Bill Evans holding his record largemouth bass he caught on August 8, 2016 – breaking an almost 40 year Washington record.

Updated November 19, 2024 – Originally posted October 2016

We have all heard of Manabu Kurita’s world record shattering 22.331 pound bass caught in Japan in mid-2009. And we have heard legends of George Perry’s 22.25 pounder caught on Montgomery Lake in Georgia in 1932. But what if you live in a state where the average weight of a bass caught is between 1-2 pounds? How do you know if your personal best stacks up to the record held within your own state?

Below is a list of all the current record holding largemouth bass from all 50 states. 2016 is turing out to be a good year with 2 records already being broken. Andre Klein pulled in a 11 lb 1.6 oz monster from Wagaons Pond on February 20, 2016 and Bill Evans posted a 12.53 lb bass on August 8, 2016, earning him the top spot as Washington State’s record holder.

Jordan Lee – 2017 Bassmaster Classic Champion – Sparks Flying After Win.

Manabu Kurita’s World Record Bass from 2009

Updated February 23, 2020, originally posted March 7, 2017.

Early Spring of 2011 – the International Game and Fish Association (IGFA) created a “length” world record category to go along with the well established “weight” world categories for many freshwater and saltwater fish species. Instead of having to weigh a fish on land, this new category requires anglers to return the fish to the water alive after measurement. The IGFA All-Tackle Length category encompasses 64 freshwater and 73 saltwater species.

Largemouth Bass Length World Record

Lance Jones with his 65cm record bass on Lake Jeffery Florida – photo via Facebook

While the largemouth bass weight record (22+ pounds) is likely out of reach for most of us – as of February 2020, when this article was updated, the world record bass in the length category is only 25.59 inches (65cm)!

We know that largemouth bass have been documented to be up to 30-32 inches in length, however, a fish of those lengths has not been caught and documented in the proper way as to receive the IGFA World Record certification. As it currently stands, George Coniglio from Mission Viejo, California, USA and Lance Jones from Lake Jeffery, Florida, USA currently hold a TIE for the All-Tackle Length Record for Largemouth Bass with a confirmed and documented catch from May 13, 2015 for George and a confirmed catch on April 24, 2018 for Lance that both measured exactly 65 cm in length. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) length to weight conversion charts – at bass that is 25-26 inches in length is typically between 9-12 pounds. Catching a double-digit weighing bass is certainly a once in a lifetime occurrence for many anglers – however, it is not all that uncommon in the fishing world.

Be Prepared

Illustration © TPWD

You can only be awarded the World Record if you follow all the proper measuring rules and documentation procedures. To begin with, you’ll need the official IGFA World Record Measuring Device ($49.95). You’ll need to make sure that your catch is at least 2cm longer than the existing record (or it will be considered a tie). Next, make sure to take a picture of 1.) the full length of the fish on the measure device. 2.) a close up showing the position of the fish’s nose and tail on the measuring device. 3.) the angler and the fish. 4.) the rod and reel used to make the catch. You’ll also want to make a note of the type and pound test of the fishing line you used.

Good To Know

The IGFA highly recommends that you have a witness present. If not, you may be disqualified if any questions about the catch arise. Also, a record claim from the U.S. must be submitted within 60 days of the date of catch, while fish caught in other waters must be submitted within 3 months.

Largemouth Bass Underwater, photo cred: “IMG_1169” by jprime84

1. The first rule of fishing is you never leave fish in order to find more fish! As little as 10% of the angling population account for 80% of all bass caught.

2. Largemouth bass are the most intelligent freshwater fish & are able to distinguish & avoid specific lures after only one encounter. According to the IGFA, some bass lakes believed to be “fished out” contain plenty of bass, but the fish have learned to recognize virtually all the lures in common use on the lake. In such cases, a bait that is new to them will often work where others have failed.

3. The Largemouth bass was first described as a new species in 1802 by the French naturalist La Cépède. He relied on drawings and reports sent to him from a colleague in South Carolina. The largemouth bass is now the most popular game fish in America.

4. Largemouth bass live 16 years on average. The oldest known bass was 23 years old.

Baby Bass In Net, photo cred: “DSC_4664” by MyFWCmedia

5. During the spawn male bass will nudge females to help stimulate the release of eggs. Usually bass will spawn when they are one year old and approximately one pound in size in ponds in the south. In reservoirs and streams they may reach 6 to 7 inches at age one and spawn at age two. After spawning with a female is complete, male bass remain at the nest to guard the eggs and then the newly hatched fry.

6. Bass have a protective layer of mucus covering their body that helps prevent parasites and infections. Wet your hands and don’t allow the fish to touch the ground to prevent the bass from losing its slime.

7. Largemouth bass are described as having a fusiform body shape – that means they have a torpedo-like body that is tapered at both the head and the tail. The longest largemouth bass ever recorded was 29.5 inches long!

8. The largemouth bass is the freshwater state fish of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Florida.

9. Only about 10% of any given body of water has the right combo of structure, cover, food, temp, oxygen content, etc. that quality bass are looking for and an overwhelming majority of the bass can be found there. The other 90% is void of good-sized fish.

10. Bass have an inner ear bone that can pick up small frequencies of sound like the movement of a crawfish.

11. Largemouth bass typically rely on camouflage to ambush their prey and can make quick short bursts with swimming speeds of 18-20 miles per hour. Just how fast can a bass swim? They can swim in bursts of more than 3 body lengths per second. That means a 20 inch bass could travel close to 5 feet in just 1 second.

12. Bass don’t always “strike”. Anglers must stay alert to feel for the gentle “mouthing” of a bait or lure and be aware that if your line is slowly moving it’s time to set the hook!

13. An angler from California named Mac Weakley actually caught the largest largemouth bass ever (25.1 pounds) in 2006 but it did not count towards any records because he foul-hooked it!

14. It is a common belief that schooling bass are only small fish. While this is sometimes true, bass tend to run in groups of fish that are the same size and age. Thus, somewhere on the lake there are schools of larger bass. They are usually in deeper holding areas than most anglers are targeting. Fewer fish reach old age so schools of larger size fish generally contain less fish than schools of small bass.

“Wes Porak” by FWC Research

15. Many anglers practice what is known as CPR – Catch, Photo and Release. Bass respond well to catch and release because of their hardiness and they have the ability to withstand repeated hook injuries without compromising their ability to feed or causing damage to their gills.

16. When bass migrate, or temporarily move, they do not actually disperse and span out. Rather, they travel together in orderly fashion along underwater highways using structural variations as “signposts” to show them the way. This is very similar to the trails that deer use.

17. Largemouth are the most adaptable of all the bass species. They do just fine even if the water is warm, cold, shallow, deep, murky or clear.

18. Bass know the amount of energy they must expend in relation to the reward they receive. This is why big bass often seem lazy or uninterested even in the presence of excellent food options.

19. Bass are cold-blooded animals which means their body temperatures are the same temperature as the water in which they inhabit. Largemouth bass are most comfortable in water temperatures between 65° and 75°. As the water temperature warms, the metabolism of largemouth bass increases and they must feed more often.

20. Bass have ctenoid scales that are jagged around the edges and that overlap slightly to allow greater flexibility in movement. The other type of fish scale is cycloid. Cycloid scales are rounded and smooth and can be found on fish like carp and salmon.

21. Bass see in color and have eyes similar to humans (cornea, retina, pupil), but their eyes are rounder than humans to handle the light refraction that occurs underwater.

“Largemouth Bass” by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

1. Taxonomists recognize two subspecies of largemouth bass: the Florida largemouth and the Northern largemouth. The two look alike but the Florida largemouth has slightly smaller scales and grows faster.

2. The largemouth bass is one of the most widely distributed fish in the WORLD and can currently be found in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and even the Pacific Islands.

3. Largemouth bass are just one of the 30,000+ species of fish that have been identified.

4. Largemouth bass can see well in all directions except straight back and straight down.

5. Largemouth are a part of the sunfish family – Centrarchidae – which means “nest builders”.

“Largemouth Bass” by NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

6. Sound travels 4.3x faster underwater than through air. Bass use their lateral lines to “hear” or detect sounds and vibrations from up to 100 feet away. Bass can only see for about 50 feet (in optimal conditions).

7. The heaviest largemouth bass ever officially weighed-in, was caught by Manabu Kurita in Japan. It weighed 22.311 pounds and was hooked using a live bluegill.

8. Research has shown that some largemouth bass occupy isolated areas and only make localized movements while other bass make lengthier journeys that can cover many portions of the lake in as little as one day.

9. Just how fast can a bass swim? They can swim in bursts of more than 3 body lengths per second. That means a 20 inch bass could travel close to 5 feet in just 1 second.

10. Female largemouth bass can produce 4,000 eggs or more. The female bass will drop the eggs in stages, mating with multiple males, to ensure the best survival rate for her offspring.

11. In the summertime, largemouth bass are often attracted to the cooler waters of a lake’s thermocline. The thermocline is where stratification occurs between the lakes warm surface water and the cool water from the lake bottom. Even though the thermocline may have half of the oxygen level as the warmer surface – bass seek its cooler temperatures anyway.

12. Largemouth bass have firm muscular bodies built primarily for strength rather than speed. Bass are not tailored for long pursuits and rely on quick turns, not sustained forward speed to catch prey.

Close up of largemouth eye

13. Largemouth bass have excellent vision and see most of the same colors as humans. Selecting a lure natural in color and resembling the prey they are feeding on will help fool them into biting.

14. Bernard Germain de Lacépède (1756-1825), a French naturalist, was the first to describe the largemouth bass in 1802.

The original nomenclature chosen was Labrus salmoides. Lacépède’s translated description is as follows:

Nine goaded rays and thirteen spokes articulated at the fin of the back, thirteen rays at the fin of the anus; the operculum composed of four blades, and terminated by an angular prolongation; two orifices to each nostril; the general color of a blackish brown.

15. The vision of largemouth bass improves with age. Their eyes continue to grow throughout their life, regardless of body growth.

16. The name “bass” is derived from the Old English word bærs, meaning prickly fish – referring to spiny dorsal fins that all perch (including largemouth) have.

17. Bass don’t grow new scales as they get bigger, but their scales do increase in size as they grow – creating growth rings.

“Largemouth Bass (1975)” by Hunter-Desportes

18. An average 2 lb female bass will lay about 8000 eggs a year. From those eggs only 5-10 will survive to be 10 inches or longer.

19. Largemouth bass have 6 senses. In addition to hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch they also have the lateral line. This later line is a set of pores that run down the fishes sides and can detect movement and pressure changes in the surrounding water.

20. George Perry’s 22.25 pound bass from Montgomery Lake in 1932 still holds the IGFA World Record and has not been “officially” beaten over 87 years later.

Manabu Kurita and his record setting largemouth bass in Japan.

*Manabu Kurita officially tied Perry’s record from 1932 but his fish did not weigh 2 ounces more than Perry’s so it did not officially beat it.

*Dave Zimmerlee – several anglers claimed to have seen Zimmerlee pull the dying bass from the water instead of actually catching it. Zimmerlee denies this claim.

*Johnny Garduno – anglers claimed that Garduno used his net to scoop his bass as it investigated his stringer of trout.

*Sandy DeFresco – weights were found in the belly of this fish but nobody could explain why. Defresco was awarded the weight of the fish minus the 2.5 pound weight.

*Mike Long – after an expose and in-depth report by Kellen Ellis titled The Dark Secret of “America’s Big Bass Guru” – all of Mike Long’s catches are now suspect.

Interesting Note:

Mac Weakley in California.

An angler from California named Mac Weakley actually caught the largest largemouth bass ever but it did not count towards any records because he foul-hooked it!

On March 20, 2006 Mac caught a 25.1 pound bass with a distinctive dot on the bottom of her gill-plate on Lake Dixon the US state of California.

Mac could have gone the way of controversy as a few of the angler above but did not. He released Dottie after a quick picture. She died of old age 3 years later.

Common Names: largemouth bass, widemouth bass, bigmouth bass, black bass, bucketmouth, Oswego bass, green bass, green trout, Florida bass, ditch pickles, and more.

Identification: Largemouth bass are usually olive green in color with dark blotches that form a horizontal line along the sides with a silvery-white underbelly. A distinguishing characteristic of largemouth bass is the upper jaw extends beyond the rear margin of the eye. They have a nearly divided, deeply notched dorsal fin with 9-10 spines and 12-13 rays in the posterior.

General Description: The largemouth bass is the largest of the black bass species. Average life expectancy is 16 years and a maximum recorded weight of 25 pounds 1 ounce. However, the average bass grows at a rate of:

• Year 1: 4-6 inches
• Year 2: 8-12 inches
• Year 3: 16+ inches

Habitat: Largemouth bass seek clear non-flowing water with protective cover such as logs, vegetation (overhangs or aquatic growth), and man-made structures like docks. Largemouth are the most adaptable of the black bass species and survive just fine in a multitude of environments.

Largemouth Bass Facts

• Largest freshwater gamefish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae).
• Maximum recorded length = 29.5 inches.
• Maximum recorded weight = 25 pounds 1 ounce.