Bass Record equals Million Dollars? your thoughts? 2024

resqd1 reply :

So have any of you heard the tale that " if you caught the record largemouth, it would be worth a million dollars?"

I have heard this tons and tons of times from all sorts of fisherman.

Taking into consideration I wonder what that million would be today? 2 Mill, 3 Mill.......

Ok So here is the question and food for thought, if you have heard this before, tell me your thoughts on it and its validity.

Where does the money come from? Sponsors? Commercials? Where?

How does one get it out there?

This has all arised from a new California State Record Striper That was caught this past month and the idiot weighed it, then ate it, and the scale wasnt certified by fish and game, so now his 70 Pounder will not be the new record.

So where are certified scales?

How do you make sure your 26 pound Large Gets in the record books when you catch it? Make sure you are fishing with a rod and reel from a company that has money hahhahaha?

Thanks for taking the time, I am really interested to see what others have to say.

If you want to see the article about the striper, it is in Aug 15th WON Weekly Paper. His 70.06 would have been the state record and the land Locked IGFA record.

Raul reply :

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So where are certified scales?

Everyhwere you find certified scales, your local supermarket or grocery store has several certified scales.

When IGFA says certified scale doen 't mean it has to be certified by them, it means that the scale in which the fish is weighted has to be certified by whomever authority is in charge of accurately take the weights and measurements. All scales used for the sale of products by weight has to be certified, all of them are verified and inspected several times a year and stamped to prove their accuracy, otherwise it 's illegal to use them.

resqd1 reply :

good info, lets hear some more

Daniel My Brother reply :

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So have any of you heard the tale that " if you caught the record largemouth, it would be worth a million dollars?"

There was once an organization that offered a million dollar prize if one of its members caught the world record bass. You had to pay dues to be eligible to win the million. That organization no longer exists.

Without that prize, I have no idea how to turn a fish into a million dollars, but I'm sure someone will try.

The current world record won George Perry about $75 from Field & Stream and a lifetime of being called a liar.

Not worth it.

Raul reply :

As from where the money comes from, in some cases there may be a price in cash ( in Mexico the State of Tamaulipas offers 1 million dollars in cash to whomever catches the WR in any of these two lakes: Guerrero or Sugar ), in other cases the money may flow from tackle manufacturing companies.

Let 's say that I catch the WR fishing a Shimano reel, a GLoomis rod, Berkley line and a Rapala lure. That makes at least 4 manufacturers ( Shimano, GLoomis, Berkley, Rapala plus VMC hooks ) willing to pay me to put my ugly face endorsing their products cuz the moment I caught the fish I became a celebrity. Now let 's add even more, the day I caught the fish I was wearing Costa del Mar sunglasses, a Columbia fishing shirt, Levi 's trousers and Nike sneakers, I was fishing from a Ranger boat which has a Minnkota TM and a Johnson outboard, my lures are packed into Plano boxes, I purchased my lures, rod, line and reel at BPS so the list of manufacturers and /or dealers grows. That 's where the money comes from.

Uncle Leo reply :

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As from where the money comes from, in some cases there may be a price in cash ( in Mexico the State of Tamaulipas offers 1 million dollars in cash to whomever catches the WR in any of these two lakes: Guerrero or Sugar ), in other cases the money may flow from tackle manufacturing companies.
Let 's say that I catch the WR fishing a Shimano reel, a GLoomis rod, Berkley line and a Rapala lure. That makes at least 4 manufacturers ( Shimano, GLoomis, Berkley, Rapala plus VMC hooks ) willing to pay me to put my ugly face endorsing their products cuz the moment I caught the fish I became a celebrity. Now let 's add even more, the day I caught the fish I was wearing Costa del Mar sunglasses, a Columbia fishing shirt, Levi 's trousers and Nike sneakers, I was fishing from a Ranger boat which has a Minnkota TM and a Johnson outboard, my lures are packed into Plano boxes, I purchased my lures, rod, line and reel at BPS so the list of manufacturers and /or dealers grows. That 's where the money comes from.

I absolutely agree with this. If you market yourself right it could be worth more then $ 1M.

resqd1 reply :

So dont be wearing no name sweats, bare foot, with a crawdad on the end of a piece of string tied to a branch when you catch it, or you are out of luck huh, hahahahaha LOL

Raul reply :

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So dont be wearing no name sweats, bare foot, with a crawdad on the end of a piece of string tied to a branch when you catch it, or you are out of luck huh, hahahahaha LOL

Unless you caught it with your bare hands you still had to use a hook didn 't you ? and that hook was manufactured by someone, same applies to the string

Uncle Leo reply :

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So dont be wearing no name sweats, bare foot, with a crawdad on the end of a piece of string tied to a branch when you catch it, or you are out of luck huh, hahahahaha LOL

Unless you caught it with your bare hands you still had to use a hook didn 't you ? and that hook was manufactured by someone, same applies to the string

Now that's marketing I like it!!!!!

Newman12Fan reply :

I bet if you did catch it with your hands you could write a book and get a movie deal - still making $1M. That would be an interesting story for sure!

thetr20one reply :

I would think the WR would be worth multiple mils. The Beatty buck from Greene county Ohio was the world record non-typical for a few years. I heard he got $5000 per event to show his mount at hunting expos. Not to mention endorsements. The WR largemouth is much more sought after making it an even bigger prize. Meaning bigger money. I have won a couple tourneys and when asked what I was catching em on, I replied I am not being paid so I will just say I caught generic baits even though they were very much name brand. I am not sponsored at this time (I have had a more than a few offers) so I don't have a real responsibility to tell 160 people my winning pattern. When I do get some sponsors I will yap em up!!!!!!

Eddie Munster reply :

Would you get the million(s) in one lump sum? Probably not. But unless you're a complete fool, there should be no reason you'd have to worry about tackle for the rest of your life.

Say you catch it on a Zoom worm; well I buy alot of plastics at Wally World, Dicks and BPS. Guessing whoever came in with the highest offer would be where I remember buying those worms at. Not to mention Zoom will make sure you never need worms and probably give you $$ as well.

DaveHawkins reply :

I often wondered what would keep someone, most likely a biologist, from growing a world record bass in a controlled environment. With science as advanced as it it today, I bet they could even come up with a food source injected with growth hormones that would make a bass grow exponentially.

How many years do you think it would generally take a bass to grow big enough to be a WR?

bmuskin reply :

I was stuck in Charlotte a while back and picked up a book called Sow belly and it went into detail on the world record bass. It was not a bad read and was in one of those discount book stores for 3-4 dollars. It talked about the lure makers of custom swimbaits and even a guy in Mississippi who is trying to raise the new world record bass in his ponds. It also detailed where the money would come from.

bmuskin reply :

Sowbelly: the Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass

by Monte Burke

I saw this book for as low as $2.00 online.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

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I often wondered what would keep someone, most likely a biologist, from growing a world record bass in a controlled environment. With science as advanced as it it today, I bet they could even come up with a food source injected with growth hormones that would make a bass grow exponentially.
How many years do you think it would generally take a bass to grow big enough to be a WR?

It's not as easy as you think. All WR fish get subjected to a wide regimen of testing. The fish is autopsied and they can even tell what Ph it lived in. It better be the same as the Ph in the body you said you caught it in. Just an example, fraud is no joke when you are talking about this may zero's on a possible payout.

A WR is a mark of integrity, cheaters will be subject to the wrath of Karma!!!

Back to the original question, if you already have sponsors, there may be "record" clauses in your contract. Anyone fishing for a living should have these clauses included in ALL contracts.

resqd1 reply :

2 bucks where?

WRB reply :

Back in the 1990's there was a bass fishing magazine that offered it's subscribers/members a million dollars for a new world record bass and held a tournament at the end of each season for the top 10 bass each year with a cash prise.

When the Lloyds of London insured bond was cancelled, the garanteed million dollar world record bass offered was cancelled.

Anyone today will need to have a good marketing skills to make a million dollars in endosements, if they catch a world record bass, IMO.

WRB

DaveHawkins reply :

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I often wondered what would keep someone, most likely a biologist, from growing a world record bass in a controlled environment. With science as advanced as it it today, I bet they could even come up with a food source injected with growth hormones that would make a bass grow exponentially.
How many years do you think it would generally take a bass to grow big enough to be a WR?

It's not as easy as you think. All WR fish get subjected to a wide regimen of testing. The fish is autopsied and they can even tell what Ph it lived in. It better be the same as the Ph in the body you said you caught it in. Just an example, fraud is no joke when you are talking about this may zero's on a possible payout.

A WR is a mark of integrity, cheaters will be subject to the wrath of Karma!!!

Back to the original question, if you already have sponsors, there may be "record" clauses in your contract. Anyone fishing for a living should have these clauses included in ALL contracts.

I wouldn't think it would be easy. I think you took my point of context. Nowhere in my post did I mention deception or dishonesty...I was simply pondering the ability to grow a WR size bass using scientific technology. There would be no reason to not claim it for what it was...a homegrown big WR bass.

done reply :

Heck if someone would try to pass a rubber suit off as bigfoot for some cash. I would bet someone would try to pass a homegrown WR off as wild so they would hit up the aforementioned sponsors.

Makes them sound much better when you talk of bringing your ranger boat into a cove on Lake Wylie, using your BP rod/real combo and x bait. That is something they can really sell.

avid reply :

Anyone today will need to have a good marketing skills to make a million dollars in endosements,

I think the above statement is very true.

There is no doubt in my mind that the person who catches the new world record will make money off of the fish, but someone with good marketing skills, and more importantly perhaps, good negotiating skills will make alot more than someone without. A million bucks? yeah, I think the right guy, using the right equipment, (big endorsers) with the right agent, say Ray Scott? could parlay this fish into a million or more. It's THAT big a deal IMHO.

shorefisher reply :

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A WR is a mark of integrity, cheaters will be subject to the wrath of Karma!!!

I agree and found it very interesting that the recent world record bass was submitted as foul-hooked, there was no attempt at deception. I applaud this whole-heartedly and would do it the same way myself.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/outdoors/20060320-1251-bn20bass.html

Those guys spent almost every day trying to catch old "dottie" validly until she died this year after spawn.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?page=world_record_bass_dies

Certified Public Angler reply :

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So have any of you heard the tale that " if you caught the record largemouth, it would be worth a million dollars?"

There was once an organization that offered a million dollar prize if one of its members caught the world record bass. You had to pay dues to be eligible to win the million. That organization no longer exists.

Without that prize, I have no idea how to turn a fish into a million dollars, but I'm sure someone will try.

The current world record won George Perry about $75 from Field & Stream and a lifetime of being called a liar.

Not worth it.

What is the story on Perry being a liar?

Lambo6 reply :

Question is ,,,,, Is there a world record bass still out there ?

Certified Public Angler reply :

I say there has to be.

Off topic: Is it possible for gators to eat a lethargic large bass? What do you think? dangit I hate gators, btw

shorefisher reply :

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What is the story on Perry being a liar?

From what I've heard he was accused of weighting the fish with lead in the gullet and his records were stripped but then reliable witnesses cast doubt upon the accusers so his record was re-instated.

-shore

B-o-b reply :

So you'd have to kill the biggest LMB in the world to have the record? :'(

BassMaster_17 reply :

You need to keep the fish alive after catching it at no matter what you have to do, that fish is worth more alive than DEAD can u imagine what BPS or Cabelas would pay to have that fish swimming in one of there store aquariums???? I have heard stories that cabelas has paid 1 million for one of a kind record deer racks so imagine what a WR LMB would be worth ALIVE AND SWIMMING IN A TANK, CHA CHING!!! A fish of that caliber needs to be in a place millions of people can observe it + you secure your record for awhile from not allowing it not to be caught again 4oz bigger and having your marketability stolen away from you. Some may call that selfish but in reality it MARKETING!!

The interviews and speaking appearences would pay a nice chunk also, not to mention all the tackle and boat & truck companies wanting to associate that BIG BASS with there products. Heck if you are smart you give that bass a personality and market it (it was done with a Bucking bull in the late 90's Remember BODACIOUS that bull had his own agent and sold millions of dollars in merchandise, more memorbilia than alot of human athletes) and sell t-shirts, coffe cups, coolies, put its picture on anything you can, heck the fish could even have his own line of tackle with his name one it. If you made less than 3 million in cash and tackle you would be selling yourself short. With that said that means the WR is caught in the USA. Alot of people feel it will come out of CUBA or another country south of the equator where the bass can grow 12 months a year if that happens the marketabilty may be hard to accomplish.

burleytog reply :

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What is the story on Perry being a liar?

From what I've heard he was accused of weighting the fish with lead in the gullet and his records were stripped but then reliable witnesses cast doubt upon the accusers so his record was re-instated.

-shore

That wasn't George Perry. You're thinking of the world record smallmouth and DL Hayes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/columns/story?columnist=wilson_taylor&page=g_col_Wilson_smallie_record_turns-50

shorefisher reply :

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What is the story on Perry being a liar?

From what I've heard he was accused of weighting the fish with lead in the gullet and his records were stripped but then reliable witnesses cast doubt upon the accusers so his record was re-instated.

-shore

That wasn't George Perry. You're thinking of the world record smallmouth and DL Hayes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/columns/story?columnist=wilson_taylor&page=g_col_Wilson_smallie_record_turns-50

You're right it was Hayes. :-?

BassMaster_17 reply :

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What is the story on Perry being a liar?

From what I've heard he was accused of weighting the fish with lead in the gullet and his records were stripped but then reliable witnesses cast doubt upon the accusers so his record was re-instated.

-shore

That wasn't George Perry. You're thinking of the world record smallmouth and DL Hayes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/columns/story?columnist=wilson_taylor&page=g_col_Wilson_smallie_record_turns-50

You're right it was Hayes. :-?

Perrys Record was scrutinized because he and his FAMILY ATE THE FISH!!!!

Certified Public Angler reply :

well all the articles I read made it sound like it was the great depression and they needed food.

Well if I ever caught a record I would take a million pictures with measurements. I would get as many eye witnesses as possible, and I would jump in the water and try to keep it alive for the officials.

Then it would be on the way to a BPS tank and I would get a new rod and reel. ;D

thetr20one reply :

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Question is ,,,,, Is there a world record bass still out there ?

Of course the is!!! Dottties year class has to have a few survivors Eating the same forage and . It is hard for me to believe there are not many, many fish over 23 pounds!! You may never see a one but they are there. They don't get huge by taking every offering. IMHO another 25# will show up within the next 4 years. And It will be worth a few million!!! I truly believe all the above!!!

bmuskin reply :

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2 bucks where?

Amazon and a couple of others just google the book. It was very interesting and details evrything everyone is chatting about.

roadwarrior reply :

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Question is ,,,,, Is there a world record bass still out there ?

Of course the is!!! Dottties year class has to have a few survivors Eating the same forage and . It is hard for me to believe there are not many, many fish over 23 pounds!! You may never see a one but they are there. They don't get huge by taking every offering. IMHO another 25# will show up within the next 4 years. And It will be worth a few million!!! I truly believe all the above!!!

And don't forget, "All fishermen are liars except me and you, and I'm not sure about you!" The Kali boys reported Dottie's "death" several years ago, probably to discourage others from hunting her. I'm sure there are several bass out there well over 22-4.

8-)

WRB reply :

The problem is the current world record; 22 lbs 4 oz was never validated to todays standards, it was grand fathered into the record books. No real proof, no actual photo of the bass has ever been produced. A photo showed up a few years ago that hasn't been vaildated.

California's state record bass is 21 lbs 12 oz, caught by Mike Aguiro, Lake Castiac. Bob Crupi never offically weight his 22.01 lb bass, released it before anyone could validate the catch. Knowone will ever know what Dottie weighed for sure, still waiting the length & girth numbers.

Does a new world record bass exists? Hope to let you know soon.

WRB

ptomacbass reply :

it's probabbly worth more than a million dollars, but why harm such an old fish or any fish?

tyrius. reply :

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it's probabbly worth more than a million dollars, but why harm such an old fish or any fish?

Cause they're fun to catch!!! ;D

mayassa reply :

I also think someone might sponsor you with a boat deal these days

bigbaitfisher reply :

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As from where the money comes from, in some cases there may be a price in cash ( in Mexico the State of Tamaulipas offers 1 million dollars in cash to whomever catches the WR in any of these two lakes: Guerrero or Sugar ), in other cases the money may flow from tackle manufacturing companies.
Let 's say that I catch the WR fishing a Shimano reel, a GLoomis rod, Berkley line and a Rapala lure. That makes at least 4 manufacturers ( Shimano, GLoomis, Berkley, Rapala plus VMC hooks ) willing to pay me to put my ugly face endorsing their products cuz the moment I caught the fish I became a celebrity. Now let 's add even more, the day I caught the fish I was wearing Costa del Mar sunglasses, a Columbia fishing shirt, Levi 's trousers and Nike sneakers, I was fishing from a Ranger boat which has a Minnkota TM and a Johnson outboard, my lures are packed into Plano boxes, I purchased my lures, rod, line and reel at BPS so the list of manufacturers and /or dealers grows. That 's where the money comes from.

I don't think that the "million" is going to come from tackle companies as much as one may think. Yes, they're going to load you with products, and will more then likely throw cash your way, but adding up to a million in cash...I think you'll be hard pressed unless your cards are right.

The real money lies in NON-ENDEMIC sponsors. Those sponsors that are not related to the field of fishing.

"Yes, I ate at McDonalds this morning, and every morning I am on the water to fuel my body with an excellent, warm breakfast and get my head in the game. On the water, it's nothing but Gatorade and Deer Park Water, the most refreshing water on the planet! Of course, I can't forget Bullfrog Sunscreen, who helps protect my skin on my long days on the water. And lets not forget AT&T, who provided me with the cell phone service needed to call my local DNR agent. I couldn't have done it without my FORD truck which hauls my boat and gear to the lake day in and day out without fail."

You get the picture. I would list EVERY company that I used that day. From the biggest name down to the toothpicks I use and the gum I chewed. It all had an essential part in breaking the world record. And yes, I am available for marketing for any potential record breakers!!! ;D

As for "growing" the new world record, Texas is already ahead of you with their "Share-A-Lunker" program which is, in essence, genetically programming bass with the big fish genes through selective breeding. It's quite interesting to read about the program in depth. There are also other smaller entities that are growing largemouth bass in private stocked ponds. Who knows how successful they will be, only time will tell!

avid reply :

The problem is the current world record; 22 lbs 4 oz was never validated to todays standards,

that's kinda like saying that the problem with Joe Lewis is that he never fought today's champions.

Perry did all he needed to do at the time he caught his bass to get into the official record book.

Now someone else will have to do what they need to do to get into the record book today. I don't see any problem whatsoever

Muddy reply :

Thats just CALIFORNIA RECORD *** :

Mattlures reply :

The fish is worth nothing. What you do about it will make you a little. Unless your a big named pro I highly doubt you make anyware near a million. Why would sombody pay you? Are you going to use stren line because the guy who caught the fish did? Yeah youl most likely get some money for advertising and some sponsores but I think Most people are just fantasizing about a fish being worth that much. The only way I see a big payday is if you were able to get the fish into a bass pro aquarium. Now they would make tons of money from people coming to see the fish and you would get some of it, if you were smart. As for the history of the million dollar fish WRB is close but a little mixed up. The World Record bass club had a bounty of 1 mil for any member who caught the WRB. Each year they would pay out 25 grand to who ever caught the biggest bass of that year . I believ Mike Long won that prize 3 or 4 times out of the 5 years. When Dottie was caught the 2nd time by Dickerson, the fish was eledgedly over the record when first weighed but by the time the Fish and game arived the fish had dumped some eggs and lost some weight. The fish was then released. Well Loyds of london who insured the grand prize for teh WRB found out about this fish that had already been caught twice and they would not reniew the policy. Mike Long reported the fish dead in hopes that the the world record bass club would continue but it didnt work. At the time the bounty was up to 7 mil. Also Crupie did weigh his fish on a certified scale with wittnesses. The only reason he does not have the officail state record is becuase he didnt wait for a fish and game biologist to officialy identify the fish as a large mouth bass. Crupi's bass is recognized by the IGFA. I bleive that right now there are NO BASS alive that are over 23lbs. Now come winter there are a few that will put on weight and get close. then by the time they are all fatted out with eggs acouple will be bigger then perry's fish. There is a verry small window of a couple years for a fish to reach potential size and even a smaller window of a month or two for a fish to be at its heaviest. I know of 1 lake that has a couple of these fish and a few more lakes that are getting closer.

also I highly doubt anybody will fraud there way into the world record. the IGFA can make them take a lie detector test.

Mattlures reply :

Avid I am on the fence about Perry's fish being legit but your comparison holds NO WATER! its not even close. You can see film of Lewis. His fisghts are documented. The Perry fish has almost no real proof. That doesnt mean he didnt catch it, it just means there is no way to prove he caught it. If that picture that showed up would have been Perry himself then that would have been enough to reasonably prove it. All there is, is his story and and a signed aplication for the field and stream contest by I believe 1(possibly Jack Page also) person the, post office guy. That is verrrrry little proof.

Did he catch the WRB. he just very well might have but I doubt anybody thats still living will ever know for sure

Grey Wolf reply :

Bottom line----------------Perry's bass is the world record.

You can explain it away all you want but that's the bottom line.

WRB reply :

Matt, accurate reply and agree with most of the details. The fact that I have pursued the WRB for nearly 40 years now and caught several giant bass gives me a little different perspective then most bass fishermen.

To make money will take good planning and better marketing skills then the average fisherman has the resources for.

Perry's bass is the world record, based soley on his Field & Stream application for a lunker bass award back in 1932. Perry's goal was very modest, he was hoping to get a few Creek Chub lures.

The Perry bass comes into question because the length and girth numbers are in conflict with the weight and is about 2 inches longer than any largemouth bass ever measured. Knowone knows how the bass was measured, no picture and his fishing partner dissappeared. All we have is Perry's word and that is good enough apparently.

WRB

Tokyo Tony reply :

Wouldn't it still be considered the world record bass if you grew the thing in a little pond in your backyard, fed it baby trout for 10 years, then caught it?

WRB reply :

Giant bass are called giants for good reason. Like a 7'6" man or woman, they grow that tall becuase of genetics. No mater how much food you feed an average bass, it will never grow to be a giant. The bass will be limited by it's genes.

Several individuals are currently trying to raise a world record bass. The state of Texas has a gene DNA splicing program and selective harvest program that increases the odds to grow giants consistantly.

IMO the next world record will be a wild bass caught from some unknown lake or in one of California's, Texas or Mexico's known big bass lakes.

WRB

avid reply :

Are you going to use stren line because the guy who caught the fish did?

Ummmmmmm...Isn't that the whole point of paying people to endorse your product? It seems pretty evident that people in fact do buy products that are endorsed by others. Using the line that caught the world record bass would seem like a pretty powerful endorsement to this consumer

Did he catch the WRB. he just very well might have but I doubt anybody thats still living will ever know for sure

California dreamin again Matt. The official record keepers of the entire fishing universe have declared his bass to be the world record. If you don't accept that it's ok, but you speak for yourself only. Ask the Georgia boys if they believe it's the record.

By questioning this entry, you question the validity of the entire IGFA record rankings.

I repeat. Mr. Perry did what he was required to do at the time to get into the record book. That's good enough for me.

Now it's time for you California WR hunters to stop whining and put the controversy to rest by legally catching the new record.

Oh, and if it is caught using a Mattlures product, throw the guy some cash a'right? 8-)

avid reply :

Wouldn't it still be considered the world record bass if you grew the thing in a little pond in your backyard, fed it baby trout for 10 years, then caught it?

actually I think that's pert near how they do it in Cali

boondocks reply :

I gonna go out on a limb here and disagree with the majority on here. I have a hard time believing anyone will make a million dollars off a WRB. Especially an average Joe. Maybe a big name pro could pull it off, but not some no namer. Granted, you will no longer be a no namer after catching the fish, but a million dollars? I'm not seeing it. Not even close. JMO

BassMaster_17 reply :

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I gonna go out on a limb here and disagree with the majority on here. I have a hard time believing anyone will make a million dollars off a WRB. Especially an average Joe. Maybe a big name pro could pull it off, but not some no namer. Granted, you will no longer be a no namer after catching the fish, but a million dollars? I'm not seeing it. Not even close. JMO

Think of the public Draw it would bring to Cabelas or BPS to have that fish in there tank, people would come in DROVES & thats probably 1 million right there for one of them to add the fish to there tank. Then yor marketing approach depends on how many more millions you make, hiring a agent for you and the fish is a must.

Mattlures reply :

Yes Avid its marketing. Of course it is, and stren would sell some line if the WRB was caught with it. But there sales wouldnt jump by a mil and I gaurantee you they wouldnt come running with tons of money to throw at the guy who caught the fish. First all you have to list the equipment you use on your record aplication. The angler doesnt even need to endorse the product. Stren(or any other brand) could run the adds with out the angler and not need him. This would also be leverage for the product companies to give only a little compensation to get the guy to do the adds.

Look Avid I am not disagreeing with you about Perry's record. The record is Perry's. I cant prove that he didnt catch it. I also accept it as the record weather I believe it or not. I can honestly say, I dont know if I believe it or not. I am 50/50. The point is when the IGFA started keeping records, they accepted some of the prvious records that were already in place and those records needed very little proof to be accepted. The fish would not have been accepted had it been caught after the IGFA was in place. Now again I am not disagreeing with you. Perry did what he was suppossed to do to verify his fish back then. He did nothing wrong by eating the fish. Thats what people did back then. There are a bunch of things that just dont seem legit that gives me doubts but I dont realy care about it anymore as I DO accept it as the mark to beat. We all know we gotta beat 22.4. I aint whining about I am just calling it EXACTY how it is.

as for for Cali growing the record Ha ha now thats Cali *** and whinning if I have every heard it!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha ha.

Also to answer the questions could sombody grow the fish and then catch it and submit it? They could submit the paperwork but it would get rejected. The IGFA has strict rulls about legitamately catching a record fish. They would lose all credibility if they accepted a tank raised fish and they know it. It aint gonna happen!

BassMaster_17 reply :

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Yes Avid its marketing. Of course it is, and stren would sell some line if the WRB was caught with it. But there sales wouldnt jump by a mil and I gaurantee you they wouldnt come running with tons of money to throw at the guy who caught the fish. First all you have to list the equipment you use on your record aplication. The angler doesnt even need to endorse the product. Stren(or any other brand) could run the adds with out the angler and not need him. This would also be leverage for the product companies to give only a little compensation to get the guy to do the adds.

7'6" swimbait rod, 50# braid & swimbait, pretty generic and acceptible you dont have to be brand specific to my knwledge & if you do have the fish cetified by the proper peeps, retake possesion of the live fish get ur agent, work the deals then submit the paperwork. Keep your leverage until you have your marketing strategy and agent ready.

Mattlures reply :

The IGFA would want more specific info but you might be able to keep it confidential, maybe. In CA. you can not legaly transport a live gamefish with out a permit so its just not that easy even if you are preparred. I would call the DFG first. Basspro 2nd and my lawyer 3rd.

I think the RIGHT person could make a good chunk of change. I think an average person would make very little. and certainly not a million bucks. What most people fail to realize is you would have to EARN the money after you catch the fish becuase nobody is just going to give it to you.

avid reply :

The fish would not have been accepted had it been caught after the IGFA was in place

I don't know why you guys can't get over it already.

How can you possibly make such a claim Matt?

Perry did what was required at that time. If their were different requirements in place at that time, how can you possibly know that he wouldn't have complied with those requirements?

I don't get it. I really don't. Why don't you and the other Cali WR whiners hold an event "We're gonna hold our breath and turn blue till you change the record?"

the WR bass is swimming somewhere in California. It'll get caught. Sooner rather than later is my guess. Then we'll know how much it's worth.

senile1 reply :

What does the validity of George Perry's world record have to do with how much money would be made by the person who breaks the record?

WRB reply :

Avid, the Florida state record bass is 17.21, Billy O'Berry. The Perry bass could not be validated to todays Florida or IFGA standards; no photo, no proof of weight. Florida removed both the Friebel 20.1 lb and Witt 19.1 lb bass from the books becuase they could not be validated. I believe there are bass bigger in Floida then the listed state record and that should be a record easy to set.

We all except the fact that the IGFA grand fathered the Perry bass into the record book, based on interviewing George Perry. The fact remains, Georgia hasn't produced a bass over 18 lbs, other than the Perry bass. California's state record is listed as 21.75 lb , Mike Arujo, the Bob Crupi 22.01 bass was dissallowed because the bass was not validated by Fish & Game, he had both a photo and weight. The 25.1 Dixon bass was not offically weighed or validated by Fish & Game and I have questions about the weight.

California doesn't have anything to whine about, we dominate the top 25 bass list and the odds are in favor of the next world record will be caught here.

WRB

BassMaster_17 reply :

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Avid, the Florida state record bass is 17.21, Billy O'Berry. The Perry bass could not be validated to todays Florida or IFGA standards;

Were talking 1932 people, what standards from 1932 are still the standard today?????? We learn as time goes on and improve so todays standards are much higher. Heck i bet some of the presidential elections from that era would not be accepted by todays standards. Point being laws and regulations & standards change as time moves on, what worked 20 years ago probably dont work today. It is what it is (22.04), leave it as is and catch one bigger and do what needs to be DONE to get it in the BOOKS.

Its my belief that if we could take our Modern Equipt with the fishing knowlwdge we have now back to the 20's -40's 22.04 would be a top 25 fish, if even that.

Think abt those times how many people fished for trophys back then, or even fished those lakes. In the first 1/3 of the decade about every lake was untapped waters, by having very little fishng pressure at all if any, & that leads to some huge fish. Most who fished only fished for food so who knows how many fish that were 25+ were caught by natives or peeps just feeding there familys and could care less abt telling anyone about it, they just wanted there bellys FULL. Fancy Lures and boats were fairly rare at that time also, so them fish were only used to seeing primative gear and modern equipt gave you a huge advantage.

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The fact remains, Georgia hasn't produced a bass over 18 lbs, other than the Perry bass.

Ya on paper for our MODERN DAY record books it hasnt produced a fish over 18lbs but who knows how many Georgia (or any state for tha matter) produced before people cared how big they were. We need to compare apples to apples and not compare those fishing times to todays high pressure times where a fish in place that only under perfect conditons and no predators (mainly us fisherman) prevent them from reaching its maximum potential size. There are tons of places today that don't produce fish like they used to, and tons that are better. Talk to your elders that fish they can shed some light on that. Two of our best bass fisheries here in the 80's and early 90's are gone due to drought and other circumstances, very sad but true. Now ur lucky to catch a carp out of them.

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In CA. you can not legaly transport a live gamefish with out a permit so its just not that easy even if you are preparred.

So in Cali you have to kill your fish b4 you can leave the lake? (if so it doesnt suprise me from a state that tells you and actually monitors how your thermostat is set and for how long when heating and cooling your OWN HOME) You cant leave it alive in your livewell so it stays fresh to till you get home to fillet it? If thats the case i hope and pray the Cali boys keep falling short like they have been, because a state that micromanages its citzens that much dont deserve the record. The next WR needs to be on Public display somewhere & not property of the state of cali.

As avid and obsessed with catching this fish as the boys in SOW BELLY are and others that are unknowns i cannot believe each and every one of them do not have a special live well on there boat to keep a fish of this caliber alive for weeks let alone till the DNR or GFP arrive with a certified scale. After the catch its always a couple quick pics and a quick weight on a UNCERTIFIED scale then i had to let it go.... Why do you take the fish out of the lake in your boat have it weighed and pics taken & not get the fish validated by the GFP????? It don't add up. I dont believe for 1 min any of those obsessed anglers are gonna release that WR so there competition can catch it next month (they all have to big of a ego for that). Had any been over 22.04 (the last 3 or 4 caught had stories or things that didnt add up) It would have made the books and been on a wall or in a tank already.

Thats why todays standards are so high to make it ROCK SOLID and have no uncertainty in it, Which there will be until that fish is at a lab gone over by a state biologist.

Mattlures reply :

I agree that we have some stupid laws but you are exagerating. First nobody tells us how we can set our thermostats,lol. They may encourage us to use less energy but thats about it. And the reason for not being able to transport live fish is so people cant move them from lake to lake.Moving species can realy screw things up. I have never been checked by a ranger looking to see if I killed my fish before leaving a lake. But If I caught the WRB and took it home alive you could bet the F&G would ticket me and that could possiblt jepardize the the acceptance of the record.

As for the fish being released, thats a personal descion. Some guys would release it after it was verrified and wittnessed by enough credible people and photod a thousand times. I personaly feel I would keep the fish. Not because of ego but becuase it would validate the record to be able to have the dead fish on hand. If possible I would want to put it in a bass pro aquarium. Not even for the money. I just think it would be cool. As for Avid not getting it, Well it seems he is the one who is hung up on the record not me. I dont make it a CA vs GA of FL thing. I dont realy care. I have said it already the IGFA says its the record and I accept it. What part dont you guys understand? There are certain FACTS about the record that have always bothered me. not opinions and not feelings but facts.

#1 there is no picture of George and the fish.

#2 Nobody has ever found Jack Page to interview him or validate him as a wittnesIt basicaly comes down to Perry himself and the guy at the post office. Thats it. Thats all.

These are HUGE these are not just minor things that didnt matter back in 1932.

Am I not intitled to my doubts? Give me a break! I can list many other things that dont add up and make a verry strong case against the record but at the end of the day I cant prove he didnt catch the fish. Like I siad before I dont know what I believe but I do accept Perry's 22.4 bass as the record. Soo AVID YOU GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!

PS. This is just a debate so dont take it personal. I am not excited or upset over this at all. just a discusion.

Marc reply :

If the right person catches a validated world record largemouth bass, and under the right circumstances, then I am confident that it will be worth well over $1 million.

The person needs to understand the situation, and be prepared for it. Live on-the-water, well-taken photographs with a quality camera are worth a lot of money for a long time. I would shoot as many different pictures as possible. If someone lies about the products that helped them catch the world record, it will likely backfire and hurt their financial chances. The path to the reward is to use the right products in the first place. From the perspective of the record bass, the right products will likely be necessary.

The more people that see the live bass at the lake, the better. Many states will not let you transport the fish beyond the waters edge. A violation will likely nullify the record.

If the angler is well-known (not necessarily a "pro") as a good stick, and the angler is presentable and has speaking skills, then there will be plenty of opportunities to earn a paycheck speaking at events. The magazine articles and public exposure is worth cash to manufacturers of products that played a role, but only the large ones with big marketing budgets and high-volume lure manufacturing capabilities will pay a lot of money.

Berkley can manufacture a ton of a particular lure in a hurry to meet the mass demand that is likely to occur. People who have never bought a fishing lure in their life will buy the lure that caught the world record just to give to the bass angler in their family or their friend. The problem is that most companies have no hope of producing the products fast enough to capitalize on the window of opportunity.

The person had better be prepared to be demonized. The fish will likely have to be killed, and kept frozen for later testing and verification. Even the carcass dimensions are worth money (to fiberglass mold makers, and for research purposes). The angler will get hate mail and speech from those who don't like the fish being killed, even though the person has the legal right to do so. Relationships will be strained, privacy will be lost, and people will come out of the woodwork to steal some of your glory and money. Jealousy will be encountered on a daily basis, and all the attention (wanted or not) will make the angler appear self-centered and egotistical just by relating their experience to those who want to know.

If the angler is lucky enough to be able to keep the fish alive, and legally transport it, the bass will be worth a small fortune to the venue that can display it and use it to attract people. Hopefully if caught in a state that doesn't allow live transport, an exception to policy (permit) will be granted allowing the State to transport the fish alive for research and public relations. Ideally I would love for the State Dept. of Fisheries be allowed to showcase the fish alive to promote fishing in general.

Of course, on the other hand, if the wrong person catches this record it could be the most expensive catch and nightmare the person would ever hope to have.

ciao,

Marc

Mattlures reply :

Marc well put. I agree. Like I siad before, the money will have to be earned by the angler after the catch.

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