Kudos to IGFA! They have done the right thing and I think Bassmaster magazine deserves a lot of the credit for documenting the real story. Glenn has the press release on the HOME page, but here are the bullet points:

* The official World Record smallmouth bass will be recognized as 11 lbs 15 oz

* 27" long and 21 2/3" girth

* Caught by David Hayes

* July 8, 1955

* Dale Hollow Lake

WOW now that is a smallie. I'm glad credit for such a great catch has been established.

Im really glad they acknowledged Hayes's record. I also credit Bassmaster for their story, and all the people that wrote in agreement of it.

Finally.  Way too long in correcting their faux pas.  Yes, I agree that Bassmaster probably had influence here.  Good for them, and great for Mr David Hayes

I'm glad they finally made the right decision on that.David Hayes caught that smallmouth fair and square,had it weighed on certified scales,the whole nine yards.IGFA should feel stupid for waiting so long to accept it.Good job!.......and man,what a fish!

Although I'm okay with accepting the fact that I will most likely never hook a smallie that big,I'd at least like to see one that big swim by my boat.

IT'S ABOUT TIME THEY CAME TO THEIR SENSES. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD TAKE THE WORD OF A HABITUAL LIAR TO BEGIN WITH.

GOOD NEWS FOR DAVID HAYES.

An interesting side note, but according to the fish weight calculator on this site, the SM should have weighed 13.1627025# -- I know it's just an estimate, but interesting never the less.

Roadwarrior it's official.

Now you know what you have to beat.

Wow!!! That's a monster!!! ;D ;D

I can't imagine reeling in a smallie that big.

I was reading about the musky records and all the shenanigans there. They used old pictures and had men of the same size as the men in the old pics pose with board cutouts to represent the the fish in the picures. Using modern photos of known official fish it turned out the records where way off. I liked that the one record wasn't even considered because the musky had bullet holes in it as the guy shot it to land it.

In Mr. Hayes' case, he still has the mounted fish!