Did George Perry really catch the world record???

[Jigger]

On June 2nd, 1932 on Georgia's Montgomery Lake George Perry allegedly caught a 22lb 4oz Largemouth Bass that holds the world record to this day.

Do you belive he really caught a fish that big? Why or why not (optional). I wish I knew how to do those polls but go ahead and vote whether you tell me why or why not. I'd like to see how the voting goes.

[Fish2win]

It does not matter. It is the world record that is recognized . There has been controversey about this fish and the 11lb 14oz smallmouth the was caught at Dale Hollow for years. This fish was cooked and ate. The Smallie is mounted. I believe that the fish was real. I believe that the waters in that day and time were very capable of producing fish like this. I dont know if I believe that he actually caught it on a wiggle fish. I would be more inclined to believe a cane pole with a minnow, worm or craw. Whatever the truth is we will never know for sure. Regardless that is the mark we have to beat if we want to hold the world record.My question is what was the world record prior to Geo Perry's fish. Fish2win

[stevomac59]

No.......nuff said

[carolina-rig-01]

Originally Posted by Fish2win

It does not matter. It is the world record that is recognized . There has been controversey about this fish and the 11lb 14oz smallmouth the was caught at Dale Hollow for years. This fish was cooked and ate. The Smallie is mounted. I believe that the fish was real. I believe that the waters in that day and time were very capable of producing fish like this. I dont know if I believe that he actually caught it on a wiggle fish. I would be more inclined to believe a cane pole with a minnow, worm or craw. Whatever the truth is we will never know for sure. Regardless that is the mark we have to beat if we want to hold the world record.My question is what was the world record prior to Geo Perry's fish. Fish2win

me too...........

[Buzz Wing]

Originally Posted by Fish2win

I believe that the waters in that day and time were very capable of producing fish like this.

Regardless that is the mark we have to beat if we want to hold the world record Fish2win

Part One: Yes, I am in total agreement with you, F2W. I think it would be neat to go back in the 1900's with our current equiptment and see how well we'd do. I think it would be an eye-opener as to what we have ruined.

Part Two: That is totally the point. Caught or not, it was recognized as the world record, and it is our duty to beat it if we wish to hold the world record. Look at what we're doing currently; how close we've gotten. Look at 'Dotti' for example. She was 25-pounds, correct? There's proof - there is a record.

-Buzz

[keithdog]

I don't really have any reason to doubt if it was the record or not. There must have been some verification to the fishes size. So I accept what I cannot disprove. Times were different back then. Hard to say why anyone would eat a bass that size. But I do know several folks who see no reason to catch a fish unless you plan to eat it. It's all in ones perspective. I would bet there were plenty of trophy bass back in those days, especially when you concider they didn't have the technogy and superior gear that we have today. Plus I would bet there are three times the bass fisherman today than back when the record was caught.

[BERKLEY83]

Originally Posted by fish2win

it Does Not Matter. It Is The World Record That Is Recognized . There Has Been Controversey About This Fish And The 11lb 14oz Smallmouth The Was Caught At Dale Hollow For Years. This Fish Was Cooked And Ate. The Smallie Is Mounted. I Believe That The Fish Was Real. I Believe That The Waters In That Day And Time Were Very Capable Of Producing Fish Like This. I Dont Know If I Believe That He Actually Caught It On A Wiggle Fish. I Would Be More Inclined To Believe A Cane Pole With A Minnow, Worm Or Craw. Whatever The Truth Is We Will Never Know For Sure. Regardless That Is The Mark We Have To Beat If We Want To Hold The World Record.my Question Is What Was The World Record Prior To Geo Perry's Fish. Fish2win

I Feel The Same Way

[Jim80]

Originally Posted by keithdog

I don't really have any reason to doubt if it was the record or not. There must have been some verification to the fishes size. So I accept what I cannot disprove. Times were different back then. Hard to say why anyone would eat a bass that size. But I do know several folks who see no reason to catch a fish unless you plan to eat it. It's all in ones perspective. I would bet there were plenty of trophy bass back in those days, especially when you concider they didn't have the technogy and superior gear that we have today. Plus I would bet there are three times the bass fisherman today than back when the record was caught.

you have to think in the 1930's alot of people that fished were doing it
to eat . it was more widely accepted to bring the days catch home to
cook , and there was definitely less focus on conservation in those times
and we most like have about 50 times more bass anglers per state as they did then and they are armed with stuff that fisherman back then couldn't
even dream of . I think if we do see another world record it won't be out
of a large lake simply because of over fishing and less skilled fisherman
damaging fish , but it will most likely come out of a large private pond at
some point or another .

[Fishnfool4evr]

Originally Posted by keithdog

I don't really have any reason to doubt if it was the record or not. There must have been some verification to the fishes size. So I accept what I cannot disprove. Times were different back then. Hard to say why anyone would eat a bass that size. But I do know several folks who see no reason to catch a fish unless you plan to eat it. It's all in ones perspective. I would bet there were plenty of trophy bass back in those days, especially when you concider they didn't have the technogy and superior gear that we have today. Plus I would bet there are three times the bass fisherman today than back when the record was caught.

Its probably closer to 10 times the amount of Bass fishermen today, I also believe that the world record will be broken since there are a lot of fishermen now that just go out for that 1 big one, suposedly they have already seen fish in the 25 to 30 lb class in some lakes out west, i just hope i get it first

[WTL]

We actually talked about this at G'ville.

22 lbs 4 ounces is the mark. It is like batting .400 in baseball, or like Maris' home run record before steroids. It is like a 100 point game in basketball. It is like 3 consecutive National Titles in football. And it is better than all those marks even.

That fish did not in fact weight 22 pounds 4 ounces. The scale it was weighed on was not good enough to determine that weight so exactly. It could have been 22 lbs 5 ounces, or 21 lbs 15 ounces. But it is the record. Complaining about it would be like saying Maris hit all those homeruns against weak pitching, or Wilt scored 100 just cause he was so big or something along those lines. It is the mark. The actual fish doesnt matter, what matters is the billions of hours fishermen have pursued that mark only to fail to reach it.

That is why I think the entire state of california should be ashamed. They are no different than juicers in baseball, except they use trout.

[Deacon]

Originally Posted by WTL

That is why I think the entire state of california should be ashamed. They are no different than juicers in baseball, except they use trout.

Think before you speak WTL...Are you saying that I should be ashamed of fishing in California? California just happens to ba a special place where trout and bass live in lakes together. We have a a great ecosystem that allows that to happen. So what if bass eat trout and get bigger. A little vitamen T goes well with our bass.

We are the only ones that have great bass fishing and not because nature intended it that way...Look at Texas...they have a fish famr that specializes in large bass.

You can also say fishermen that fish all the lakes in Mexico should be ashamed as well.....Dam them for their great climate and all the exceptional forage base they have......I am ashamed that those bass eat Tilapia. Just like Im ashamed our bass eat trout!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!

[Raul]

WTL puts it like if there was a Californian conspiracy to grow the next WR bass by feeding them intentionaly with trout, trout in those lakes are hatchery trout for the people to catch a truckload of trout on a fishing day and take it to their homes to eat, they are not dumped in the lakes to feed the bass.

The same applies to bass in Mexico, tilapia are stocked in the lakes for the commercial fishermen to catch and commercialize, not to feed bass, quite on the contrary, SAGARPA biologists considered bass to be a nuisance for carp and tilpia until not long ago, they didn´t see the potential social benefit that a well managed bass fishery could do to improve the income of the ejidatarios.

Why bass in Cali grow large ? because they are florida strain bass, don´t tell me that bass on the north don´t eat trout.

[bcklash]

I believe he did and hope nobody breaks it. It gives us all something to chase once it's broken the chase won't be the same. Like Maris's record, once Big Mac broke it, it wasn't the same when Bonds broke it again.---- Speaking of California arn't most of the trophy lakes private where the ave. bcklash or the ave. Raul or WTL can't fish there, giving a certain few a better shot at breaking the record. I hope I'm wrong on that.

[Raul]

The lakes are open to the public, Casitas, Dixon, Castaic, Otay, Miramar ( where those monsters come from ) can be fished by the averagae Joe.

The only difficulty with them is that many are open to the public only for a few days of the week ( not open all week long ) and in many you are limited to TM only ( no gas outboards allowed ).

[Bob Smith]

I, for one, don't dispute the record. We'll never know and as several on here have pointed out, it really doesn't matter "the bar has been set".
As for California, well the winter trout stockings were around long before they stocked the Florida Strain LMB. In fact, before the days of tournaments most California folks ate trout, lots of them! Fortunately for the bassfishing crowd the Florida strain Largemouth took advantage of these easy to catch and easy to swallow morsels of protein, plus a 12 month growing season and 'voila! Mega bass. The down side is a shorter life span than other parts of the country (except the Texas/Mexico border lakes).

Now my real ponderance goes back to G. Perry's era. The post master and his best friend convinced him to weigh the bass and submit it to the contest that was advertised in a magazine (Was it Pflueger? can't be sure). George needed a new rod and reel and that was his ticket. It just so happened to be a new world record too (unbeknownst to the lucky angler at the time of his contest entry). I don't know about the accuracy of the scales and it really doesn't matter now, but the part that gets me is how many other huge bass were caught and consumed back then? Some may have been even larger than the one that world record accolades! Those were depression days back then and times were very hard.

[JRL]

Originally Posted by Bob Smith

I don't know about the accuracy of the scales and it really doesn't matter now, but the part that gets me is how many other huge bass were caught and consumed back then? Some may have been even larger than the one that world record accolades! Those were depression days back then and times were very hard.

That sums it up for me.