Rattletrap

I'm chilled dude. Cool as a Texas cucumber.

If that fish was caught or hooked deep in the summer and fought hard but got off, the bladder might be the reason the fish floated. If you never seen fish float dead, you must not get out on the water vary much. The fish kill, LMBV had thousands floating. Read your bold black statement. I'm on the water a lot and I don't remember the last time I have seen fish floating. Seeing floating dead fish does not dictate how much you are on the water. Seeing floating dead fish would dictate more that you might have a problem with the water. Which you did, with a Virus in the lake. BTW, I have never made a comment that Georgia has a chance at breaking their own record. I did say we will own it for a long, long time from now. Bass just don't last long after they hit the 20lb plus weight. They are old and ready to die by then. Most of the 20lb plus die after being released also. Because of that, Georgia will hang on to the WORLD RECORD a little while longer. Remember, the new record has to be 22lb 6oz. I don't see that happening for a long time. Maybe never. Cali has been talking world record since Zimmerlee's 20lb fish caught in 1972. That's 34 years of the 70 year old record. It's Georgia's record for a long time to come. Have fun trying to break it though. It makes for a lifetime of bass fishing.

Matt. You made the statement that if I don't see dead fish floating, I'm not on the water a lot. Your comment insinuated that seeing floating dead fish all the time was normal. Like I said, if you see a lot of dead fish floating something is wrong with water. and it's not normal. Viruses killing fish is not normal either. If you see that a lot, again I would not be fishing on that nasty lake. You should not be seeing dead fish floating everytime you go fishing unless there is a problem. PS, I know about the virus in Texas, and it's not normal.

Now. I'm not saying that people have not seen big bass dead and floating. That can happen. If your are seeing dead bass(any size) floating every fishing trip. That's scary. That water is bad. BTW, I believe that those 20lb plus bass that are caught die after being released. Not all of them, but the odds are not good. They are too old to handle the stress of being reeled-in any more. IMO remember. Plus I have read something about it, and I have seen it posted on this site before.

RW. That's right. The next World Record LMB has to weigh-in at least 22lbs 6oz. I forgot about that.

If you see a lot of bass floating, there is something wrong. If you see a lot of fish floating, something is in the water killing the fish. That's not normal dude. I don't want to fish in that nasty lake your fishing.

Matt. We all know that it's warm weather, and lots of available protein that produces big bass. The north does not have the longer warm seasons that's required. That high protein trout is the reason for the more numerous catches of 20lb bass. That's just the facts of life, but cali should not get penalized for it. The trout were stocked for the Trout fishermen. You can't blame Cali for the bass eating them, Right?

Paul Duclos has been a tropy bass hunter for a long time. You know what the record is if that's what your chasing. He used bathroom scales that apparently read 24lbs, he takes a photo and releases the bass. He is either a liar, or the dumbest bass fisherman alive. I believe its the former. He would have found certified scales if he thought it broke 22lb 4oz. After all he was an avid trophy bass hunter right? Is he a dummy, or a liar?

I believe if you don't catch them soon after they hit the 20lb range they die. The odds are, you will not see them floating. Bass die all the time. How often do you see any bass floating. I can't even remember the last one I saw. The turtles and other scavengers get to them pretty quick. The majority will die of old age before they hit 22lb 4oz. That's why Georgia will hold the record for a long, long time. Hopefully another 70 years. Don't stop trying!!!

The Big Bass are dying before they hit 22lb 4oz.

The Trout stocking program in California is geared toward the Trout fishermen. It so happens that the Bass like to eat them. There's a lot of protein in them there Trout.

Check it out!!!! This link has Perry's bass, Zimmerlee's bass and Duclos' so called 24 pounder. http://www.backwoodsbound.com/ybigbass.html

I guess that measurement stuff does not work. I never tried it out in the field yet. It must be something about how dense the fish is also. Oh well. As long as the record stays in the US. Right?

I'm just a little over zealous with this record thing. I don't like agruing with my fellow bass fishermen. I apologize if I offended anybody. I just hope the record remains in the United States. Keep on Bassin!!! Tightlines!!!

I saw a photo of a tournament going on in Japan. It was hard to see the water with all those boats in it. Talk about fishing pressure.

I'm not sure about your F-1 stuff, but Largemouth bass are native to the East coast. George Perry's was a native LMB. It was not stocked. All states West of the Mississippi got stocked. Georgia has been stocked (to replenish the natives that have been there from the beginning of time) since George Perry's record, not before. Georgia's owns the all natural World Record LMB. Hopefully for 70 more years. Man, all you guys getting upset because Georgia maintains the record. There is more to life than Bass fishing. ;D

Rattletrap, You don't know squat, Cali doesn't have any programs in place for Bass. If you know of some, please post them. What human help? What facts? Cali stock trout in the winter for everday people to catch. IE.....they make alot of money off of park use fees and fishing permits each time you go, not like in my state, you only need a fishing license once. In So Cal., every time you go fishing, you need a day use permit, fishing permit, and a ramp fee if launching a boat. What are the bass eating in the spring, summer, and early fall? Not stocked trout. Only the ones that survived, and most of them averaged a half pound when stocked have grown. So that would eliminate some bass that feed on trout. Those that do survive (trout)go as deep as 70 ft to escape summer temps and that means those super bass would be living that deep also which I don't find hard to believe, cause in the winter we would fish 50ft deep on a regular basis. Those are the facts!!!!!!! And the fact is, yours don't add up. Thank you Matt_Fly. 20lb bass did not just appear in the 90's. Before the 90's you did not here anything from Cali. It was the human help of stocking non-native Florida strain bass into Cali lakes. Human help man. Facts again....

Whatever.... Georgia owns the record. And we will own it for another 70 years hopefully.

The bottom line is. Perry's bass was a freak of nature for Georgia. That's why you don't see fish coming close to that weight now. The excuse used to discredit Perry's record because there have been no other 20lb plus bass caught since then is weak. 20lb bass are not the norm without some kind of big bass producing program. Which was not happening back in Perry's day. The only reason Cali is producing big bass is because of the program they have in place. Which I think is a good program. But without it, Cali would not even be mentioned as big bass state today. 20lb bass are not the norm without human help. That's the facts.

Earthworm. If Cali breaks it, they break it. I just hope the record stays in the United States. If Japan ever takes it, I'll be telling California to stock more trout. ;D

Chris. I thought the weights would be pretty similar if the fish are identical in L & W. I'll have to start measuring and weighting to see what I get.

California started producing 20lb plus bass in the early 90's. I can't believe they have not broken it yet. They must be dying before they reach the world record weight. The record might not ever get broken with a live fish. Somebody will eventually try and use a world Record floater, saying they caught the dead fish. I can see it now. Yep, as soon as I put it in the live well it went belly up. It was alive when I caught it . Trust me??? ;D ;D ;D

bass calculator on this sitemost of them are based upon his record. I'm trying to figure out your reply. Bass weight calculations are based on math, not Georgia's record.

It's not been caught yet and it keeps breaking the line. I don't no. IMO. 18lbs is close enough in my book. BTW, Georgia does not have an enlargement program to produce numerous 20lb bass like California. Our state is all natural, so you will not see fish like that being produced in numbers. George Perry's was one of a kind. A freak of nature for this state. There might not be another one out there. It's just a freak of nature that happens to be held by Georgia as the World Record.

WRONG Matt. You use the bass calculator on this site, and it actually weights less than the World Record weight at 21.6225lbs. Which is close enough to the real weight. Georgia still owns the record real or fake. Even if there was positive proof with photos, people other than Georgia residents would still be arguing the facts. Georgia has the record, that's all that matters. Break it if you can. ;D ;D ;D