World Record Largemouth Bass

There are two principal record-keeping organizations for freshwater fish: the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) and the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum (HOF). Neither has a sterling history with regard to maintaining bass fishing records.

Founded in 1939, IGFA maintained saltwater fishing records for many years before taking responsibility for freshwater records from Field & Stream magazine in 1978. Field & Stream’s long-running Big Fish Contest (1910-1977) was the source of its record entries, which were adopted by IGFA.

IGFA maintains All-Tackle, Line Class (conventional tackle), Tippet Class (fly tackle), and Junior (ages 11 to 16) and Smallfry (ages 10 and under) bass records. Line Class and Tippet Class records are divided between men (M) and women (W). Junior and Smallfry records are divided between male (M) and female (F). There are 33 world record largemouth bass categories in the IGFA record book. Currently, the IGFA all-tackle world record for largemouth bass is a tie between George W. Perry and Manabu Kurita. Fifteen of the 33 record holders were recorded in California, and four of the Line Class and Tippet Class records are currently vacant. Meredith J. McCord holds six of the records, and Robert Crupi holds four. No other angler holds more than two. For more information, visit igfa.org.

The HOF began keeping records in 1974 and maintains “World Fresh Water Sportfishing Records of North America.” That’s right, HOF “World” records are from North America only. We are not making this up.

HOF records are divided between “kept fish” and “catch & release,” including all-tackle and line class records for rod and reel, fly fishing, pole and line (no reel) and ice fishing (pole/line and tip-up) within both divisions. As a result, the HOF recognizes 56 different world records for largemouth bass. Check their record book. You may already be a winner!

The HOF also has categories for “Foreign Caught World Records” and “Catch and Release Foreign Records,” but none of the Micropterus (“black bass”) genus is currently included. As a result, Manabu Kurita has no share of the HOF’s all-tackle largemouth bass record.

Seventeen of the 56 HOF record holders were recorded in California, 12 in Florida, and six in Wisconsin. Javad Trew holds six HOF world records, and Robert Crupi holds three. No other angler holds more than two. For more information, visit freshwater-fishing.org.

Even though the two primary record-keeping organizations have overlapping histories and took most of their initial records from the same source (Field & Stream), there is very little overlap among the largemouth bass records and record holders. Both organizations recognize George W. Perry as having at least a tie for the all-tackle world record. Robert Crupi and Raymond Easley are the only other anglers holding records with both the IGFA and the HOF.