Hi Guys... have just seen this on a US site. Appar

[Herman Nel]

Neptune

I  think the JAPS would do anything to shut those YANKS up now,wouldn't they?

Funny if you think about it,who goes fishing with a camera crew  ( except ESPN guys )

My opinion....fish was tank fed/raised/fed roids whatever,squeezed into this guys livewell,taken to the dam,boat launched,fish "caught",authoroties notified....

I have seen several guys do this at competitions ( and disqualified after blood / genetic tests etc was done on the fish ),so this is not so far fetched?

It is a mighty BIG fish,but definitly not a "free range" fish!

Regards
Herman

 

[Nepptune]

Herman - You should defintely read DOuble Whammy mate, you'd enjoy it!!!!

I dunno what happened, I guess we can all speculate as much as we want... I'd like to believe it was a fairly caught fish till proven otherwise...

Either way, bl00dy big bass at the end of the day!

 

[rp]

Hi all

Well the yanks already said if it was that size then IGFA would rate it as a tie with George Perry. To claim the new number one spot the bass has to be at least 1-2 pounds bigger than the current world record. I think this one is only 1 oz bigger.

Here are a few monster bass from the US.

The First one is a 18lber and the second is og a 20lb one.

Ok as promised here are the photos of the blanks for the monster bass I have.

The first pic is just to compare the size to a 14lbs bass. The top one is a 21lber from El Sato.

The next pic is that of the 22lber compared to the 20lber.

The measurements of the 20lber are 33 inch lenght with a 25.5 inch girth.

the 22lber is 31 inch lenght and 28.5 inch girth. The one I have to do is a combination of the 2.

 

 

[rp]

 Sorry guys I see that I mis typed. The fisrt of the big ones is a 21lber and the bottom one is the 22lber.

 

[FREE THE FIGHTER]

Aaaish Herman - love your theories. IMHO the three fish all different. Bott. left looks a bit odd but bottom right looks good to me. Seen bass that shape when in top condition ( impoundments with heaps of baitfish) late winter and loaded with eggs.

 

[Johanvc]

So looks like it is not a new worl record but shares that top spot. So like they say 77 years and counting

Below from ESPN

A new world record?
Breaking News!
By Ken Duke
Senior Editor, BASS Publications
(Archive)
Updated: July 2, 2009, 4:29 PM ET
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Seventy-seven years and counting. That's how long George Perry has sat atop the record books in the largemouth bass category, but he may be sharing his perch if a recently caught Japanese bass is as big as has been reported.

The story comes out of Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture of Japan. The bass reportedly weighs 10.12 kilograms or a little less than 22 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 73.5 centimeters (nearly 29 inches). No girth measurements are available at this time.


Manabu Kurita is reportedly the fortunate angler. He is sponsored by Deps, a Japanese fishing tackle manufacturer. If his catch holds up, it would be the biggest legally caught certified largemouth in history (Perry's fish weighed 22-4) ... and a tie with Perry's catch as the International Game Fish Association's all-tackle world record.

A tie? That's right. According to IGFA regulations for record fish weighing less than 25 pounds (such as all of the black bass subspecies), the replacement (record applicant) must weigh at least two ounces more than the existing record. The Japanese fish that is subject of such interest and inquiry today outweighs Perry's fish by less than an ounce.

"A catch which matches the weight of an existing record or exceeds the weight by less than the amount required to defeat the record will be considered a tie," according to the IGFA.

Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan, covering some 259 square miles, and is said to be one of the oldest lakes in the world. It is surrounded by mountains and renowned for its beauty and deep (more than 300 feet), crystal clear waters.

Biwa and its bass population have been in the news in recent years as Japanese officials work to ban and eliminate invasive (nonnative) species from the lake. In fact, the Lake Biwa Museum restaurant offers black bass as a menu item.

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.

 

[Johanvc]

It is still a dam big fish. Would love one like that

 

[FREE THE FIGHTER]

Thanks for that Johan - the post I read also said that a 25 lb fish had been caught in a net on that same lake as a bycatch not long ago. Shame - poor angler - so,so close !

Andre I think George caught his lunker in 1932 - but stand to be corrected - we'll get it right eventually !

 

[Videoman]

Hi all

What makes me think this is a genuine catch and not a "dodgy claim" is the pure weight of the fish ... only slightly pipping the old 1932 record. In fact the best they will now get with this claim is a tie. Think about it logically ... if someone was that intent on bettering that old record, and was willing to pond rear it with vitamins and steroids or whatever, was also willing to smuggle that monster unnoticed on a boat ... call reporters and so forth ... and still risk being caught out and publicly embarassed ... they would have waited and reared that Bass till it was way beyond doubt of a tie eg. 23 pounds minimim ... not just one ounce heavier.

My 2 cents worth anyway ... dunno if anyone else agrees.

 

[Herman Nel]

Regarding the "same " measuring tape.....a little suspect dont you think?

Still say it is the same fish!....and same angler?

 

[Herman Nel]

Sorry Japs....but no 2 bass are this alike,especially of this size!

 

[Herman Nel]

The bigger picture

 

[Herman Nel]

free the fighter

 

Bottom 2 fish are the same fish,taken from Rob Bellonis site, Calfishing.com

A big article on the "record" there,excellent site!

Just proves how tricky photos can be!

 

[rp]

I agree with Herman the spot pattern is the same on both fish. The fish has grown some in lenght and girth. The Yanks want the fish so that they can test it. To register it they have to kill it and give it to genetic experts to see if it is a true largemouth bass or not a hybrid of some sort.
Will have to see if the Japs will give it up.It is the same as with the unofficial that was put back. After it died it only weighed 18lbs. I think it won't be that long before a monster of that size will be caught in the lake in Mozambique.

What is also interesting is that if at that lenght of 29 inches the estimated girth must have been 29 inches too. I think we all will have to wait to see what the official size is going to be. To get the real size they will have to supply lenght as well as girth measurements as there have been alot of bass over 30inch lenght that only weighed 18-20lbs. I have 2 blanks of bass that size that was caught in the last 2 years.

I think everything is up to IGFA to say what is the truth. We can only speculate to what the weight really was.

 

[FREE THE FIGHTER]

Thanks  HN and RP - was that bottom left pic taken a lot later - sure looks sick and bloated. The photie of the person holding it up it looks quite nice.

Have to say all this  steroids/tank feeding stuff is a dark side of bass  fishing that I was not aware of  - puts a bad taste in my mouth ! The real underworld of fishing.

 

[Shannon]

Hi Guys

We can all thumb suck about whether this bass is a pond bass or not, but the reasons being used are not very valid.
Firstly to raise the fact about the same fish being possibly caught 3 years prior means nothing, I'll explain - the fish commonly known as "Dotty" the unofficial world record of 25lb was caught by the same group of 3 anglers twice before, the first time it weighed 18lbs, the second time it weighed 21lbs and the final time 25lbs but couldn't be claimed as a record because in the state of California a fish has to be hooked inside the mouth during spawn season. Had that fish been caught in any other state in the US it would have been recorded as a world record.
So that fish could very well be the same fish - so what, it proves nothing other than the fish grew bigger and didn't change address

Most extremely large bass have huge stomachs. If you held that fish by the mouth it would look very similar to "Dotty", the angler in this case is actually holding the fish correctly, large bass held up by their lower jaw only commonly suffer from broken or dislocated jaws.

The sores present on that fish are caused by an infestation of anvil worm or something similar, we see it on many fish coming out of Albert Falls. It's not caused by small waters, they pick these parasites up when they lay on the bottom resting, that's why most of the sores you see will generally be on the lower half of the body.

It may very well be a pond fish, but can't be proven with these arguments

Here's a video of the fish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXOyXArL9rw

Only Florida strain largemouth get that big, I'm sure we have some very big fish in our waters but I don't think that big.
Those huge Bass caught out of the Californian lakes are present because they release thousands of trout into the lakes every year - Trout make Bass very big
I personally know of a 7.5kg found dead after choking on a 2kg Tilapia in a Natal South Coast farm dam and I know of a 7.5kg bass speared out of Inanda some 10 years ago, so there are definately new SA records swimming around I just don't think up to 10kg though.
My bet is that the next SA record will come out of Goedetrouw. For those of you that don't know Goedetrouw was used as a test platform for fish harvesting (well that was the goal anyway), with the new government it was all forgotten. It is the only dam in SA that has only pure Florida strain in it (no Northerns and therefore no hybrids), but it was also stocked with all sorts of other interesting fish. It has Nembwe and some other huge fish in it, but also has lots of different types of baitfish, including the freshwater Shad (from the US).
The Natal fish-off there last year had 3 x 5 fish bags over 17kg

 

[Herman Nel]

Shannon

I know the whole history behind dotty,but thanks for the "lecture"!
I have done extensive research on Californian Bass and the trout feeding syndrome.

Big Bass,Carp and Barbel to me are like celebs. If you have seen them once,you wil regonise them again in future.

I am 100% sure that is the same fish.

The parasitic infection /sores could also be caused by leeches,this happen to Pike all the time after feeding, but if you reckon you know so much, the fish bottom left looks 100% DROPSY to me...

I think you need to do some more research into 100% pure Florida strain my friend, I know of at least 20 dams with 100% Florida - not Hybrids- in Mpumalanga....so better check your facts...

I even know of 2 Dams with 100%  Nembwe for that matter!
Also,in flood times dams that feed Goedetrouw could break and leak Northens into the system....


Shannon,seeing this is your first post...dont try to be a smartass...because Sealine has already got one...me!

 

[Videoman]

I think Shannon was merely pointing out the possibilities of this latest Japanese catch being the SAME bass previously caught by the SAME angler perhaps (as happened with the USA 25 lber), not necessarily illegally pond reared as you suggest. I also think Shannon was not lecturing anybody but informing us of the facts that he has ... I'm sure he would not thumb suck these.

The final verdict will be the tests carried out on the now frozen dead fish (pity) and whether or not IGFA or whoever, have received an official claim ... or in fact award a tie with George Perry ... interesting one ... I think lets watch the USA Bassmaster site regularly for updates.

 

 

[Herman Nel]

Videoman

Seeing this is your 2nd post, you obviously are not aware of my k@k causing ability?
I joke a lot and sometimes sound serious too....then I am really joking!
Take everthing I say with a pinch of salt....pepper also works....


Shannon

As said above,only kidding...apologies if I offended you....I was however serious about the smartass title....it's mine! LOL

Regards

Herman

 

[rp]

Hi guys

I agree that we have to wait for the Yanks to say what they are going to do. I just don't think the Japs will give them the fish. I have spoken to a few Yanks and they also said it sound a little far fetched as the bass must have had a girth of around 32inches to be that weight if the length was 29inches.

If it is true then it is one hell of a fat fish. I don't know if u guys noticed on the photos that the eye of the bass looks as if it is dead. Dunno just that I noticed that.