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The world record for largemouth bass that was established 77 years ago by Georgia angler George Perry still stands.
But it no longer stands alone.
After a strenuous evaluation period that lasted nearly six months, the International Game Fish Association announced Friday that Perry will share the coveted record with Manabu Kurita, a Japanese angler who caught his gigantic bass from Japan's Lake Biwa in July.
Photo by IGFA.com
Japanese angler Manabu Kurita will now share one of the most sought fishing records in the world after landing this 22-pound, 4-ounce bass in July. The International Game Fish Association made the announcement during a Friday press conference.
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<!-- end .inline_wrapper -->Both men's fish weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces on certified scales.
"Most people thought that the next all-tackle record would come from California," said IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser during a press conference carried live by Bassmaster.com. "Until Kurita's tie, the seven heaviest bass records behind Perry's came from California lakes.
"Little did people know that bass grew big in places besides California, and that there are true monsters swimming on the other side of the world in Japan."
Kurita's bass was indeed a monster. The massive creature measured 27.2 inches from its nose to the fork of its tail and had a girth of 26.7 inches.
But the fish's possible certification as a world record has been a source of controversy in the fishing community since the moment Kurita set the hook -- especially since he was rumored to have caught the bass from a no-fishing zone.
IGFA officials meticulously investigated Kurita's claim, working closely with the Japan Game Fish Association.
"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," Schratwieser said. "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."
As IGFA officials worked to determine the legality of Kurita's catch, they were swamped with phone calls and e-mails from bass fishermen who didn't want to see the iconic record tainted by a fish that might have been caught illegally. Some were also upset that the fish did not come from American waters.
At one point, the IGFA even feared legal action.
"The IGFA was sensitive to this particular record because in past years there have been several attempts to sue us over largemouth bass record claims," Schratwieser said. "Although none of these claims have been successful, they have resulted in considerable legal fees for the IGFA."
With all of its legal bases covered, the IGFA decided to give Kurita his due credit by clearing a space for him alongside Perry.
Never have two co-record holders been so different.
Perry was a 20-year-old farmer from south Georgia, who took his record catch home and fed it to his family during the depths of the Great Depression. He caught his bass from a homemade boat on a primitive baitcaster, using an artificial lure known as a "Creek Chub Fintail Shiner."
On the flip side, Kurita is a charismatic, new-wave style bass angler with bleached-blond hair and a wealth of modern fishing equipment.
He caught his record bass on a Deps Sidewinder rod and a Shimano Antares DC7LV reel loaded with 25-pound-test Toray fishing line. Using a live bluegill for bait, he pitched his hook next to a bridge piling where he had seen the big bass swimming.
"I knew it was big," Kurita told IGFA. "But I didn't know it was that big."
Kurita's fish was slightly larger than Perry's, with an official weight of 22 pounds, 4.97 ounces. But IGFA rules say a record fish that weighs less than 25 pounds must be surpassed by 2 ounces or more.
Kurita's fish weighed a little more -- and it will be worth a lot more.
For catching his record bass in 1932, Perry won about $75 worth of outdoors gear in the Field & Stream big fish contest.
Kurita has received worldwide attention for his catch and has been contacted by numerous companies within the fishing industry about potential lucrative endorsement opportunities.
But it no longer stands alone.
After a strenuous evaluation period that lasted nearly six months, the International Game Fish Association announced Friday that Perry will share the coveted record with Manabu Kurita, a Japanese angler who caught his gigantic bass from Japan's Lake Biwa in July.
Japanese angler Manabu Kurita will now share one of the most sought fishing records in the world after landing this 22-pound, 4-ounce bass in July. The International Game Fish Association made the announcement during a Friday press conference.
<!-- end .inline_bucket -->
<!-- end .inline_wrapper -->Both men's fish weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces on certified scales.
"Most people thought that the next all-tackle record would come from California," said IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser during a press conference carried live by Bassmaster.com. "Until Kurita's tie, the seven heaviest bass records behind Perry's came from California lakes.
"Little did people know that bass grew big in places besides California, and that there are true monsters swimming on the other side of the world in Japan."
Kurita's bass was indeed a monster. The massive creature measured 27.2 inches from its nose to the fork of its tail and had a girth of 26.7 inches.
But the fish's possible certification as a world record has been a source of controversy in the fishing community since the moment Kurita set the hook -- especially since he was rumored to have caught the bass from a no-fishing zone.
IGFA officials meticulously investigated Kurita's claim, working closely with the Japan Game Fish Association.
"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," Schratwieser said. "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."
As IGFA officials worked to determine the legality of Kurita's catch, they were swamped with phone calls and e-mails from bass fishermen who didn't want to see the iconic record tainted by a fish that might have been caught illegally. Some were also upset that the fish did not come from American waters.
At one point, the IGFA even feared legal action.
"The IGFA was sensitive to this particular record because in past years there have been several attempts to sue us over largemouth bass record claims," Schratwieser said. "Although none of these claims have been successful, they have resulted in considerable legal fees for the IGFA."
With all of its legal bases covered, the IGFA decided to give Kurita his due credit by clearing a space for him alongside Perry.
Never have two co-record holders been so different.
Perry was a 20-year-old farmer from south Georgia, who took his record catch home and fed it to his family during the depths of the Great Depression. He caught his bass from a homemade boat on a primitive baitcaster, using an artificial lure known as a "Creek Chub Fintail Shiner."
On the flip side, Kurita is a charismatic, new-wave style bass angler with bleached-blond hair and a wealth of modern fishing equipment.
He caught his record bass on a Deps Sidewinder rod and a Shimano Antares DC7LV reel loaded with 25-pound-test Toray fishing line. Using a live bluegill for bait, he pitched his hook next to a bridge piling where he had seen the big bass swimming.
"I knew it was big," Kurita told IGFA. "But I didn't know it was that big."
Kurita's fish was slightly larger than Perry's, with an official weight of 22 pounds, 4.97 ounces. But IGFA rules say a record fish that weighs less than 25 pounds must be surpassed by 2 ounces or more.
Kurita's fish weighed a little more -- and it will be worth a lot more.
For catching his record bass in 1932, Perry won about $75 worth of outdoors gear in the Field & Stream big fish contest.
Kurita has received worldwide attention for his catch and has been contacted by numerous companies within the fishing industry about potential lucrative endorsement opportunities.