Largemouth Bass Record by State 2024

States With The Largest Reported Largemouth Bass Catch

The largest largemouth bass catch ever recorded in America's history weighed 22 lbs. 4 oz. The fish was caught in the state of Georgia at Montgomery Lake in 1932 by a man named George Perry. While it may be interesting to note that it was a very long time ago, the number two biggest catch occurred in California, at Lake Castaic. The lucky angler was Michael Arujo, who had caught the fish back in 1991, weighing in at 21 lbs. 12 oz.

Georgia and California have some of the biggest largemouth basses by size in the entire country. This tends to skew the results in terms of competition, as more mutations are prone to develop with the biodiversity available in these two states.

It can be noted that 1992 was a great year for shattering records in this category, as it was the year where the third and fourth biggest catches occurred, one at 18 lbs. 2.8 oz. and the other at 18 lbs. 2.4 oz. Respectively, this occurred in Texas' Lake Fork, credited to a man named Barry St. Clair. Number 4 was in the Natchez State Park Lake in Mississippi, by an experienced fisherman named Anthony Denny.

States With The Smallest Reported Largemouth Bass Catch

Alaska is the only state that does not provide largemouth bass size data. Because the fish is traditionally found in warmer climates and waters, such as Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, it is expected that largemouth bass wouldn’t be seen so far north. Other fish thrive in colder climates and are more suitable in Alaska, which is well-known for its wild salmon. Alaska was also one of the last states to be admitted to the union, so a lot of history may not have been recorded.

Of the remaining states, five have records of largemouth bass catches within the state where the fish was less than ten pounds. North Dakota has the smallest with an 8 lb. 7.5 oz. bass being caught in 1983. Minnesota (8 lbs. 13 oz.), South Dakota (9 lbs. 5 oz.), Hawaii (9 lbs. 9.4 oz.), and Montana (9.58 lbs.) are the remaining states. Again, this is due to the climate of these states, Largemouth bass are less likely to be caught in these states.

Largemouth Bass Populations

California takes the prize in this one. The state of California is the only western state where largemouth bass are both plentiful and large. California has caught twenty of the country's top twenty-five heaviest largemouth bass. It also holds much of the country's population of small-mouth fish. Tennessee is second on the list for smallmouth, accredited with fourteen of the top twenty-five biggest catches on record. In general, fishing practices and a warm climate seem to be conducive to creating some of the best records ever achieved.