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.

#1a Manabu Kurita

Rank: 1a*

Weight: 22.311 lbs

Angler: Manabu Kurita

Location: Lake Biwa, Shiga, Japan

Date: July 2, 2009

*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.

Rank: 1b*

Weight: 22.25 lbs

Angler: George Perry

Location: Montgomery Lake, Georgia, USA

Date: June 2, 1932

#3 Bob Crupi

Rank: 3

Weight: 22.01 lbs

Angler: Robert “Bob” Crupi

Location: Castaic Lake, California, USA

Date: March 12, 1991

Bob caught his record bass using a live crayfish as bait.

Rank: 4

Weight: 21.75 lbs

Angler: Michael Arujo

Location: Castaic Lake, California, USA

Date: March 5, 1991

#5 Jed Dickerson

Rank: 5

Weight: 21.688 lbs

Angler: Jed Dickerson

Location: Lake Dixon, California, USA

Date: May 31, 2003

The fish that Jed caught was the famous Dottie. She was caught by Mike Long two years earlier weighing 20.75 lbs. She is one of the most popular bass to ever lived and widely considered to be the biggest.

#6 Raymond Easley

Rank: 6

Weight: 21.2 lbs

Angler: Raymond Easley

Location: Lake Casitas, California, USA

Date: March 4, 1980

#7 Robert Crupi

Rank: 7

Weight: 21.01 lbs

Angler: Robert “Bob” Crupi

Location: Castaic Lake, California, USA

Date: March 9, 1990

#8 Dave Zimmerlee

Rank: 8*

Weight: 20.938

Angler: Dave Zimmerlee

Location: Miramar Reservoir, California, USA

Date: June 23, 1973

*Several anglers claimed to have seen Zimmerlee pull the dying bass from the water instead of actually catching it. Zimmerlee denied those claims and was featured on the cover of Bassmaster a few months later.

#9 Leo Torres

Rank: 9

Weight: 20.86 lbs

Angler: Leo Torres

Location: Castaic Lake, California, USA

Date: February 4, 1990

#10 Mike Long

Rank: 10

Weight: 20.75 lbs

Angler: Mike Long

Location: Lake Dixon, California, USA

Date: April 27, 2001

Nick Dulleck Spotted Bass Record © @supranick on instagram

The IGFA has just certified Nick Dulleck’s spotted bass catch as the new world record!

WORLD RECORD SPOTTED BASS (as of Feb. 2017)

WEIGHT: 11 lbs 4 oz (5.1 kg) LENGTH: 24.5 inches GIRTH: 20.75 inches

LOCATION: New Bullards Bar Reservoir, California, USA

ANGLER: Nick Dulleck

DATE: February 12, 2017

Using a Dirty Jigs Finesse Football Jig paired with a Gary Yamamoto Double Tail Grub trailer, Nick hooked in to the 11 lb 4 oz record in the early hours of February 12, 2017. He then promptly spent the rest of his day documenting the catch for a potential certification; knowing all too well the difficulties other anglers have had in certifying potential record catches.
Just as with largemouth bass – California is THE state for spotted bass – and within California, New Bullards Bar Resevoir is known to be THE place for potential record spotted bass.

FACT FINDING: Q&A WITH NICK DULLECK

Nick Dulleck is a world record holder, having caught the heaviest spotted bass in the world; an 11 lb 4 oz fish that shattered the previous world record of 10 lbs 6 oz set just 2 years prior (however, he only nudged past the previous California Spotted Bass State record – which was an 11 lb 3 oz fish caught by Louis Ferrante on the same reservoir in 2015). We caught up with Nick to find out a little more about his historic catch, general fishing thoughts, and what he plans to do next.

What is your favorite Gary Yamamoto soft plastic bait? The original 5” Senko.

Nick Dulleck Spotted Bass Record © @supranick on instagram

What is your favorite Dirty Jig weight, shape and color? The 3/8 Tour Level Pitching Jig.

Any thoughts on where the fish that breaks your record will come from? Northern California has a few lakes that I believe could hold another World Record.

When did you get into big bass fishing seriously? I started Bass fishing at 12-13 years old, riding my bicycle with rod and tackle to local ponds and lakes. The passion grew throughout my teens, I fished float tube tournaments once I had a car and considered buying a boat and fishing professionally after High School. Side note: I think the College BASS programs today are great, I went to a private college and did not have the opportunity to fish for my school but these programs are a great and I recommend to anyone that is interested to check them out.

How soon into the fight did you know/think it was the record? I knew it was big from the initial hookset, but how huge I didn’t know until it hit the net.

I know the fish was released alive. Do you plan to have a replica made? Yes, a 360 degree replica is being made by Lawrence Taxidermy in Iowa.

Has this changed your passion or the pressure you feel now? The passion has grown, I think a lot about other records and what else I’d like to accomplish (lake, state, world records).

Any words of wisdom? Fish for yourself, DREAM BIG and follow your heart.

Below is a video posted by Nick documenting his catch and also of his interview with Dave Mercer during his time in Houston, Texas for the 2017 Bassmaster Classic.

Follow Nick on instagram for the latest and greatest via @SupraNick

We sent Nick

In the early 2000’s, deep in the heart of Southern California, just a short drive north of San Diego on a small reservoir known as Dixon Lake; three anglers: Jed Dickerson, Mac Weakley, and Mike Winn were on a quest to catch the worlds biggest largemouth bass. In California, where the temperatures are just right, combined with the rainbow trout stocking efforts by the local park – allow the largemouth bass in Lake Dixon to grow to enormous sizes.

The men continued on with the pursuit of big bass for years – never able to satisfy their desire for catching the largest bass in the world. Then, on March 19, 2006, when the 3 friends were out on the lake fishing the men spotted “Dottie” – a 25 lb female largemouth stuffed full of rainbow trout and distinguished by a black dot on her right gil-plate. Because the lake was closing soon the men decided to rent a campsite for the night to be the first back on the water in the morning. The next morning the men were able to re-locate “Dottie” and took turns casting to the fish.

Mac Weakley couldn’t quite see his jig, saw a flash, and felt a tap on his line so he swung back and set the hook! After a short fight the men were able to net the fish and get her in the boat – to everyone’s dismay, the fish was foul-hooked. Foul-hooked means the fish was hooked outside of the mouth and therefore not considered a world-record. The men quickly weighed the fish (25.1 pounds) and returned her alive to water. If certified, she would have out-weighed the current world record by almost 2 pounds.

In early 2008 Jed Dickerson received a call from Dixon Lake officials saying that Dottie was found floating on the top of the water and subsequently died. Here’s to hoping her generations of offspring live to outgrow her.

Jed Dickerson with a deceased “Dottie” in 2008.