"Best" = "Best".  You can say "best in this water", or "best in this state", or etc...  but there is only one "Best, period".  ("Best bass" is allowed.)

I count the biggest fish of any species as my PB for that species. Doesn't matter to me where it was caught. Logically bigger fish waters are going to produce bigger fish. I do appreciate that a 9lb bass from New England is more impressive than a 9lb bass from Texas or Florida. 

I don even know what my personal best is . I have weighed very few bass . I   have probably two hundred maybe three hundred six lb plus bass  . I had my first confirmed seven lb fish mounted over thirty years ago  . I have my personal best listed between 8 and  9 because I just think that a few of those  fish has hit 8 lbs .

Heaviest fish weighed by species; 

Fresh water,

Northern LMB 12 lbs 4 oz. 

Floridia strain LMB 19.3 lbs.

Smallmouth bass 6 lbs.

Rainbowctrout 10 lbs 2 oz.

Musky 37 lbs.

Tom

On 3/28/2016 at 11:10 AM, Josh Smith said:

Many years ago and many miles south I caught a largish 9lb, 13oz largemouth.

There is probably no way I'd ever beat that in Northern Indiana, so I count the largest I've caught here from public waters.

Do you do anything similar?

Josh

Indiana in general is tough to get big numbers on anyways. I just caught my personal best last night actually. 6lbs 3oz. and that was enormous to me. I told my wife that in Indiana it'll be hard to beat and likely take a long time. I think I read somewhere that bass in Indiana average about 1/2lb a year growth, so that fish was about 12yrs old. 

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Heaviest fish weighed by species; 

Fresh water,

Northern LMB 12 lbs 4 oz. 

Floridia strain LMB 19.3 lbs.

Smallmouth bass 6 lbs.

Rainbowctrout 10 lbs 2 oz.

Musky 37 lbs.

Tom

 WOW

The only thing I do is separate largemouth from smallmouth.

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Heaviest fish weighed by species; 

Fresh water,

Northern LMB 12 lbs 4 oz. 

Floridia strain LMB 19.3 lbs.

Smallmouth bass 6 lbs.

Rainbowctrout 10 lbs 2 oz.

Musky 37 lbs.

Tom

I wish my over all pb list looked like that!

My biggest northern largemouth is 10.3 pounds

Never caught a Florida strain lergemouth

Smallmouth, a measly four pounds

Rainbow, 6.8

Muskie, never caught one

Channel catfish, 15.3 pounds

Crappie, only 15 inches

Bluegill, 12.5 inches

Wiper, fourteen pounds

Striper, never hooked one that didn't break my line

Flathead, 36 pounds

Never caught a blue catfish.

 

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Heaviest fish weighed by species; 

Fresh water,

Northern LMB 12 lbs 4 oz. 

Floridia strain LMB 19.3 lbs.

Smallmouth bass 6 lbs.

Rainbowctrout 10 lbs 2 oz.

Musky 37 lbs.

Tom

Pictures? You can't just leave us hanging

PB 10lb LMB. 4:30/5am.

numerous pickerel between 29" / 32". During the morning 9am.

A crappie the size of a five gallon bucket lid. Full moon evening.

 

1 hour ago, Wbeadlescomb said:

Pictures? You can't just leave us hanging

I am not Tom(WRB), but I have 1 of his pics hosted for him.....

Jeff