Do you think George Perry's record is legit?

[roadwarrior]

28 minutes ago, J Francho said:

...bigger is a likely possibility, and it's as simple as catching one...

[soflabasser]

In 2009 a 25.5 pound largemouth bass was caught in a net by a commercial fisherman in Japan. This bass is proof that there are bass bigger than the ones mentioned in this thread. It is possible that one day a person will catch a new World Record bass but until then George Perry and Manabu Kurita hold the official World Record for the heaviest largemouth bass caught.

[Mike L]

17 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

In 2009 a 25.5 pound largemouth bass was caught in a net by a commercial fisherman in Japan. This bass is proof that there are bass bigger than the ones mentioned in this thread. It is possible that one day a person will catch a new World Record bass but until then George Perry and Manabu Kurita hold the official World Record for the heaviest largemouth bass caught.

As they should be

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Zcoker]

Lotta back and fourth with this record bass....the one organization one should be questioning about legitimacy instead of George Perry is the IGFA. They obviously had enough evidence to go on to make the record official and/or legitimate. They've always been known to be extremely thorough. So why change for a bass? Did they just guess at stuff back then? I don't think so. Going by today's standards, I'm quite sure if there were enough invalid points in a particular record, or holes in a story, then they'd revisit it. That's how they are, very precise and unforgiving.

 

So let's hear what they have to say about it to put it to rest! Any IGFA folks on here? 

[J Francho]

20 minutes ago, Zcoker said:

Any IGFA folks on here?

Members? Sure.  It's like Tom said above, they were newly formed, and that's the only record they had.  Doesn't really matter for the reasons stated above.  If you catch a record bass, you be dealing with the IGFA rules from today, not from 80 years ago.

 

By the way, that 2 oz. minimum I think came from being able to read a certified mechanical spring scale and accounts for parallax.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.  At any rate, my old certified Chatillon only measures mass in 2 oz. increments.  That could account for it too.

[Captain Phil]

I believe it's possible even bigger bass than the world record have been caught and released.  There are orange grove ponds in Central Florida that have grown 17 pound plus fish.  Years ago, I saw one of them mounted in a tackle shop. That bass was every bit as big as they claimed it was.   A thirty pound bass was supposed to have been displayed at a Worlds Fare. I think that's a stretch.  If you did catch a world record bass from your favorite fishing hole, would you tell the world about it?  Who is going to pay a million dollars for a fish caught on a 12" shiner?  The two largest bass caught in Florida in recent times were two 17 pound fish, one  caught in Lake Rousseau and another in Rodman.  Go back almost 100 years, remove 99% of the bass fisherman and all the electronics and it's not impossible a Lake in Georgia grew a 22 pound 4 oz bass. 

[Dwight Hottle]

I can assure you we would all be butt sore if someone beat our hard worked for world record if someone beat it by an ounce. You would always wonder if it was just a scale error or someone cheating to beat you. It is much easier to concede defeat when someone obviously beats you. And 2 ounces could be that number. Anyway you don't have to like it or accept it unless you want IGFA to recognize your world record attempt. It's their rule, their game & their home court.  

[J Francho]

Are you suggesting a correlation between technology and a lack of record fish?

7 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

I believe it's possible even bigger bass than the world record have been caught and released.  There are Orange grove ponds in Central Florida that have grown 17 pound plus fish.  Years ago, I saw one of them mounted in a tackle shop. That bass was every bit as big as they claimed it was.   A thirty pound bass was supposed to have been displayed at a Worlds Fare. I think that's a stretch.  If you did catch a world record bass from your favorite fishing hole, would you tell the world about it?  Who is going to pay a million dollars for a fish caught on a 12" shiner?  The two largest bass caught in Florida in recent times were two 17 pound fish, one  caught in Lake Rousseau and another in Rodman.  Go back almost 100 years, remove 99.9% of the bass fisherman and all the electronics and it's not impossible a Lake in Georgia grew a 22 pound 4 oz bass. 

 

[Stratocat_Joe]

As someone who recently moved to SW Georgia, only a little over an hour away from the fabled Lake Montgomery, the story of the world record bass allegedly caught there has captivated my attention.  As mentioned earlier, the Bass Pro in Macon has a nice display honoring George Perry and the legendary fish he caught.  Perhaps some have already Googled this but I thought I would share this article written about George Perry for Game & Fish magazine in 1953:

 

https://tpwmagazine.com/bass/worldrecordbass/

[Captain Phil]

55 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Are you suggesting a correlation between technology and a lack of record fish?

 

How many bass anglers were fishing in 1932 compared to how many there are today?  Anglers are better.  Lures are better. Knowledge is as easy to gain as your nearest computer.  You can see bass underwater from the console of your boat.   On Saturday, your TV shows the best bass fishermen in the world fishing live.  Today, a potential world record bass is caught before it can reach world record size.  The next world record bass will be artificially engineered or will come from water where no one fishes.  If someone does catch that fish, my hope is it will be released. 

[J Francho]

I don't disagree with all that, but still a record bass was caught recently. I'm not sure the correlation is as true or as simple as you make it sound. Record size bass don't become records by getting caught. I think there are fish out there that never get caught. Lots of them. And it just takes a rare set of circumstances for them to attain a huge size. 

[Captain Phil]

I hope you're right.  I am taking delivery on my new boat this week.  I've dusted off my flipping stick and am going to fish for big bass exclusively.  If I catch the world record bass, I'll let you know.  ?

[Tennessee Boy]

19 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

 

How many bass anglers were fishing in 1932 compared to how many there are today?  Anglers are better.  Lures are better. Knowledge is as easy to gain as your nearest computer.  You can see bass underwater from the console of your boat.   On Saturday, your TV shows the best bass fishermen in the world fishing live.  Today, a potential world record bass is caught before it can reach world record size.  The next world record bass will be artificially engineered or will come from water where no one fishes.  If someone does catch that fish, my hope is it will be released. 

That’s an interesting point.  Was it easier to catch a 10+ or 20+ lb bass in the 1930s?  It’s an important question in this discussion and one I’m not sure about.  I suspect it was easier to catch a 10+ bass for the reason’s you mentioned.  Less pressure.  I’m not so sure about 20+ fish.  Fish need optimal conditions to grow that big.  Here in Tennessee I think the conditions needed to grow bigger bass improved when dams were built.  Especially in the years right after the lakes were impounded.   We still can’t grow one over 20 lbs.  I don’t know about the waters Perry fished.  I would tend to think the same is true.  Obviously,  there are some bodies of water that have gotten much worse due to pollution and other factors.  

[Captain Phil]

To grow big fish, you need a few things.  First, you need the right genetics.  Second, you need the right food and third you need a year round growing season.   In 1932, Florida and South Georgia had all those things.  Due to transplantation, Texas, Southern California and Mexico do now.  I am not familiar with Japan or other foreign countries, so I can't comment on that.  There is a public lake in Central Florida that may contain a world record bass.  At one time, it was known as the best bass lake in America.  It fell on hard times, but is making a comeback.  Anyone want to take a guess what it is? 

[Mike L]

Rodman Res

 

 

 

Mike

 

[GaryH]

13 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Rodman Res

 

 

 

Mike

 

Sounds right..

[Captain Phil]

25 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Rodman Res

 

Good guess.  Rodman has some big fish for sure.  It's prime was in the early eighties.  This lake is in the outskirts of Orlando not far from the theme parks.

[TnRiver46]

The guy that caught the world record smallmouth wishes he never caught the fish, now you all can see why 

[rboat]

If I remember the George Perry story, He was simply trying to get something to eat. When he got a very large bass and remembered about some contest. Pretty sure he probably had know idea about any world record. I believe that fish did end up as dinner. I know there have been liars throughout history, but simple folk in rural Georgia in 1932, hardly sounds like the time or place for a fishing prank. I do know there are thousands more liars today. Ask any IRS agent or simply follow the news out of Washington DC. I simply have to believe the story.

 

Capt. Phil,  I think is referring to what at one time was the best bass lake in the US.  (Lake Apopka)

 

 

[soflabasser]

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

To grow big fish, you need a few things.  First, you need the right genetics.  Second, you need the right food and third you need a year round growing season.   In 1932, Florida and South Georgia had all those things.  Due to transplantation, Texas, Southern California and Mexico do now.  I am not familiar with Japan or other foreign countries, so I can't comment on that.  There is a public lake in Central Florida that may contain a world record bass.  At one time, it was known as the best bass lake in America.  It fell on hard times, but is making a comeback.  Anyone want to take a guess what it is? 

Lake Apopka is well known for giant bass catches in the past. There are stories of bass bigger than the State Record caught here and other lakes in Central/Northern Florida but the fishermen that catch these fish do not care for submitting records. It is understandable since they most likely enjoy catching big bass in a relaxing place away from tournament fishing and other boaters.

[Mike L]

49 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

 

Good guess.  Rodman has some big fish for sure.  It's prime was in the early eighties.  This lake is in the outskirts of Orlando not far from the theme parks.

It wasn’t hard.
No other body of water in the state has been threatened as much as Rodman has been. I’ve fished it since the early 90’s. 
The “hard times” are always a threat to return and it doesn’t seem like it will ever end.

It was really threatened In the late 90’s early 2000’s when we all thought that the dam would go. 
But it’s always been a hot button since the dam was built. 
Fortunately no one had a restoration plan in place. 
But since they started talking about just putting in a canal in the earth dam on the East side it kinda died down a little as far as I know. 
 

I understand and appreciate restoring the flow of a river there that I don’t remember the name of, but it would be a d**n shame to destroy truly one of bass fishing jewel’s 

Even now the best fishing is always around the draw down. 

 

 

 

Mike

5 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

Lake Apopka is well known for giant bass catches in the past. There are stories of bass bigger than the state record caught here and other lakes in Central/Northern Florida but the fishermen that catch these fish do not care for submitting records.

There was a time Rodman, Apopka and Okeechobee was THE places to go in the state. 
 

Even Toho and all the other chains of lakes  didn’t compare. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[slonezp]

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

The Perry bass's legitimacy doesn't really matter to me. Dottie and the Kurito bass prove that bigger is a likely possibility, and it's as simple as catching one. Good luck. 

Best answer yet

[N Florida Mike]

5 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

I believe it's possible even bigger bass than the world record have been caught and released.  There are orange grove ponds in Central Florida that have grown 17 pound plus fish.  Years ago, I saw one of them mounted in a tackle shop. That bass was every bit as big as they claimed it was.   A thirty pound bass was supposed to have been displayed at a Worlds Fare. I think that's a stretch.  If you did catch a world record bass from your favorite fishing hole, would you tell the world about it?  Who is going to pay a million dollars for a fish caught on a 12" shiner?  The two largest bass caught in Florida in recent times were two 17 pound fish, one  caught in Lake Rousseau and another in Rodman.  Go back almost 100 years, remove 99% of the bass fisherman and all the electronics and it's not impossible a Lake in Georgia grew a 22 pound 4 oz bass. 

I agreed with everything you said, except....

 

Id tell if I caught a world record bass. 

 

There are plenty of other places to fish, especially in Florida...?

[N Florida Mike]

There are a number of people that think at least a state record, and possibly a world record bass may swim in Kingsley lake in N Florida. A fish pushing 16 pounds was caught there in the last few years. Its an extremely deep ( Has depths to 80 + feet ) , clear lake that is spring fed. 

I read a very interesting article in a Florida sportsman magazine 20+ years ago about a huge bass caught at Ocean pond, near Olustee Fl., by a woman fishing off a dock . She was using a small speck ( black crappie ) for bait. She caught the fish but something happened, the bottom line is the fish wasnt certified. They did save and mount the head and it was huge. A picture of it was on the magazine front page .The taxidermist that did the head said that he used a number 20 glass eye  the biggest made at the time supposedly, (if I remember correctly ),and the eye was too small and fell through. He had to build up the eye socket so it would fit. His opinion based on the eye is that it probably weighed around 24 pounds.

Keep in mind this article was based on fact and was in what is probably the most popular and credible  fishing magazine in Florida. I have tried and tried and cant find the magazine( I had that issue ), and also cant figure out if there’s a way to access the archive copy of it.

The lake is in a Florida county that borders Georgia. Anything is possible.

[J Francho]

I have never heard of mounting a fish head. Someone needs to post a picture of this.