Possible world record largemouth to be announced Friday
Will this Japan bass be certified as the new world record largemouth?
The International Game Fish Association will announce its decision Friday regarding the world record application of Japan’s Manabu Kurita.
Bassmaster.com will carry live coverage of the press conference at 12:30 p.m. CDT.
On July 2, Kurita reportedly caught a 22-pound, 4.97-ounce largemouth bass from Lake Biwa, one of the largest lakes in Japan and one of the oldest in the world.
If IGFA approves Kurita’s application, his catch will tie the current record, a 22-4 largemouth caught by George W. Perry in 1932 from Georgia’s Montgomery Lake, an oxbow of the Ocmulgee River.
The 77-year-old record is one of the oldest, and certainly the most sought after, in all of sportfishing.
Kurita’s catch and application triggered one of the longest and most exhaustive investigations in IGFA history.
Since Kurita’s fish does not exceed the weight of Perry’s fish by more than 2 ounces, it is not eligible to qualify as a new world record, according to IGFA regulations.
Instead, if it is approved, the catch will be considered a tie with Perry’s fish.
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sure has a small mouth to be considered a largemouth