Possible World-Record Spotted Bass Caught in California

Keith Bryan, owner of Powell Rods, won a team bass-fishing tournament last month on New Melones Lake in California, but even more noteworthy was the fact that one of his fish could be the new world-record spotted bass.

A story from Bassmaster says Byran’s fish originally weighed 10.48 pounds on the tournament scale—a few ounces over the current world record set in 2001. But by the time Bryan weighed the fish on an International Game Fish Association (IGFA) certified scale, it lost some weight and only registered 9.91 pounds.

Convinced the fish’s first weight was correct, Bryan submitted a world record application to the IGFA and requested the agency inspect the tournament scale to see if it met the weight-certification requirements. So far, the agency has reportedly certified the tournament scale used to weigh the fish the first time was accurate, though determining whether Byran’s catch will be the new world record may take a few months. Whatever the IGFA decides, Bryan says he’s enjoying the congratulations.

"They called it the new 'unofficial' world record, and I was freaked out," he said. "I couldn't stop shaking. The tournament director was screaming. Everybody was taking pictures, flashing their phones, telling me to turn around over here, look over there, face this way, step that way. I mean how great is that — a little guy, fishing a little circuit with a monster big league fish."