There has been report of a florida strain largemouth bass with a weight of 10.12 kilograms (22lbs 5 oz) and length that measures 73.5cm (29.4 inches long). The fish is being harvested for IGFA certification which requires that the record be broken by 2 oz. This all makes for an interesting story considering the number of discrepancies that have surrounded recent catches here in California as well as the old record of 22lbs 4oz caught in 1932 by George Perry.
Japan is no stranger to the trophy bass scene. There was a 25lb florida strain largemouth bass reportedly caught at Lake Biwa in a fisherman’s net earlier this year and in the past few years there have reports of other giant bass in the mid-high teens caught by various trophy anglers. The official record in Japan is 19.15 lbs was caught by Kazuya Shimada from Lake Ikahara on April 22,2003 on an Optimum Bait. Shimada until now had caught the 4 largest bass in Japan’s history and has well over 40 bass over 10lbs.
Lake Biwa is considered Japan’s largest and oldest lake dating back 4-5 million years and is among the oldest 20 lakes in the world. It covers more than 674.4 square kilometers and runs clear with deep water and rocky shorelines in its upper stretches(mesotrophic) and shallow and grassy in its lower reaches(eutrophic). The Biwako giant catfish and Biwa trout(salmon) are two of more than 50 species unique to the lake. Other fish that make up the food chain are Ayu,various Carp,along with goby and sculpin. Non native black bass and bluegill are considered an invasive species and are illegal to catch and release.
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BREAKING NEWS SEPTEMBER 15th, 2009
IGFA receives documentation, photos on pending world record largemouth bass caught in JapanWeight matches current IGFA record held for 77 years by Georgia's George Perry
Manabu Kurita hold his (pending) World Record Largemouth Bass.DANIA BEACH, Fla. USA, (September 15, 2009) --- Documentation for amuch talked about 22 lb 4 oz largemouth bass, caught from Japan'slargest lake in July, has arrived into the International Game FishAssociation (IGFA) headquarters for world record recognition.
Late Monday, the IGFA, the 70-year old non-profit fisheriesconservation, education and record-keeping body, received theapplication for the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), caughtJuly 2, by Manabu Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan. IGFA rules for fishcaught outside the U.S. allows anglers 90 days to submit theirapplications from the date of their catch.
IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said the World All-Tackleapplication is currently under review after it was received through theJapan Game Fish Association (JGFA).
Schratwieser said the application stated the bass weighed 10.12 kg (22lbs 4 ozs) and was pulled from Lake Biwa an ancient reservoir northeastof Kyoto. Photos and video were also submitted with the writtendocumentation.
Kurita's fish would tie the current record held for over 77 years byGeorge Perry caught on Georgia's Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, nearJacksonville, Georgia.
In North America the largemouth bass, and especially the All-Tacklerecord, is considered by millions of anglers as the "holy grail" offreshwater fish because of its popularity and the longevity of Perry'srecord.
Largemouth bass have also been introduced in many countries and inJapan fisheries officials consider it an invasive species. In addition,because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculatedthat the big bass was a sterile triploid. However when biologists inJapan examined the ova of the big female they concluded that the fishwas not triploid.
IGFA World Records Coordinator Becky Wright reported Kurita's fishmeasured 27.20 inches in length and an almost equal girth of 26.77inches. She said Kurita was using a blue gill as live bait trollingthrough 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 JapanGame Fish Association where they first collect and review recordapplications for fish caught in Japan," said Schratwieser. "It worksout well because they not only translate applications but can alsocontact the angler if more documentation is needed.
"We still have a number of questions to ask them and Kurita regardinglocal laws and the area he caught it in while he was trolling through acanal 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 onnearly 1100 species of fresh and saltwater fish across the globe in itshighly acclaimed World Record Game Fishes (WRGF) book which is dividedinto all-tackle, line classes, fly, and junior record categories.
The IGFA has been recognized as the official keeper of world saltwaterfishing records since its founding in 1939. In 1978 it added the fieldof freshwater record-keeping when Field & Stream magazinetransferred 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 conservationof game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practicesthrough science, education, rule making and record keeping. IGFAmembers are located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFAwelcomes visitors to its interactive Fishing Hall of Fame & Museumin Dania Beach, Florida.
Photos in the gallery and full article in the world record bass section
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