The rest of the story
By James Hall
Editor, Bassmaster Magazine
Manabu Kurita told me the truth today about how, when and where hecaught the
pending world record bass. Every detail. How do I know it’sthe truth? I know
because Mr. Kurita doesn’t care if his fish iscertified as a world record or
not.
Manabu Kurita fishes in the area where he caught the 22-5 largemouth.
Shy and unassuming, the 33-year-old Kasugai native became hooked on bass
fishing 18 years ago.
“I saw a photo of a largemouth bass in a magazine and I was very impressed
with how it looked. So, I tried fishing for bass and I became passionate about
catching them,” Kurita explained.
Kurita’s passion takes him to the lake more than 150 times a year. According
to his estimations — and those close to him consider the estimates conservative
— Kurita annually catches more than 100 bass greater than 8 pounds.
On July 2, 2009, he landed his biggest fish ever (although not thebiggest he
has hooked). The 22-pound, 5-ounce behemoth ate a live sunfish he had rigged on
a 5/0 Fina Power Finesse bait hook.
“I had noticed this big fish swimming around the bridge piling, andI was
pretty sure she would eat a bluegill. So, about 11:30 a.m., I went to the bridge
piling and cast the bait to the north side. I twitched it a couple of times and
the big bass ate it. It was my first cast,” Kurita explained.
Kurita showed me the exact spot on the bridge, made the exact cast and
explained how surprised he was once he landed the fish.
“I knew it was big, but I did not think it was that big,” he admitted.
Using the same techniques as when he caught the potential worldrecord, Kurita
landed this 8 1/2-pounder while showing the area to Bassmaster Magazine editor
James Hall.
The IGFA has not yet certified Kurita’s catch as a world record because of a
rule that states a record fish cannot come from a sanctuary or no-fishing zone.
The remaining question has been about whether the three marked bridge pilings
where he was rumored to have caught the fish are no-fishing zones, and, if they
are, was Kurita actually fishing near these three pilings? (The other bridge
pilings are not marked, so fishing, anchoring and tying to them is totally
legal.)
When I asked Kurita to take me to the exact spot where he caught the bass. He
did not hesitate. We drove directly to one of the three marked pilings,
confirming the rumors that he caught the fish in an area that was marked: “Do
not stop.” He could just as easily have taken me to another bridge support, one
that would have completely negated the naysayers.
His honesty was refreshing. His motives seemed pure.
However, this supported those who questioned the legality of hiscatch. Does
the “Do not stop” sign suggest, and thereby give authorities, the ability to
ticket anglers fishing the marked pilings?
This determination is left to the local police and, ultimately, theJapanese
Game Fish Association and the International Game Fish Association.
After my meeting with Kurita, I met with Yoichiro Oguri, president and owner
of Popeye, a very popular tackle store chain (Japan’s version of Bass Pro
Shops). Mr. Oguri is a very well-connected and respected icon in the Japanese
fishing industry. During our conversation, I asked if he had a contact within
the JGFA, and, if so, could he find out the status of the Kurita world record
application.
Mr. Oguri contacted JGFA and found out the delay was because of the fact that
they were unsure of the local laws surrounding Biwa’sno-fishing zones. Mr. Oguri
then contacted the Shiga-Ken Police Department (enforcers of Lake Biwa laws). He
asked them if fishing was allowed near the three marked bridge pilings. The
answer was “yes.” It is illegal to anchor or tie to the bridge pilings, but
fishing next to or around them is completely legal.
Kurita broke no laws in the catching of the 22-5.
Mr. Oguri then contacted the chairman of the JGFA and informed him of his
findings.
Moments later, the JGFA gave Kurita’s catch the thumbs up and sent a letter
of support to the IGFA. As of this writing, the IGFA has not yet commented on
the status of the record. However, it seems all concerns about the legality of
this catch have been answered. It is likely Mr.Kurita’s bass will be recognized
as the biggest largemouth ever caught.
And if for some reason the IGFA still does not recognize Kurita’s
accomplishment?
“That’s OK,” Kurita replied with a shy grin. “I think I might be able to
catch a bigger one next year.”
You can talk with Manabu Kurita LIVE in the forums at my site where he is a member.