CyberAngler

The new photos and articles as well as videos on the new pending world record largemouth bass caught in japan on july 2, 2009, is at my site now. Delaware trophy Bass http://delawaretrophybass.com


NEW WORLD RECORD BASS
News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender
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News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender-wr2.jpg
Certified weight: 10.12 kg. = 22 lb. 5 oz
Length: 29.4 inches
Location caught: Lake Biwa, Japan
Angler: Manubu Kurita
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This was just on the TV news about an hour ago, so this is all the info I have. Mr. Okamura, the president of Deps Tackle Co., helped with the interview; I did not catch the anglers name.

We are well past the spawning season when most of the giants are caught at Lake Biwa; most of the fish now are quiet slender (after spawn condition). Not this one!

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News Flash--World Record Largemouth Contender-wr3.jpg
A Complete Gallery of ALL of the most UP TO DATE photos of this bass are available here in the gallery at http://www.delawaretrophybass.com/apps/ ... id=6437320

Congrats to the angler on a fine catch.

Lake Biwa shocked the bass world a couple years ago by producing a bass that was well over 18 pounds (The Japan record was caught at Lake Ikehara, and weighted over 19 pounds.).


A 25 lb. bass was caught as by catch in a fisherman's net earlier this year, so many thought it would be just a matter of time before a record size fish was taken from Japan's largest (over 70 miles long) natural lake.

More updates from the Deps site:

As best I can summarize before the actual translating: He (reporter) was returning from a previous trip and had been out late that night. The next day around 12 he got a call about the big bass and to hurry as it was over 20 pounds. He arrived with a camera crew. The fish was originally kept in a recirculating livewell but as the day wore on the power died and so did the fish ultimately. Originally they thought of donating the fish live to the local museum for tourism purposes. The fish is now frozen and awaiting certification process.

When the fish was landed, the hook(s) fell out right as he got it in the net. It is still unclear even from the translator whether it is a lure or live bait that was used.

It apears to not have been caught on the "Mother" swimbait as was originally speculated. It also appears to have been caught in deep open water.

ROD: SIDEWINDER THE DOM DRIVER F / E

LINE: TORAY SUPER HARD STRONG 25lb




Man Hooks 25-Pound Bass
Mac Weakley caught what could be a world-record largemouth bass March 20 in Escondido, Calif. The fish weighed 25 pounds, but Weakly needs official approval to see if he beats the 1932 record catch


(CBS/AP) A Southern California man has a fish tale which, if true, could give him one of angling's most cherished records.

Mac Weakley says he caught a 25.1-pound largemouth bass on Monday at Dixon Lake in Escondido, in San Diego County. After weighing it on a hand-held digital scale, he released it.

Weakley plans to pursue the record, even though the fish was foul-hooked, meaning the hook lodged in the fish's body, below the dorsal fin on the fish's side in this case, not in its mouth. He says it wasn't snagged intentionally.

Weakley also failed to measure the bass, another potential problem for Weakley officially being dubbed the record-holder.

But Jason Schratwieser of the International Game Fish Association said the group would consider the catch for a world record.

The biggest bass on record weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces. It was caught in 1932 by George W. Perry at Georgia's Montgomery Lake.
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To watch Weakley describe how he did it, click here.
http://bassfishingstories.webs.com
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According to CBS affiliate KFMB in San Diego, Weakley was fishing with longtime friends Mike Winn and Jed Dickerson. Dickerson caught a 21-pound, 11-ounce bass at the same lake in 2003. The men believe this is the same fish Dickerson caught, and that was also caught by another fisherman as a 20-pounder in 2001.

They say the fish has the same identifying black dot under its right gill plate.



Imagine losing a $1 million lottery ticket.

Carlsbad bass fisherman Mac Weakley may very well know that feeling after reportedly catching a largemouth bass at Escondido's Dixon Lake on Monday that exceeds the current world record, then finding out it may not be counted because of how it was caught.

A new world record bass would potentially bring millions to the lucky angler in product endorsements, tournament invitations, speaking engagements and publicity.

The existing world record largemouth bass, weighing 22 pounds, 4 ounces, was caught in 1932 in Montgomery Lake, Ga., Weakley's fish could have shattered that record with a weight of 25 pounds, 1 ounce.

Weakley was fishing near the Handicapped Pier at Dixon Lake when he saw the monster bass guarding a spawning hole in about 12 feet of water. He was fishing with buddies Jed Dickerson and Mike Winn. The trio had spent the night at the lake in order to be on the water at dawn, because they had spotted the big fish earlier.

"We were all trying to get her to bite and I saw my lure disappear and felt my rod go vertical, so I set the hook," Weakley said.

When an exhausted Weakley landed his prize, the fish was not hooked in the mouth, but his white Rattlesnake lead head jig was snagged in the fish's side. This may disqualify the bass from being recognized as a new world record.

Weakley photographed the fish, weighed it and then released it back into the lake.

"I wasn't in the photo of the fish because my arms were like jelly after pulling it out," Weakley said.

After examining the bass, Weakley thinks it might be the same fish that Dickerson caught three years ago weighing 21 pounds, 11 ounces. Just shy of the world record, the fish drew international attention and earned Dickerson near-celebrity status in the fishing world.

"The fish has a spot below the right eye just like Jed's fish," he said.

There may be other problems with the fish being certified as a new world record. The bass was only weighed on a digital hand scale and not on a certified scale, and no measurements were taken.

"It was all kind of a blur and I was really worried about not killing the fish, so we took lots of pictures and I really wanted to get it back in the water," Weakley said.

Robert Day of San Diego, a certified International Game Fish Association observer, said there may be problems with the Dixon Lake bass. Day was contacted Monday at the Golden State flycaster's conservation auction.

"It is my understanding that a snagged fish does not qualify, but I have not had time to check the rule books," he said.

Day said the fact that the fish was not weighed on a certified scale and no measurements were taken could also be a factor that would keep the fish out of the record books.

"If I thought I had a world record fish, I would not release it," he said.

If the International Game Fish Association does not recognize the fish as the new world record, it could set off a bass gold rush at Dixon Lake. Fishermen from around the world may come to get a chance at making the record books.

"It's going to be bumper boats up there tomorrow," Dickerson said.

Dixon Lake ranger Jim Dayberry said the news is spreading fast.

"It's going to be psycho around here, that's for sure," Dayberry said.

Spring is an active time for bass fishing as the fish prepare to spawn. Many anglers use a method of fishing known as sight fishing. They slowly cruise the lake's shallow waters and look for big bass sitting on nesting spots.

The latest news is in! It looks as if this bass is going to be disqualified as a new world record largemouth! If everything that is coming out of Japan and ICAST 2009 is true, then this bass will not be certified as a new world record by the IGFA. It appears as if this bass was caught in an off limits area of the Lake and the IGFA does not accept world records from areas such as this. Will George Perrys record still stand?/ Looks as though it might, giving a lot of California and Texas bass anglers a new ray of hope. Here we go again. I can't wait to see how this is going to turn out in the next few weeks. I wrote to the Japanese agency responsible for certifying the catch and here is their response as of July 31st, 2009.


UPDATE FROM JAPAN!! 7/30/09


The angler submitted a world record application to Japan Game Fish

Association. We are in the process of checking it; as soon as it is

confirmed of its validity, the application will be forwarded to the IGFA for a

world record. Because it was a very important catch, we need to take

enough time to make sure everything is correct and IGFA-legal.

Best regards,

Tsutomu Wakabayashi

Secretary-General, Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA)

Asahi Bldg. 2F, 1-11-2 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

150-0013 JAPAN

Phone:81-3-5423-6022

Fax. :81-3-5423-6023

E-mail: [email protected]

The complete story and videos will be available at the main site of Northeast Bass Fishing For Trophy Bass.

http://delawaretrophybass.com

UPDATE 8/27/09





Here is an email Matt Lures received from a very reliable source. He lives in Japan and owns a tackle store there. his name is Greg Vella

I have come to the conclusion that Japan will probably not allow the big bass to become a record (JGFA). There is just too much (political)　at stake, with the recent push to make all of Japan “catch and kill” for bass and bluegill. The Japanese government has spent millions of dollars on this program, which includes supplementing the income of the commercial fisherman at Lake Biwa.

> Letting Mr. Kurita’s fish become the new Japan record (JGFA) will send the wrong type of message to the taxpayer, and draw unwanted attention to the positive aspects of bass fishing.

>

> Here is where we stand:

>

> I mentioned before a about the distance from the bridge restriction ( the bass was caught near the Biwako Bridge)–It seems that his boat was not within the restricted area, but now they are saying they are going to DQ him because he CAST into the restricted area (which is not legally a “restricted” area anyway). I don’t understand? Lake Mission Viejo has a 20 foot from the dock no fishing zone, but that means your boat must not be withing 20 feet when fishing, not your cast. Another example would be the buoy line at Perris, or Casitas. As long as your boat is outside the buoy line, you can cast wherever you want.

> This is weak.

>

> What is weaker is that they are now saying the he “broke the law” to catch the fish due to his bait (a bluegill). Bluegill are not illegal to be used for bait (nobody cares), but they are illegal to release back into the lake alive. The bass “No Release” law includes bluegill and everybody is aware of this due to posted signs all over the lake. But they are now saying that Mr. Kurita “released” a bluegill back into the lake when he pinned it on his hook, and tossed it in front of the giant bass.

>

> This is really pushing it, IMO.

>

> What they don’t know, and I just found out today, is that Mr. Kurita is registered, like I am, to be able to release bass and bluegill.

>

> Even so, I sure they will make up something else; they do not want this fish to become a record, because:

> As of two days ago, the paperwork has not even been submitted to the IGFA.

> JGFA is saying that it must pass their scrutiny before he is “allowed” to submit to the IGFA; it should not be this way, as the IGFA is a separate entity.

> It seems it is catch 22 for Mr. Kurita.

>

> There is so much misinformation going around that it is sad, at best. The same type of people that said the Biwa Lake grow fat on all the salmon (there are none) are giving opinions on stuff they know nothing about.

>

> Hope all is going well for you,

> Capt. G

And here is something else that crossed my mind today. If he used Live Bait, which was a Coi, it weighed at least 4 ounces, probably more, and you would think that the bass swallowed it after being caught, which means it had at least 4 ounces added to it artificially by the angler when it was weighed. Should this really count?

BREAKING NEWS SEPTEMBER 15th, 2009
IGFA receives documentation, photos on pending world record largemouth bass caught in Japan
Weight matches current IGFA record held for 77 years by Georgia's George Perry
fishing tips, knots, white bass, fishing wallpaper, FLW, Stren, Bassmaster, BFL, WBT
Manabu Kurita hold his (pending) World Record Largemouth Bass.
Manabu Kurita hold his (pending) World Record Largemouth Bass.
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.
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 is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. IGFA members are located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its interactive Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida.

There still has not been any ruling on the pending record bass caught by Mr. Kurita at Lake Biwa.



It has been half a year; usually records are either approved or disapproved within a couple of months at best.

A new Japanese Yellowtail record (over 100 pounds!) was caught on Oct. 24, 2009, and it has already been approved...


But yellowtail record submissions do not have all the politics that largemouth black bass record submissions do here in Japan.

One of my sources in the know tells me that there is no way the JGFA will allow the grand fish to become a new Japan record--

Caught up in politics...-dsc04276.jpg

especially since it comes from "catch and kill" (catch and release of bass is illegal) Biwa Lake.



Interestingly enough, the IGFA is an autonomous body, and is supposed to make decisions regardless of what other (ie. JGFA) organizations allow/disallow.


Yet the IGFA has not rendered a final decision on this fish.


Steve Mras, multiple IGFA WR holder, emailed me the following:


No decision yet on possible record bass caught in Japan


The IGFA is still waiting additional information before making a decision for world record recognition on a 22 lb 4 oz largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), caught by Manabu Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan, from that country’s largest lake July 2. IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said the World All-Tackle application is still under review after it was received in mid-September through the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA). “We’ve been corresponding with the angler via our sister organization, the JGFA,” said Schratwieser. Besides being a non-profit fisheries, education and conservation organization, the 70- year old IGFA has long been the world’s recognized record-keeping body for over 1100 salt and fresh water recreational fish species. Schratwieser said the bass weighing 10.12 kg (22 lb 4 oz) was pulled from Lake Biwa an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto. Photos and video were also submitted with Kurita’s written documentation. If approved 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.




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Mr. Kurita has made a complete submission, with more info provided than many submissions that became records with no problem.

It makes one wonder what "additional information" the IGFA could be possibly be waiting for?



I have met Mr. Kurita several times in my tackle store in Aichi, Japan. He is an avid bass angler, with a passion for hunting big fish; it seems very unfortunate that such a fine catch that should bring so much controversy.

Nobody I talked to here can remember a JGFA record submission that has taken this long. I am not going to hold my breath on a ruling anytime soon.

http://delawaretrophybass.com

A lot has been written recently about Manabu Kurita, a 32 year old trophy bass hunter from Japan, about his catch of the new world record largemouth bass.

Manabu Kuita World record largemouth

In case you have been living in a cave, he caught a 22.311 pound largemouth bass on July2, 2009, from one of Japan's oldest lakes, Lake Biwa, a 165,000 acre lake, surpassing George Perry's long standing record of 77 years.

It is illegal to release bass back into the lake in Japan as the Japanese government considers them an invasive species and is trying to irradicate them and the Bluegill that reside there.

This however has nothing to do with the attitude of the majority of Japanese bass anglers or Manabu Kurita regarding this highly prized gamefish.

Manabu is one of my closest friends and has proven his dedication and honesty to me many times over in the past year.

Many of you may have seen the article that appeared recently in Bassmaster magazine on Manabu Kurita and his trophy hunting tactics.

Bassmaster Magazine

After this article appeared I got many comments on his methods from all over the world, some good, some bad, but, i will tell you now that there is no other trophy bass hunter alive today who is more dedicated and more commited to the pursuit and preservation of trophy largemouth bass than my friend Manabu Kurita.

He is shy and unassuming and his honesty is very refreshing.

He has taken more giant bass on swimbaits, the "Mother" in particular, which he designed himself, than most other anglers could ever hope to see in their lifetime.

Before he landed the new world record bass this year, he already held the lake record for Lake Biwa, with an 18 pound behemoth he caught in 2008 on the "Mother' swimbait.

Lake Biwa record 2008

If you would like to see all of Manabu Kurita's pictures, most of which can not be seen on any website, and talk with him in person, just stop in at Northeast Bass fishing For Trophy Bass website where he is a member and talk with him in the forums. You will not be disappointed!

Congratulations to Manabu Kurita. He is a true trophy hunter dedicated to the pursuit of world record bass like no other. I am proud to say that in the past year he has become one of my closest friends, Another person who helps him a great deal but receives no real credit is Reika Ishaguro who designs his website, communicates his thoughts and wishes to me and others, and also is a great angler in her own right.




Steve vonBrandt is the 1998 Big Bass World Champ and NAFC Hall Of Fame angler. He was a radio host and owned Delaware Tackle, A Bass Fishing Guide Service, and Anglers Radio before retiring in 2005.

The new Main website with videos is http://delawaretrophybass.com