States With The Largest Reported Largemouth Bass Catch
The largest largemouth bass catch ever recorded in America's history weighed 22 lbs and 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 and 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.
1992 was a great year for shattering records in this category, as it was the year where the 3rd and 4th biggest catches occurred, one at 18 lbs, and 2.8 oz and the other at 18 lbs and 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
The smallest record is attributed to Alaska's Sand Lake by an anonymous angler, with a whopping weight of 0.5lbs. It is also the most recent catch to be recorded in 2018. Another recent catch was recorded in 2016 in Washinton's Lake Bosworth by Bill Evans, coming in at 12 lbs 8 oz.
Alaska enjoys diverse wildlife and it is interesting to note that the record is so small for this state, although this does not paint the entire picture. Largemouth Bass is traditionally found in warmer climates and waters, such as Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. It gives them ample breeding grounds and the necessary habitat to breed and exist within a flourishing ecosystem. As such, fish that thrive in colder climates are more suitable in Alaska, which is well-known for its wild salmon. The waters of Alaska are so fresh that it is said you could pull a salmon out of the water and take a bite out of it without fearing any disease or problems. Alaska was also one of the last states to be admitted to the union, so there is a lot of history that may not have been recorded.
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 20 of the top 25 largest largemouth bass in the country. It also holds much of the country's population of small-mouth fish. Tennessee is second on the list for smallmouth, accredited with 14 of the top 25 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.