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IGFA Receives Documentation For Famous Bass Caught In Japan
Possible New World-Record Largemouth
by: NAFC Staff

Online Rating: (8/10)

DANIA BEACH, Fla. USA, (September 15, 2009) --- Documentation for a much talked about 22 lb 4 oz largemouth bass, caught from Japan’s largest lake in July, has arrived into the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) headquarters for world record recognition.

IGFA recently received documentation on this potential world-record largemouth bass caught on Japan's largest lake. The fish reportedly weighed 22 lbs, 4ozs, and measured 27.2 inches long with a girth of 26.77 inches.

Late Monday, the IGFA, the 70-year old non-profit fisheries conservation, education and record-keeping body, received the application for the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), caught July 2, by Manabu Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan. IGFA rules for fish caught outside the U.S. allows anglers 90 days to submit their applications from the date of their catch.

IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said the World All-Tackle application is currently under review after it was received through the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA).

Schratwieser said the application stated the bass weighed 10.12 kg (22 lbs 4 ozs) and was pulled from Lake Biwa an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto. Photos and video were also submitted with the written documentation.

Kurita’s fish would tie the current record held for over 77 years by George Perry caught on Georgia’s Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, near Jacksonville, Georgia. In North America, the largemouth bass, and especially the All-Tackle record, is considered by millions of anglers as the “holy grail” of freshwater fish because of its popularity and the longevity of Perry’s record.

Largemouth bass have also been introduced in many countries and in Japan fisheries officials consider it an invasive species. In addition, because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculated that the big bass was a sterile triploid. However when biologists in Japan examined the ova of the big female they concluded that the fish was not triploid.

IGFA World Records Coordinator Becky Wright reported Kurita’s fish measured 27.20 inches in length and an almost equal girth of 26.77 inches. She said Kurita was using a blue gill as live bait trolling through 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 Japan Game Fish Association where they first collect and review record applications for fish caught in Japan,” said Schratwieser. “It works out well because they not only translate applications but can also contact the angler if more documentation is needed.

“We still have a number of questions to ask them and Kurita regarding local laws and the area he caught it in while he was trolling through a canal 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 on nearly 1100 species of fresh and saltwater fish across the globe in its highly acclaimed World Record Game Fishes (WRGF) book which is divided into all-tackle, line classes, fly, and junior record categories.

The IGFA has been recognized as the official keeper of world saltwater fishing records since its founding in 1939. In 1978 it added the field of freshwater record-keeping when Field & Stream magazine transferred its 68 years of records to the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum, the association’s world headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla.

The IGFA website is www.igfa.org.

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ARTICLE COMMENTS

lea

Location: arlee, MT
Life Member

Posted:9/17/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

One large fish. Good story.

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bluegill guy

Location: taunton, MA
Life Member

Posted:9/19/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

excilent work now lets see how long this record lasts was this taken during a turny.

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rmjennings

Location: methuen, MA
Member

Posted:9/19/2009

Member Rating: (9/10)

It's not a possible new world record, like the headline states. It would tie the existing world record. So the bass caught in 1932 would still be the world record, but now it will be shared. Still an awesome fish. Congrats to the angler.

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papi

Location: goshen, IN
Member

Posted:9/19/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

that fish is a beast i am very jealous of him; but nice job anyway.

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jstiltner

Location: hixson, TN
Member

Posted:9/22/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

I never knew there were bass in Japan? Thats kinda cool! Great story!!

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Lar1

Location: evansville, IN
Life Member

Posted:9/30/2009

Member Rating: (4/10)

nice fish but was he really fishin for bass or was this just a accident that he caught it.

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contiveros

Location: the dalles, OR
Member

Posted:9/30/2009

Member Rating: (5/10)

Thats An Awsome bass I was stationed their in Japan and they do have an awsome bass fishery congrats on the record

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KingCatCatcher

Location: waterloo, IA
Member

Posted:10/1/2009

Member Rating: (9/10)

over-all great article.first,congrats to the angler.second,never knew japan to have monster bass.guess i just learned something new.once again,nice catch,Kurita.

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mshemon

Location: roberts, WI
Life Member

Posted:10/2/2009

Member Rating: (7/10)

Nice fish. What weight line was he fishing with? I would like to see the sunfish that he was fishing with and how big that was. They said that bass are a invasive fish kinda like the carp that we have here didn't they come from Japan? Nice fish though

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ppozzi

Location: crown point, IN
Life Member

Posted:10/4/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

very nice

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WorldRecordbass

Location: wilmington, DE
Member

Posted:10/5/2009

Member Rating: (6/10)

I have some pictures of this bass and others of Murita that you have not seen on ANY OTHER Site. Northeast bass Fishing For Trophy Bass. http://delawaretrophybass.com

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blowjarn

Location: pickerington, OH
Life Member

Posted:10/9/2009

Member Rating: (2/10)

I'm typically not a complainer of too many things. However, if I am a paid journalist, I would surely attempt to be grammatically correct. I count a minimum of 5 grammatical errors in the above article. When a person writes something that doesn't know the proper usage of a comma, it makes it a tougher read for me. On a personal note, it sure is sad that a dude that was fishing with live bait gets the world record. Especially a dude with that hairdo :)

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Lendogg

Location: buffalo, NY
Registered Guest

Posted:10/15/2009

Member Rating: (9/10)

Why does a world record ( or any other record ) fish have to die? Isn't there some way to document the catch and release?

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msampson

Location: plymouth, MA
Member

Posted:10/18/2009

Member Rating: (8/10)

That is a impressive fish I'm always angling in big game territory but not have i seen one that big i think i got what it takes to get one I'm going to try my best to beat it....congrats on the fish!!!

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