mimic big sunfish sunning or swimming through grass. The deps Realiser has become a required bait for many of Japan's big fish anglers.

In 2007, he released the High Sider, a big triple-jointed swimbait that has 4 body sections to produce a lot of high side flaring with its body roll. It is very effective when used on a straight grind for monster bass.

As you have seen with the previous two Japanese fish hunters' interviews (Shimada and Kurita), the large profile lures are popular with these trophy hunters. What's different in Okumura's case is that he founded deps to research and develop the very lures that Okumura has required throughout his intense and much-publicized pursuit of lunker bass. Okumura's vision has been for deps to develop big profile lures like the B-Custom, Buzzjet 96, Silent Killer, Realiser, High Sider and others that would give him a better chance of catching Japan's monster bass. Such big lures really didn't exist at all in Japan before 2000, and it is only since then that the monster bass potential in Japan has been tapped - with the development of big baits. Before the big bait boom, monster bass catches in Japan were uncommon. Okumura has been a pioneer through the big bass tackle produced by deps and via his insights shared in magazines, DVDs and on TV.

Interview with Japan's Top Trophy Bass Hunter: Okumura

Question #1: How long have you been fishing for trophy bass, Okumura-san? How did you get started?

Okumura: For about 18 years. Ever since I was a little kid I have always wanted to catch big fish. There is nothing like the feeling and value you get when you catch a big bass and that’s what keeps me going.

Question #2: Please tell us a brief "fishing bio" about yourself (200 words or less) such as: how many days do you fish, if you are pro tournament angler, if you are in the fishing tackle business, if you are sponsored by companies in the fishing tackle business, if you are a fishing guide, if you have written or been written about in trophy bass articles/books, on fishing TV shows or videos - none of those things are necessary, but just establishes who you are with the unfamiliar reader. Basically, please share 200 words or less "fishing bio" about yourself.

Okumura: I started writing articles for several magazines around 1993 introducing my fishing style of targeting big bass. At that time some of the magazine editors started to go fishing with me and together we introduced monster fish hunting to the Japanese public. In Japan ant that time, fishing was mainly with light tackle and finesse rigs.

In 1998, I established my company, deps Co. (www.depsweb.co.jp) and since then I’ve been dedicated to designing lures and rods for catching big bass.

Although I am not a tournament angler I have become very popular and known to all the Japanese anglers because I have demonstrated in videos and in magazines various techniques on how to catch trophy bass.

Question #3: How many trophy bass have you caught (definition/size of a "trophy" is whatever you prefer)? What is the size of your biggest trophy bass?

Okumura: Over the past 10 years, most of my time on the water has been working with Japanese magazines and producing bass fishing DVDs where I have been called upon to catch 60cm (23.6") bass and above. In Japan, the 60cm bass are called "ROKU MARU" and that is considered to be a trophy catch. Most of my fish have been right around this 60cm mark in length and weigh between 4-5 kilos (9 to 11 lbs) in weight. Most of these fish have come off of rubber jigs, big swim baits or big worms.

Question #4: What rod and reel combos do you use most often for trophy bass hunting? What line and pound test do you use most often (mono, fluoro, braid) for trophy bass hunting? We are not asking so much about brands and models, but about general features of the rods, reels, lines you most often use for trophy bass hunting. Also, we are not asking about every rod, reel, line you use - that can be many different outfits. We wish to give the reader (who may be unfamiliar with trophy bass hunting in Japan) a general feel for what you most often would prefer to use in terms of rod, reel, line - understanding it is not the only outfit you use - but the one you would prefer to use, or tend to use most often.

Okumura:

7 Foot Heavy Action Fast Tapered Rod with 20lb fluorocarbon

7 foot 6 inch Heavy Action Medium Fast Tapered Rod with 25lb fluorocarbon

8 Foot Extra Heavy Action Medium Fast Tapered Rod with 25-30lb fluoro or also with 66lb braid

All reels that I use have a line capacity for holding 70 meters of 25lb line

Question #5: What are your top three techniques for catching giant bass?

Okumura

Big baits (lipless jointed types) used with a jerk and fall technique

Swimming a jig throughout the water column

Deadsticking (stitching) a big worm

I do not agree with Japanese pro anglers or filming videos of bed fishing right when the spawn is occurring but I do think the world record fish will come off of a bed.

Question #6: What are your top three lures for attracting trophies?

Okumura:

Big baits - lipless jointed type

Big worms - 8 to 13 inches

Rubber jigs

Question #7. What is the best time of the year for trophies in Japan?

Okumura: I think that for Lake Ikehara, mid-April to the end of May is the best time period.

For Lake Biwa, from March to the end of June since there is a big difference in spawning months between the south end (Nanko) of the lake and the north (Kita) end of the lake.

Question #8. What role do electronics play for you when hunting for trophy bass?

Okumura: I do not find any need for electronics at Lake Ikehara because sight fishing is the main style of monster fishing there. In the case of Lake Biwa, electronics can be extremely helpful to look at and understanding difficult topography, or examine dredged areas, sunken boats, locating schools of fish as well as bait, and weed lines. However I turn off the power when I am fishing a well-known spot or at my top ranked spots.

Question #9. Once you are on the water, how do you divide your fishing day trying to locate trophy bass?

Okumura: I will target the areas that I feel have the highest potential to produce lunkers. If I do not feel that the timing is right there, I will wait it out or go check other areas or even circle back to the original high-potential spots and repeat the process, kind of keep cycling through the potential areas until I hit them.

Question #10. What is the main trophy bass forage in Japan's lakes?

Okumura: Bluegill is the main bait at Lake Biwa. Sometimes bass will prey upon other bass as well. Biwako (Ko means lake, so Biwako means Lake Biwa) has lots of weeds and therefore there is an abundance of crawfish, shrimp and ayu ensuring that bass have plenty to eat and grow rapidly during their life.

At Lake Ikehara, the monster bass feed on Ugui and Funa which are both large baitfish. The water is extremely clear at Ikehara. It is so clear that, except for the spawning period, it is rare that monster bass are caught there. So, except for the spawning period, Lake Ikehara has less pressure on big bass compared to Lake Biwa.

Both Lake Ikehara and Biwa have Florida strain bass. However it’s only been within the past 10 years that the bass have seen considerable growth spurts and we are now seeing more of these monsters. I believe that the changing weather patterns and changing climate is a factor in the bass growing larger in recent years.

Question #11. Do you do any night fishing for trophy bass?

Okumura: No. A camera crew is usually always with me fishing so no night fishing.

Question #12: Do you feel there is a particular time of day or night when it is best to catch trophy bass?

Okumura: From my experience, I notice that bass go into a feeding time around 10am, 1pm, and 3 o' clock in the afternoon. So between 10 and 4 in general is a good timeframe to be trophy fishing.

Question #13: What do you feel that trophy bass do different, that ordinary size bass do not do?

Okumura: I think that smaller bass behavior is preoccupied with constantly looking for bait. For trophy bass, their top priority is safety or security first and foremost.

Question #14: What do you do different when hunting trophy bass, that you do not do when fishing for ordinary size bass?

Okumura: When I target big bass, I try not to worry or become anxious that I have to catch a monster that day. I tell myself I have the whole season to catch a monster. I also use large lures when targeting big fish.

Manabu Kurita

Here now is Kurita's story. Please enjoy!

Interview with Japan's Top Trophy Bass Hunter: Kurita

Question #1: How long have you been fishing for trophy bass? How did you get started?

Kurita: This is my 8th year targeting monster bass. It started when I caught a 64cm (25.2") bas

s, which was great, however the bass swimming next to my bass (64cm) was much larger than mine and it was a thrill to see that bigger one. Since then I have always wanted to catch just trophy bass.

Question #2: Please tell us a brief "fishing bio" about yourself (200 words or less) such as: how many days do you fish, if you are pro tournament angler, if you are in the fishing tackle business, if you are sponsored by companies in the fishing tackle business, if you are a fishing guide, if you have written or been written about in trophy bass articles/books, on fishing TV shows or videos - none of those things are necessary, but just establishes who you are with the unfamiliar reader. Basically, please share 200 words or less "fishing bio" about yourself.

Kurita: I am a product field tester for Roman Made (www.roman-made.jp) which makes handcrafted lures and Fina (Hayabusa) a Japanese hook company. I do not compete in tournaments. I am just an avid angler who goes fishing on average 150 times a year.

Question #3: How many trophy bass have you caught (definition/size of a "trophy" is whatever you prefer)? What is the size of your biggest trophy bass?

Kurita: On April 6, 2008 I caught a 70cm, 8480g (27.56", 18.7 lbs.) with a giant swimbait called “Mother” by Roman Made. It is the 3rd largest bass on record in Japan. Pictures are here in the gallery

Kurita's 70cm, 8480g (27.56", 18.7 lbs.) bass is now 3rd largest in Japan.

On July 2 of this year (2009), I caught the 73.5cm, 10.12kg (28.94", 22.31 lbs.) monster bass which is pending world record review on a live bluegill. These are my two largest that went over the 70cm mark, They are 1st and 3rd largest on record in Japan

Question #4: What rod and reel combos do you use most often for trophy bass hunting? What line and pound test do you use most often (mono, fluoro, braid) for trophy bass hunting? We are not asking so much about brands and models, but about general features of the rods, reels, lines you most often use for trophy bass hunting. Also, we are not asking about every rod, reel, line you use - that can be many different outfits. We wish to give the reader (who may be unfamiliar with trophy bass hunting in Japan) a general feel for what you most often would prefer to use in terms of rod, reel, line - understanding it is not the only outfit you use - but the one you would prefer to use, or tend to use most often.

Kurita: For the most part I use a long rod. Typically 7’ – 8’ and one that has a fast taper and is rated heavy action. I use a high gear reel that is heavy duty. I use fluorocarbon line rated 20-30lb.

Question #5: What are your top three techniques for catching giant bass?

Kurita:

Burning a big bait

Jerking a monster lure, 30cm (12") 10 oz

Stitching a big worm

Question #6: What are your top three lures for attracting trophies?

Kurita:

Big swimbaits

Monster baits. 30cm (12") or over

Big worm, or rubber jig

Question #7. What is the best time of the year for trophies in Japan?

Kurita: Based on my experience, my opinion is every month besides August and September. August is the hottest month in Japan and September is still hot but air temps begin to cool off. Still the water temperature has risen so high and that makes the grass so thick.

Question #8. What role do electronics play for you when hunting for trophy bass?

Kurita: I do have my boat equipped with electronics but I only use them when I want to see the water temperature, depth, or structure which is not that often.

Question #9. Once you are on the water, how do you divide your fishing day trying to locate trophy bass?

Kurita: I start out by throwing the Giant Bait and check to see if there are followers or not. I also just like to use my senses and search for places I have a good hunch about. It then depends upon that day's reaction from the fish whether I continue to use lures or I switch to live bait.

Question #10. What is the main trophy bass forage in Japan's lakes?

Kurita: The main bait found in Lake Biwa are bluegill, hasu and funa. However bass will change what they feed on depending upon the season and the prevalence of bait.

Question #11. Do you do any night fishing for trophy bass?

Kurita: I used to fish at night but not now. At night, I usually caught bass between 30cm - 60cm (12-24 inches). So now I try to fish from morning to afternoon to catch bigger size bass.

Question #12: Do you feel there is a particular time of day or night when it is best to catch trophy bass?

Kurita: I prefer fishing between 10am and 4pm.

Question #13: What do you feel that trophy bass do different, that ordinary size bass do not do?

Kurita: Bass that are locked down to one spot grow quicker and larger than the bass that are always swimming around from place to place.

Question #14: What do you do different when hunting trophy bass, that you do not do when fishing for ordinary size bass?

Kurita: For me its all about mindset. I have to be committed and remain stubborn to only fish for giant bass of the hugest proportions. To succeed, it's imperative to stay loyal to your goals.

It's all about mindset concludes Kurita, to be committed and stubborn to fish only for true giants.

Photos of all these bass are here in the gallery at Northeast Trophy Bass

Mother Swimbait by Manabu Kurita

2009-11-15T20:54:00.002-05:00

Would you like to be able to purchase this bait in shops here in the United States? It is the "MOTHER" swimbait that was designed by the new pending World Record Bass angler Manabu Kurita? This bait caught the 18 pound bass that was the third largest ever caught in Japan. Pictures of all of them are available.

Manabu asked me if I thought this bait he designed would sell here in the US as well, and I thought that this was the best place to ask. If you could take a look and make a post it would be appreciated. Thanks Steve

http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/forums/topics/show/1631064-romanmade-mother-swimbait

Bassmaster Mag

2009-11-11T17:48:00.001-05:00

Bassmaster Mag – World Record Interview #1

Posted using ShareThis

IGFA. WAKE UP!! The World Is Calling!

2009-11-01T18:19:00.000-05:00

Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass
What Is Wrong With The IGFA? What could possibly be wrong with the IGFA in approving Manabu Kurita's new world record bass application? Even Bassmaster has conceded that this is the new record, that there is nothing wrong with the way or where he caught it, and even the JGFA has accepted it,which is tougher than t...he IGFA could ever be?? Yet they sit there on there hands waiting for what?? Read the whole story at http://delawaretrophybass.com

FREE BAITS, TOURNAMENT TIPS and FREE VIDEOS!

2009-11-01T06:51:00.002-05:00

New bass fishing tournament tips, tactics, videos and detailed articles to help with tournaments or just improve your bass fishing. Specialized tips and tactics videos on the northeast.
Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass

FLW Outdoors Video: "Today Show" Feature on Bass Fishing

2009-10-24T00:02:00.000-04:00

FLW Outdoors Video: "Today Show" Feature on Bass Fishing

New manabu Kurita Interview on New World Record Bass

2009-10-23T16:28:00.000-04:00

The rest of the story

By James Hall

Editor, Bassmaster Magazine

bm_WR_wholetruth2_395x239

Manabu Kurita told me the truth today about how, when and where he caught the pending world record bass. Every detail. How do I know it’s the truth? I know because Mr. Kurita doesn’t care if his fish is certified as a world record or not.

Manabu Kurita fishes in the area where he caught the 22-5 largemouth.

Shy and unassuming, the 33-year-old Kasugai native became hooked on bass fishing 18 years ago.

“I saw a photo of a largemouth bass in a magazine and I was very impressed with how it looked. So, I tried fishing for bass and I became passionate about catching them,” Kurita explained.

Kurita’s passion takes him to the lake more than 150 times a year. According to his estimations — and those close to him consider the estimates conservative — Kurita annually catches more than 100 bass greater than 8 pounds.

On July 2, 2009, he landed his biggest fish ever (although not the biggest he has hooked). The 22-pound, 5-ounce behemoth ate a live sunfish he had rigged on a 5/0 Fina Power Finesse bait hook.

“I had noticed this big fish swimming around the bridge piling, and I was pretty sure she would eat a bluegill. So, about 11:30 a.m., I went to the bridge piling and cast the bait to the north side. I twitched it a couple of times and the big bass ate it. It was my first cast,” Kurita explained.

Kurita showed me the exact spot on the bridge, made the exact cast and explained how surprised he was once he landed the fish.

“I knew it was big, but I did not think it was that big,” he admitted.

Using the same techniques as when he caught the potential world record, Kurita landed this 8 1/2-pounder while showing the area to Bassmaster Magazine editor James Hall.

The IGFA has not yet certified Kurita’s catch as a world record because of a rule that states a record fish cannot come from a sanctuary or no-fishing zone. The remaining question has been about whether the three marked bridge pilings where he was rumored to have caught the fish are no-fishing zones, and, if they are, was Kurita actually fishing near these three pilings? (The other bridge pilings are not marked, so fishing, anchoring and tying to them is totally legal.)

When I asked Kurita to take me to the exact spot where he caught the bass. He did not hesitate. We drove directly to one of the three marked pilings, confirming the rumors that he caught the fish in an area that was marked: “Do not stop.” He could just as easily have taken me to another bridge support, one that would have completely negated the naysayers.

His honesty was refreshing. His motives seemed pure.

However, this supported those who questioned the legality of his catch. Does the “Do not stop” sign suggest, and thereby give authorities, the ability to ticket anglers fishing the marked pilings?

This determination is left to the local police and, ultimately, the Japanese Game Fish Association and the International Game Fish Association.

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). Mr. Oguri is a very well-connected and respected icon in the Japanese fishing industry. During our conversation, I asked if he had a contact within the JGFA, and, if so, could he find out the status of the Kurita world record application.

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. Mr. Oguri then contacted the Shiga-Ken Police Department (enforcers of Lake Biwa laws). He asked them if fishing was allowed near the three marked bridge pilings. The answer was “yes.” It is illegal to anchor or tie to the bridge pilings, but fishing next to or around them is completely legal.

Kurita broke no laws in the catching of the 22-5.

Mr. Oguri then contacted the chairman of the JGFA and informed him of his findings.

Moments later, the JGFA gave Kurita’s catch the thumbs up and sent a letter of support to the IGFA. As of this writing, the IGFA has not yet commented on the status of the record. However, it seems all concerns about the legality of this catch have been answered. It is likely Mr. Kurita’s bass will be recognized as the biggest largemouth ever caught.

And if for some reason the IGFA still does not recognize Kurita’s accomplishment?

“That’s OK,” Kurita replied with a shy grin. “I think I might be able to catch a bigger one next year.”

You can talk with Manabu Kurita LIVE in the forums at Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass at http://delawaretrophybass.com

Wesley Strader talks about being dialed in... - Video - Wired 2 Fish

2009-10-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

Wesley Strader talks about being dialed in... - Video - Wired 2 Fish

Quinn on the radio... - Whats Up - Wired 2 Fish

2009-10-21T14:31:00.001-04:00

Quinn on the radio... - Whats Up - Wired 2 Fish

IGFA Will Approve Kurita's World Record Bass Soon

2009-10-21T13:07:00.001-04:00

The bass fishing world has been waiting on the edge of its collective seat for the past two weeks, waiting for the International Game Fish Association to announce whether or not Japan’s Manabu Kurita will becertified as holder of the new world record largemouth bass.

As of this writing, IGFA is waiting for a response from the Japanese Game Fish Association concerning the rumor that Kurita was fishing in arestricted area when he boated the giant bass. Perhaps the following information will clear up any questions about the catch.

You can read more and visit with Manabu Kurita in person and see pictures that appear nowhere else at Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass at http://delawaretrophybass.com

Kurita caught the bass beneath the Biwako Oohashi bridge, which connects the west bank (Katata) of the giant lake to the eastern shore (Moriyama).The pilings of this bridge are numbered, giving anglers and boat captains a reference when navigating beneath the structure. It is illegal for anyone to stop between piling four and piling six, as this is the tallest portion of the bridge (it rises closer to the west bankto allow for high-mast boats) and all boat traffic is directed throughthis area.

It is important to note that the law states you cannot stop in this area. It is not illegal to troll this area or otherwise fish while moving. This is a moot point, however, because Kurita was fishing the eastern side of the bridge, well away from this restricted area.

Further supporting Kurita’s innocence, July is a very popular month for tourists on Lake Biwa, and the boating traffic from sightseeing tours, commercial fishing boats and jet boats would have made the area virtually unfishable and extremely dangerous.

The rumor of his fishing in a restricted zone may well have come from local anglers, according to Takuji Naruo, a local fisherman and representative for Jackall Bros. Lures, whose office is located on the banks of the lake.

“Many bass anglers agreed to not fish any ofthe bridge pilings because it could be dangerous with big wakes from the sightseeing boats. And we also do not want to interfere with commercial fishing nets, which are often in the area. However, it is not at all illegal to fish there.

The only government law concerning the bridge has to do with the area between pilings four and six. If you stop there, you may get a ticket,” Naruo explains.

So, Kurita might have broken a gentleman’s agreement between bass anglers on the lake, but he did not break the law. Once the JGFA explains this to theIGFA, barring any unexpected hiccups, Mr. Kurita’s bass is likely to be granted world record status.

Stop in the forums and talk with Manabu in person and view all the photos in the gallery section.

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My Senko Has Gone A Little Wacky!

2009-10-19T21:25:00.002-04:00

For the better part of ten years now the Senko or some form of a soft stickworm has been a staple in my bass fishing repatoire.

It catches cold front bass, summer bass, staging & bedding bass and fall schooling bass.

You can throw it shallow or deep, flip it, deadstick it or twitch it.

I've caught fish with it drop-shotting, carolina rigging and texas rigging. Basically, if you put it on a hook and throw it in the water it'll catch bass.

However over the past 4 years I've been fishing it almost exclusively one particular way and that's the "WACKY-RIG" way.

For years I texas rigged my senko and caught tons of bass.

I knew of the wacky-rig but I was doing so well texas rigging it I didnt see the need to bother changing. Besides I didn't believe that hooking the bait through the middle could catch me anymore bass than my standard rig would. The whole idea I thought to wacky rigging was to get the worm to fall horizontally through the water instead of nose first like traditional texas rigged plastics.

Since soft plastic stickworms did that on a texas rig anyway I figured there wasn't a reason to do it. Maybe with a trick worm or a strait tail but with all the salt in my Senko it fell perfectly horizontal without the hook in the middle of the bait.

Boy was I WRONG!

I began to realize the value of the wacky when I fished a club tournament on a small pond in Delaware called Waggamons.

Myself and a few other boats had located a big school of bass out in the middle of the pond on some brush piles dropped on the old creek channel. This is a very small spot on a small pond so you were able to see every move they made down to the color of the fleck in their Senko. We all were throwing senkos up on a flat and working to and down the edge of the channel where there were 6 big brush piles in about 8 ft of water.

The Senko was the deal.That's what I caught them on in practice and every angler in the top 5 caught them on a Senko or Dinger.

The anglers I was competing against were locals and fished this and other small ponds like it in southern Delaware almost exclusively.

I caught 1 in the first 20 minutes on the spot and every other boat had a limit. I was working the bait in the same cadence, at the same speed, same angle and even the same color.

In fact we all were using light line on spinning reels as well. After an hour I had 3 bass and the other boats had been culling for a half hour. What was the difference..............You got it... wacky rigging!!!!

I changed and immediately got bit and within an hour I had culled to a 13lb bag that got me 3rd place.

Since then I've done the same thing to other anglers. Sometimes competitors, other times to friends in the boat with me who refused to change their texas rig.

I'm telling you this technique works and it seems like the tougher the fishing gets the more it works. As far as tackle I like the weedless wacky rig hook that Gamakatsu makes but any small (2) hook works. I throw it on 8 lb flurocarbon on a 6 1/2 ft M action spinning rod( ST CROIX) with a quality spinning reel (Shimano Stradic).

Rigging it is simple, you just hook it in the middle of the bait. In one side and out the other. As far as fishing it throw it out and let it sink. The only real difference in working it from a texas rigged senko is instead of lifting up to move it , you give it little twitches to the side with your rod. That makes both ends of the tail quiver like crazy and they can't take it.

So give it a try and you will be pleasantly surprised at how many bass you'll catch. I PROMISE YOU THIS TECHNIQUE REALLY WORKS BETTER THAN THE TRADITIONAL WAYS!!!!!!!!!!!

Potomac Bass

2009-10-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

Manabuta Kurita Interview With B.A.S.S. ?

2009-10-15T15:25:00.004-04:00

Show me the yen!

By James Hall

Editor, Bassmaster Magazine

It has long been hypothesized that the next man to break the largemouth world record held by George W. Perry for the past 77 years would likel yearn upwards of a million dollars. The presumption is that all the manufacturers of tackle the lucky angler used, from lure to line to the brand of soda the fisherman was drinking, would offer endorsement deals to brag on their products.Manabu Kurita, catcher of the Lake Biwa goliath last July, is trying to cash in on his 22-pound, 5-ounce bass one interview at a time.

As I was finalizing plans for my upcoming trip to Japan, my contact there, Yasutaka Ogasawara (Oga forshort), informed me that the interview he had set up for me with Kurita had hit a small roadblock.

"What's the issue?" I inquired.

"Mr. Kurita wants to know how much you will pay him for interview time?" Oga explained.

"We don't do that, Oga," I returned.

"I did not think so. I told him the system is different in U.S.," he continued.

I went on to explain that Mr. Kurita would get exposure in the U.S. thathe could potentially leverage to earn money, but that's as much as I could offer.

So, the interview with Mr. Kurita is up in the air.Hopefully he will decide that telling his story has exponentially more value than any amount of yen I could afford him.

Interview or no,I'll report on how Kurita's pending world record has affected thefishing community in Japan. As of this writing, the country still requires anglers to kill all bass caught.

I'll also be talking with Japan's best bass anglers to get their take on Kurita's catch and providing a photo gallery from Lake Biwa.

If the timing's right,we also hope to have Kurita's reaction to the decision on his application from the International Game Fish Association.

read all about it and watch the videos and see pictures of this bass that do not appear on any site at Northeast Trophy Bass

VanDam At Lake Conroe

2009-10-14T14:53:00.002-04:00

Bass fishing’s best VanDam brings stick to Lake Conroe

Kevin VanDam, generally regarded as the No. 1 pro bass fisherman in the world, brings his skills to Lake Conroe this weekend for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.
By Charlie Bier
Updated: 10.13.09
Kevin VanDam owns the face of pro bass fishing, answers to an NFL linebacker’s nickname (Van Damage) and, with about $3.7 million in career winnings, has pocketed more money than any angler in the sport’s history.

All in a day’s work for the 41-year-old Kalamazoo, Mich., native.

“I love bass fishing,” VanDam said. “I put a lot into it, but I don’t have to push myself. It’s almost addictive, almost like gambling. The competition really motivates you. If you come close once, it just drives you that much more to want to get out there and try to win.”

Winning is something VanDam’s done plenty of. He’s coming off back-to-back Angler of the Year titles in 2008 and this year. His five Angler of the Year titles since 1992 rank him second all-time behind only legend Roland Martin, who claimed nine. VanDam has twice won the Bassmaster Classic championship, which has been referred to as the Super Bowl of fishing. ESPN’s even given him an ESPY trophy as Outdoor Sportsman of the Year.

VanDam said the Toyota Texas Bass Classic – a postseason event sponsored by the Professional Anglers Association – promotes an all or nothing atmosphere that has his competitive juices flowing.

“I’m not down there fishing for points or fishing a series or anything,” VanDam said. “This is one event, trying to shoot for all the marbles; and that’s the way I’m going to approach it. I’m going to take some chances. I’m going down there trying to hit a home run.”

VanDam’s banking on experience to carry him on a lake he’s never fished.

“One thing that’s helped me to be successful in recent years is just now that I’ve been doing it for quite a while,” said VanDam, who turned pro in 1990. “You get a lot of experience fishing a lot of different bodies of water, at different times of the year, to draw on when you go to a place that’s new like (Lake Conroe).”

VanDam said he’ll have to reel in a few of the lake’s fabled big fish to have a shot. This year, Conroe’s output of ShareLunker largemouth bass, or those weighing 13 pounds or better, is tied with Lake Fork near Dallas for tops in the state.

“It’s great to go to a fishery that on any cast, you’ve got a chance to catch a bass 10 pounds or better,” VanDam said. “I think you’ve got to be consistent, but, boy, you need to catch some of those better-than-average fish to have a shot at winning this.”

A notorious “fast” fisherman who likes to cover a lot of water rather than pick apart select spots, VanDam, whose favorite lure is a spinnerbait, said he’ll scout large expanses of water in practice sessions, which started Monday.

As for tactics, who knows?

“I’m going to go in and practice, and I’ll experiment with a lot of different things,” VanDam said. “You want to pick the most efficient lure for the type of cover, the depth, the water clarity, all those different conditions that you have. I’ll narrow it down to the type of lures that I think will play based on those conditions.”

One thing for sure, though, is that VanDam likes fishing in the autumn.

“It’s been quite a few years since we’ve had tournaments through the fall. The Bassmaster tour used to start in August and go right through the winter, but the season’s kind of changed in the last half-dozen years or so. But I love fishing in the fall. I’ve always looked at it as one of the times of year that’s a strength to me.”

Album BassFishing Contests | BountyFishing.com

2009-10-13T16:12:00.001-04:00

Album BassFishing Contests | BountyFishing.com

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New Information and Photos On Pending World Record Bass

2009-10-10T10:54:00.002-04:00

I just received some new information on the pending world record bass caught by Manabu kurita in japan, as well as some pictures of the bass that are not seen on any other site. I got these pictures from Manabu kurita himself just a few hours ago. While you are at the site be sure to register in the forums for a chance at some great tackle prizes in 2 new bass fishing contests. free to enter!

http://delawaretrophybass.com

Mercury Warning In Freshwater Fish!

2009-09-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

Fish and mercury

If you catch fish from the wild, chances are good that they have mercury in their systems.

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey sampled 291 streams across the country. Every fish sampled in every stream was contaminated with mercury. About one quarter of them contained the metal at levels exceeding health standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mercury, a neurotoxin, is "one of the most serious contaminants threatening our nation's waters," the USGS said.

Some of the highest levels of mercury in fish were found in the tea-colored or "blackwater" streams in North and South Carolina,Georgia, Florida and Louisiana. High levels of mercury were also found in fish in relatively undeveloped watersheds in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest.

Scientists stopped short of saying that all waters are contaminated with mercury. But they pointed out that all 50 states have mercury monitoring programs, and 48 states issued fish-consumption advisories for mercury in 2006, the most recent year of national-scale reportingto the EPA.

More info and videos on Mercury

Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass http://delawaretrophybass.com

New Bass Reel Review Site

2009-09-25T15:52:00.005-04:00

Video Reviews

Breaking News! New World Record Bass Application from Japan Received Today At IGFA 9/15/09

2009-09-16T00:14:00.002-04:00

BREAKING NEWS SEPTEMBER 15th, 2009
IGFA receives documentation, photos on pending world record largemouth bass caught in Japan

Weight matches current IGFA record held for 77 years by Georgia's George Perry
fishing tips, knots, white bass, fishing wallpaper, FLW, Stren, Bassmaster, BFL, WBT

DANIA BEACH, Fla. USA, (September 15, 2009) --- Documentation for a much talked about 22 lb 4 oz largemouth bass, caught from Japan's largest lake in July, has arrived into the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) headquarters for world record recognition.

Late Monday, the IGFA, the 70-year old non-profit fisheries conservation, education and record-keeping body, received the application for the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), caught July 2, by Manabu Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan. IGFA rules for fish caught outside the U.S. allows anglers 90 days to submit their applications from the date of their catch.
IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said the World All-Tackle application is currently under review after it was received through the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA).
Schratwieser said the application stated the bass weighed 10.12 kg (22 lbs 4 ozs) and was pulled from Lake Biwa an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto. Photos and video were also submitted with the written documentation.
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.
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.
Largemouth bass have also been introduced in many countries and in Japan fisheries officials consider it an invasive species. In addition, because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculated that the big bass was a sterile triploid. However when biologists in Japan examined the ova of the big female they concluded that the fish was not triploid.
IGFA World Records Coordinator Becky Wright reported Kurita's fish measured 27.20 inches in length and an almost equal girth of 26.77 inches. She said Kurita was using a blue gill as live bait trolling through a canal.
A decision by the IGFA of whether Kurita's fish will tie Perry's record may take up to a month.
"We have a formal relationship with our sister organization, the Japan Game Fish Association where they first collect and review record applications for fish caught in Japan," said Schratwieser. "It works out well because they not only translate applications but can also contact the angler if more documentation is needed.
"We still have a number of questions to ask them and Kurita regarding local laws and the area he caught it in while he was trolling through a canal on the lake," said Schratwieser.
"We hope to make an announcement in three to four weeks."
Annually the IGFA publishes a comprehensive list of current records on nearly 1100 species of fresh and saltwater fish across the globe in its highly acclaimed World Record Game Fishes (WRGF) book which is divided into all-tackle, line classes, fly, and junior record categories.
The IGFA has been recognized as the official keeper of world saltwater fishing records since its founding in 1939. In 1978 it added the field of freshwater record-keeping when Field & Stream magazine transferred its 68 years of records to the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum, the association's world headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla.
The IGFA is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. IGFA members are located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its interactive Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida.
read the full story and see videos at http://delawaretrophybass.com

Breaking News On New World Record largemouth bass

2009-08-28T18:20:00.001-04:00

I just received some late breaking news on this situation at my site. If you want to read it all just go to http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/worldrecordbass.htm

New Video On World Record Bass From ICAST 2009

2009-07-27T21:14:00.001-04:00

NEW VIDEO OF LAKE BIWA BASS GUIDE DIRECT FROM ICAST 2009

Chesapeake Bay Secrets Video now Available

2009-07-21T17:30:00.001-04:00

Bass Fishing The Bay Secrets Video

New Video On World Record Bass From ICAST 2009

2009-07-18T23:39:00.001-04:00

Lake Biwa bass guide talks about new world record bass caught in japan as well as discussing the Lake itself direct from ICAST 2009 in Florida. New product videos with Mike Iaconelli, Kevin VanDam, and others as well . All new now at delaware Trophy Bass http://delawaretrophybass.com

New Pending World Record Largemouth Bass Japan

2009-07-15T00:08:00.001-04:00

By Vance McCullough

Well, rumor has it that the Deps rod company in Japan wants exclusive rights to Manabu Kurita’s story (apparently available only in Japanese language) on his big catch. They intend to sell the DVD’s. An item that won’t rank very high on many Christmas wish lists here in the States.

This is yet another big blow to Kurita’s ability to monetize his good fortune. Not only was the fish caught on live bait in Japan, during a global economic downturn, but now the publicity train can’t even make it out of the station. Too bad.

I say we bring that world record title right back home anyway. Where’s the next Dottie? Too bad she washed up dead this past spring.

While news is slow from Japan, there will be plenty of it from ICAST, set to begin tomorrow. Tune in to AnglersChannel.com to see what’s new and what you’ll be spending your left-over lunch money on in 2010. John Byrne and I will scour the show floor and interview bass pros and industry insiders as the week progresses. Go to http://delawaretrophybass.com for more details and videos.

New World Record Largemouth Bass Video Now Up!

2009-07-03T14:56:00.003-04:00

New video now up on site! Click on the green title to view it.

New World Record Largemouth Bass Caught! Japan!

2009-07-02T16:08:00.003-04:00

News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender
Name: WR 5.jpg Views: 138 Size: 172.7 KB
News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender-wr2.jpg
Certified weight: 10.12 kg. = 22 lb. 5 oz
Length: 29.4 inches
Location caught: Lake Biwa, Japan
Name: WR1.jpg Views: 2702 Size: 27.7 KB
This was just on the TV news about an hour ago, so this is all the info I have. Mr. Okamura, the president of Deps Tackle Co., helped with the interview; I did not catch the anglers name.

We are well past the spawning season when most of the giants are caught at Lake Biwa; most of the fish now are quiet slender (after spawn condition). Not this one!

Name: WR 4.jpg Views: 135 Size: 140.8 KB
News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender-wr3.jpg

Congrats to the angler on a fine catch.

Lake Biwa shocked the bass world a couple years ago by producing a bass that was well over 18 pounds (The Japan record was caught at Lake Ikehara, and weighted over 19 pounds.).

A 25 lb. bass was caught as by catch in a fisherman's net earlier this year, so many thought it would be just a matter of time before a record size fish was taken from Japan's largest (over 70 miles long) natural lake.
__________________
STOP IN DELAWARETROPHYBASS at http://delawaretrophybass.com for more information and pics as the information is validated and comes in.

SEBILE MAGIC SWIMMER

2009-06-27T12:24:00.001-04:00

This is one of the hottest baits out right now. It has produced a ton of really big largemouth and smallmouth all over the country. I have been using it for a few months and I love it. I put up the video for you to watch if you haven't seen or used it yet.

http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/videos/videos/view/3916911

New Videos and Forums are reopened

2009-06-05T23:49:00.005-04:00

I have added new bass fishing videos that now number over 129 on all types of subjects including mercury reports for fish and new techniques for bass fishing lures. The forums have been reopened due to member requests and can be posted in for new information starting June 3, 2009 http://delawaretrophybass.com

Advanced Jig Fishing Tactics Videos

2009-04-30T17:20:00.002-04:00

New Bass Fishing Videos now available for free at http://Delawaretrophybass.com

Advanced tactics for bass with various jigs on Kentucky Lake and others. Over 100 bass Fishing videos now available at no charge.

http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/videos/

Anglers Conservation Team

2009-04-23T09:02:00.000-04:00

Are your fisheries' resources worth protecting? Do you want to improve fishing in your area?
If your answers are yes, then you'll want to join theBASS Angler Conservation Team (ACT) supported by Ramada Worldwide. ACT is a network of leisure anglers like you who volunteer to protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitats.
ACT members are invited to help fellow anglers, communities and natural resource managers with grassroots projects such as building and placing fish habitats in lakes, planting native aquatic vegetation, ensuring angler access to waterways and more.
The time and work is rewarding. Working hands-on with fisheries biologists and resource experts gives BASS Angler Conservation Team participants a unique look at how fish and wildlife are managed in the wild. In turn, you will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of our natural resources and our need to protect them.
BASS invites you to get involved. To volunteer your time for grassroots projects that protect and preserve the nation's waterways, sign up for ACT, the Angler Conservation Team, using the links below.
Steps:
If you have not registered on the Bassmaster/ESPN Web sites,click here to become a free member and start enjoying exclusive content.
I would like to be a part of the BASS Angler Conservation Team (ACT), to receive conservation information and volunteer for grassroots fish and wildlife habitat projects. Click here to join ACT. 1998 Big Bass World Champ Life Member NAFC/B.A.S.S. PAA/Anglers Legacy/ACT

NEW WORLD RECORD LARGEMOUTH BASS

2009-03-29T23:34:00.002-04:00

Man Hooks 25-Pound Bass

Mac Weakley caught what could be a world-record largemouth bass March 20 in Escondido, Calif. The fish weighed 25 pounds, but Weakly needs official approval to see if he beats the 1932 record catch

(CBS/AP) A Southern California man has a fish tale which, if true, could give him one of angling's most cherished records.

Mac Weakley says he caught a 25.1-pound largemouth bass on Monday at Dixon Lake in Escondido, in San Diego County. After weighing it on a hand-held digital scale, he released it.
Weakley plans to pursue the record, even though the fish was foul-hooked, meaning the hook lodged in the fish's body, below the dorsal fin on the fish's side in this case, not in its mouth. He says it wasn't snagged intentionally.

Weakley also failed to measure the bass, another potential problem for Weakley officially being dubbed the record-holder.

But Jason Schratwieser of the International Game Fish Association said the group would consider the catch for a world record.

The biggest bass on record weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces. It was caught in 1932 by George W. Perry at Georgia's Montgomery Lake.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To watch Weakley describe how he did it, click here.http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=1429568n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to CBS affiliate KFMB in San Diego, Weakley was fishing with longtime friends Mike Winn and Jed Dickerson. Dickerson caught a 21-pound, 11-ounce bass at the same lake in 2003. The men believe this is the same fish Dickerson caught, and that was also caught by another fisherman as a 20-pounder in 2001.

They say the fish has the same identifying black dot under its right gill plate.

Fish For Cash!! Bounty Fishing

2009-03-27T15:56:00.003-04:00

If you would like to fish in your own state for cash prizes just go to BOUNTY FISHING and check out the rules and register. This is a great way to win cash prizes fishing for different species in your own locations on your own time. Big Cash prizes. Tournaments are happening right now!!

a) BECOME A BOUNTYFISHING MEMBER

If you haven’t done so already, so you can log on any time. This information must be entered only once. You may edit your profile information at any time.

b) REGISTER FOR TOURNAMENT

Once you’ve become a member, you can enter and choose the date of your outing. Tournaments are a week long—beginning every Monday morning and ending Sunday night. Select one or more outings from the calendar. Or, you can purchase the entire week. Each day you select falls within one of these weekly tournaments. Each weekly tournament gives you the opportunity to compete up to seven times.

a) PICK UP YOUR CODE

On the morning of your outing, retrieve a computer generated Bounty Code from the BountyFishing website. The BountyCode is valid only for the date(s) it is issued. Make sure to bring this BountyCode with you on your outing by printing it from the BountyFishing website or writing it clearly on any adhesive tape or clean paper. This BountyCode will be used when verifying your catch and MUST be clearly visible in your photo of “Fish with Ruler”.

b) FISH

ONLY the longest fish you catch per species is eligible for prizes. Should you wish to upgrade your catch in any individual species, it will replace any existing fish you have previously entered for that species. Please remember, you are judged on the LENGTH of the fish and NOT the weight.
See the schedule for the current eligible species list.

a) TAKE PHOTOS

Using your digital camera, you are required to take one photograph showing the "Fish with Ruler" and another photograph showing "Fish with Angler" (see below).
Photo 1 (Fish with Ruler):
Your catch (the live fish) lying flat with a measuring device below the fish clearly indicating the length of the fish and clearly displaying the BountyCode
You must take the photograph from directly above and centered on the fish.
All photographs must be clear.
The fish must be lying down on a flat surface.
The fish must be visible from tip to tail. Any part of the fish not visible in the picture will not count as part of the length.
The measuring device must be clearly visible and must be placed below the fish as shown in the example below. Entries with the measuring device placed above or on top of the fish or where the measuring device is not clearly visible will be disqualified.
Total Length is measured from the most forward point of the head, with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail while the fish is lying on its side. The tail may not be pinched, compressed, or squeezed in any manner.
Photo2 (Fish with Angler):
You, holding your catch (the live fish) horizontally, chest high and as close to your body as possible.
The picture must be close enough to ensure the fish fills most of the frame.
You must be facing forward with your eyes open and clearly visible. Sunglasses are NOT allowed!
Photographs of the fish hanging in a vertical position will not be accepted.

b) CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS AND SETTINGS

Camera Specifications:
4 Mega Pixel minimum.
The same camera must be used for all pictures that you upload to BountyFishing.
No Cell phone cameras. No video cameras.
Camera SettingsMost digital cameras have three important settings:
Resolution: File size must be set to the largest size.
File Type: Must be set to JPEG.
Quality: Must be set to High.
Please note that each camera manufacturer uses different terms:
Canon uses Fine or Super Fine
Nikon uses High or Large
Olympus SQ1 Super quality/ SHQ Super High Quality
No image manipulation is allowed! Images must be uploaded to BountyFishing in the unedited JPEG format in which they were captured.All images must be clear and of good quality.

a) UPLOAD IMAGES

For Daily Codes, upload BOTH the "Fish with Ruler" and the "Fish with Angler" via the BountyFishing website Prior to midnight on the day of your outing. For Weekly Codes, upload your tournament photos prior to the tournament close - midnight on Sunday.

b) CHECK STANDINGS
Go to our website to see if you are on top of leader board. At the end of the tournament week, the BountyPrize could be yours!

TO REGISTER AT BOUNTY FISHING FOR TOURNAMENTS OR TO GET MORE INFORMATION JUST GO TO http://bassfishingstories.webs.com/ and click the link to Cash Tournaments for Bounty Fishing.

Justin Riley Breaks Maryland State Record For Largemouth!

2009-03-15T08:19:00.005-04:00

If you could pick the conditions under which to catch a new state record fish, you'd be hard pressed to top the real-life set of circumstances under which Justin Riley broke Maryland's Chesapeake Bay largemouth bass mark.

For starters, the Woodbine, Md., angler was fishing with his father, Ed. For another thing, he was fishing a team tournament, so there were plenty of witnesses, a set of scales nearby and money on the line. Finally, it was under super-tough conditions that few would have picked to produce a trophy bass.

January 26th started slowly for the Rileys. They had decided to fish a section of the river called "the Spoils" and found their favorite spot covered with ice. Relying on their boat to break up the thin sheet of ice and the river's currents to carry it away, they soon had water to fish, but nothing was biting.

Justin realized the most productive spot in the area — that key spot within the spot —was still covered by ice, so he backed their boat into the ice to break it up.
"I was looking at my electronics and saw some fish on it as we backed into the ice," he said. "When we pulled forward, I pitched my bait (a 1/2-ounce Bass Pro Shops XPS Lazer Blade in chartreuse and lime) back to the spot and let it fall to the bottom."

Special to Bassmaster.com/Clifford Magnus
Justin and his father, Ed Riley, landed a limit that weighed better than 26 pounds to win the tournament.
Riley lifted and dropped the blade bait twice, then let it sit still on the bottom. That's when the big bass decided to make a meal of it.

"She picked it up off the bottom, and I set the hook," Riley said. "At first I wasn't sure it was a bass, but after several minutes she surfaced and turned so I could see the lateral line. Even then I had no idea how big she was."

With Ed Riley manning the net, Justin led the fish to the boat. She came aboard at about 8:15 a.m.
"I still didn't know I had a record fish," Justin said. "I had caught a nine-pounder from the river a couple of years before and knew this fish was much bigger but didn't know how much bigger."
It didn't help that their on-board scale was malfunctioning in the cold or that it didn't register weights over 10 pounds. So, with a very big bass in the livewell, the Rileys kept fishing.
And they proceeded to fill out a tournament limit that weighed better than 26 pounds. It was good enough for the win and, naturally, Justin's lunker took big bass honors.

Special to Bassmaster.com/Clifford Magnus
Riley at the tournament scales.
On the tournament scales, Riley's bass weighed 11-9, but they weren't certified. Once he realized the fish might exceed the state record, Justin and his dad went looking for some certified scales. They found them at a UPS shipping center where the bass weighed an official 11.18 pounds.

For most trophy catches, the story would end there. The fish would either be taken to a taxidermist or released in the waters from which it came, but the Rileys contacted the Bass Pro Shops store in Hanover, Md., and asked if they'd be interested in the fish.
They were, and after an hour-long drive to the store, the Rileys and store manager Aaron Frazier spent the next three hours gradually warming the water the bass was in to the same temperature as the store quarantine tank — a 35 degree difference!
After a quarantine period, visitors should be able to view the state record in the store's aquarium.

Technically, although Riley's catch is the biggest largemouth ever certified in Maryland, it's not the freshwater record. Because his fish was caught in tidal waters, Riley's bass is the Chesapeake Bay (or tidal waters) record for the state. The previous tidal waters record was caught in 1975 from the Pocomoke River and weighed 9-1. The Maryland freshwater record largemouth weighed 11-2 (about an ounce less than Riley's bass) and was taken from a farm pond in 1993.

Justin Riley is no stranger to tournament competition or fishing success. For three years he fished the Bassmaster Opens series before an automobile accident sidelined him in 2007. Now he's ready to get back on the trail and try to qualify for fishing's big time, the Bassmaster Elite Series.

"My dream is to become a professional bass fisherman," Riley says.
In the meantime, he's pretty happy with his state record.

Angler: Justin Riley, Woodbine, Md.Date: Jan. 26, 2008Species: Largemouth BassWeight: 11.18 poundsLocation: Potomac River, Md. ("The Spoils")Bait: Bass Pro Shops XPS Lazer Blade (chartreuse and lime)Rod/Reel: Shimano Curado and medium-heavy Shimano casting rodLine: 12-pound-test Berkley Big GameDetails: The bass hit at about 16 feet deep on a drop that fell from 11 to 19 feetStatus: Maryland state record for tidal waters

To read more about this and other bass fishing stories and participate in great tackle contests visit BASSFISHINGSTORIES at http://delawaretrophybass.com

Fishing Soft Plastic Grubs In Delaware

2009-02-22T15:16:00.005-05:00

Delaware and Maryland Ponds, Lakes, and Rivers are receiving more and more pressure as each year goes by, not just from weekend anglers, but tournament fishing as well. If you apply some new tactics with these spider grubs, you can be more productive in your recreational and tournament fishing alike.

Surprisingly, this deadly soft plastic bait is not a staple in everyone's tackle box, but in many other states, it is a long time favorite lure when the going gets tough. Several companies make spider grubs, but I prefer the ones made by "Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits" the best. The grubs come in a variety of colors and sizes, from two to five inches long. They are absolutely deadly on spring largemouth and smallmouth bass alike. Most anglers like to use them on jig heads, and this is an extremely effective method, but I also like to rig them Texas style. The grub resembles a darting crawfish depending on how you fish it. It is the most effective in clear water, but also produces bass in stained and muddy water.The lure is compact like a jig and pig, as versatile as a worm, can be fished vertically or horizontally, fast or slow. You can pitch it, flip it, swim it, hop it, or drag it on the bottom. Here are some of the ways I like to fish it in Delaware and Maryland waters, and elsewhere throughout the country, that really produce bass.

Search Tool

When searching for bass, you want to try to cover the water quickly. The spider grub is a great search tool when you're looking for bass that are feeding on crawfish around scattered weeds and rocks on shallow flats like the Susquehanna, or similar shallow areas. You can fish it faster than a jig, cover the water quickly, and trigger more reaction strikes, The earth tone colors are easy to match with the forage and blend in well with the surroundings. This is critical in clear water, when the bass rely more on sight. Sometimes I like to fish it fast, with an erratic, jerkbait type motion. The lure is always moving, but on or near the bottom.

When I fish the open flats with scattered grass, I rig it on a light jighead, or if the cover is thicker, I rig it Texas style. I found that I land more fish If the hook is exposed, and if it becomes hooked on weeds occasionally, I jerk it free, sometimes causing a reaction strike. I like to use 1/8 ounce or 1/4 ounce jigheads, depending on the depth of the water, wind, currents, or how hard it is to keep on the bottom. I also prefer to fish them on a 6 1/2 to 7 foot spinning rod with a medium action soft tip, in graphite. Using six to eight pound test P-Line.
Sometimes you can go to ten pound line, depending on the cover. The light line gives the bait more action, and is less likely to hang up in the weeds. I have used these successfully on the grass flats in the Potomac River and on the Susquehanna flats. Working it the right way takes some practice. You want the lure to scoot along in short bursts, on or near the bottom, without making excessive hops. Don't pull it too hard, or you will lose contact with the bottom. Keep the rod low to the water, and on the side of the boat so the wind doesn't bow the line and ruin the action of the bait.
Keep contact with the bait at all times, because many of the strikes will feel mushy or heavy like it is on grass, but most of the time when I set the hook, it is a bass. If it is just weeds, it pulls free and sometimes triggers a strike.

Different Techniques

Swimming the Grub

Sometimes I swim the grub like a jerk bait. Once in a tournament the bass were ignoring the jerkbait, so I switched to the spider grub, and fished it erratically over the weeds, stopping it occasionally. This triggered the strikes that I needed to win. Fifteen pounds of bass slammed the spider grub while ignoring the other jerkbaits and crankbaits that were being worked in the same area.

Dragging the Grub

Sometimes when I am fishing on a long, sandy, gravel point, I use a stand up jighead and just pull it slowly on the bottom. I work it very slow, and maintain contact with the bottom all the time. Also, I Carolina-Rig the bait, and when I feel it hit rocks or heavy cover, I start shaking the line, and this causes strikes to occur much of the time. This has been working real well in lakes in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but I have used it with success all over the country.

Suspended Fish

Frequently after a cold-front moves through, bass will suspend over some structure. When this occurs, You can rig it Texas style, on a very light weight, or with no weight at all, and let it float down to the bottom. When conditions are tough, this works wonders at times by keeping the bait in front of the fish longer. I have even tried drop-shotting this bait with success. They are more prone to strike the bait with this method, over a bait that moves quickly by them. When you are searching for fish, and the going gets tough, this is the bait to try. I like to use a good spinning rod, such as G.Loomis or St.Croix, and a good reel like a Shimano or Daiwa. Sensitivity is very important, and a combination such as this improves your chances of catching them when they strike. This technique has worked well in clear lakes all over the Midwest, and in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. I caught a lot of nice bass using these methods at Table Rock Lake, in Missouri also. Whether it is spring, summer, fall, or winter, this is a bait for all seasons

Top Delaware Ponds

2009-02-22T11:07:00.013-05:00

Some of the best ponds during the heat, day or night, have been Millsboro, Killens, and Canal pond. Millsboro pond pictured above has an island and can be a good spot at night.

First of the closest ponds to both upper and lower Delaware is Killens in Dover.

Killens is located right off rt.13. Turn left onto State Park Road, follow the road around the curve, past the main park entrance, and about a mile and a half down the road is the pond. It has parking for about six to eight trucks with trailers, with an adequate launching ramp. Killens is a state park, and they also rent boats and cabins, but you will find little competition for bass except on the weekends.

Most of Killens is one to five feet deep at the shoreline, except in the extreme upper end, where it is just inches deep. The lake has an Island in the center with some wood cover and grass. It drops off to six feet quickly on the channel side (main lake), and is about three feet on the right side. This is a particularly good area to work in the day with "Senko's" in four and five inch sizes in black and watermelon on a 3/0 WG hook, with eight and ten pound test line. In addition, clacker type buzzbaits produce bass in the three to six pound range many times in this area, even in the bright afternoon sun.

A Tournament Frog, or "Sumo Frog" is a good choice for the pads especially in the daytime heat. The action will be slower, but you can connect with some big explosions through the grass and pads at times. A Tournament Frog is the best choice of topwater, and a 1/2 ounce in black works best all around. Vary the retrieve, both day and night, sometimes letting the frog sit after hitting the water, as long as thirty seconds, then use a few quick hops. If this doesn't produce, try working it very fast and pausing only once, on the way back to the boat. This is especially effective in large pads.

Jigs in black and blue take their fair share of nice bass from here also, but you must be extremely accurate and quiet in your presentations or you will not connect. The bass will be in the heaviest of cover, lying in wait for a slow moving, crippled bait to come overhead.

"GO AT NIGHT"

Fishing at night when the water cools to seventy or seventy-five degrees, is the best time to connect with bigger bass now. Explore the shallow water right at the drop-offs on the left side of the lake with buzzbaits cast to the main channel edge. Do not be afraid to experiment with some older, forgotten baits, such as a "Devils Horse", or similar prop baits. They work wonders sometimes in highly pressured lakes.

MILLSBORO POND

Millsboro Pond is in Sussex County, Delaware, in the town of Millsboro off Isabella and Main Street. It has room for only a few boats, and the launching ramp is very shallow, you can get off all right, but getting back on the trailer can be real tricky. Most of the lake is shallow, with lots of grass. It has several Islands, but the bass go to shallow water at night in the upper end. Buzzbaits are best, but Tournament Frogs work well also, in the day and night. Several bass have been caught in the three to six pound range in the past at night, using the frog and Senko's mostly in the day. Cast the buzzbait wherever possible at night, it is worth removing the grass. Use Senko's by the lower end of the lake in deeper water in the day, and do not forget to let them sit a long time, raise the pole once or twice, and then cast again. Use these techniques and bring plenty of insect repellent, and you will connect with some lunkers, and many others in the two to three pound range.

CANAL POND

Canal Pond is located by the railroad bridge in the C&D Canal area. Turn right under St.Georges Bridge and follow the road to the pond. It has beautiful structure, pads, and has a deep shoreline with a deep hole. This was where a few years ago, the thirty pound landlocked striped bass was caught. There are some real Lunker largemouth's still there also. You will need a small cartop boat to fish it, but it is worth the trouble of getting in. It is about thirty acres of real good drop-offs, and structure, where bass up to nine pounds have been caught. Please remember to practice Catch, Photo, and Release so we can all enjoy the bass fishing there for a long time to come. Senko's and four inch straight tailed worms work best throughout the year in watermelon and green. At times spinnerbaits and frogs will work, but this is a plastics lake.

Noxontown Lake

Noxontown has long been known for producing big bass. In the late seventies and early eighties largemouth of seven and eight pounds were not uncommon to hear of each week.
Since that time, with all the recreational and tournament pressure, its big bass numbers seem to have declined, or have they?

The answer is no! They are still there, just older and wiser. This was proven when I caught a 10.16 pound largemouth bass in 1999 in Noxontown, just ounces short of the state record.

That bass pictured below was featured in a full page article in the News Journal paper, in Bassmaster Magazine Lunker Club, North American Fisherman, and Bass Pro Shops Master catalogs.

The trick to getting these larger bass to strike is to fish the lake at low pressure times during the weekdays, and employing some western techniques such as swimbaits off the deeper points. Just because they are northern strain bass and aren't 20 pounds, it doesn't mean they don't want a big easy meal.
Follow these tips and tactics in these Delaware Lakes and Ponds this year, and you will catch the trophy of a lifetime! More detailed information on these and other lakes, ponds and rivers in Delaware and Maryland are available at http://bassfishingstories.webs.com/