Certified weight: 10.12 kg. = 22 lb. 5 oz
Length: 29.4 inches
Location caught: Lake Biwa, Japan

This was just on the TV news about an hour ago, so this is all the info I have. Mr. Okamura, the president of Deps Tackle Co., helped with the interview; I did not catch the anglers name.

We are well past the spawning season when most of the giants are caught at Lake Biwa; most of the fish now are quiet slender (after spawn condition). Not this one!





Congrats to the angler on a fine catch.

Lake Biwa shocked the bass world a couple years ago by producing a bass that was well over 18 pounds (The Japan record was caught at Lake Ikehara, and weighted over 19 pounds.).


A 25 lb. bass was caught as by catch in a fisherman's net earlier this year, so many thought it would be just a matter of time before a record size fish was taken from Japan's largest (over 70 miles long) natural lake.

HOLY SMOKES THATS HUGE!!!!!

lol, i remember hearing about them stocking bass in japan a long time ago. i guess it was, over-all, considered a junk fish much like americans over-all consider carp junk. here bass is great and there carp is. that's too funny.

FROM BASSMASTER WEBSITE:

Seventy-seven years and counting. That's how long George Perry has sat atop the record books in the largemouth bass category, but he may be sharing his perch if a recently caught Japanese bass is as big as has been reported.

The story comes out of Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture of Japan. The bass reportedly weighs 10.12 kilograms or a little less than 22 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 73.5 centimeters (nearly 29 inches). No girth measurements are available at this time.

Manabu Kurita is reportedly the fortunate angler. He is sponsored by Deps, a Japanese fishing tackle manufacturer. If his catch holds up, it would be the biggest legally caught certified largemouth in history (Perry's fish weighed 22-4) ... and a tie with Perry's catch as the International Game Fish Association's all-tackle world record.

A tie? That's right. According to IGFA regulations for record fish weighing less than 25 pounds (such as all of the black bass subspecies), the replacement (record applicant) must weigh at least two ounces more than the existing record. The Japanese fish that is subject of such interest and inquiry today outweighs Perry's fish by less than an ounce.

"A catch which matches the weight of an existing record or exceeds the weight by less than the amount required to defeat the record will be considered a tie," according to the IGFA.

Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan, covering some 259 square miles, and is said to be one of the oldest lakes in the world. It is surrounded by mountains and renowned for its beauty and deep (more than 300 feet), crystal clear waters.

Biwa and its bass population have been in the news in recent years as Japanese officials work to ban and eliminate invasive (nonnative) species from the lake. In fact, the Lake Biwa Museum restaurant offers black bass as a menu item.

The previous Japanese bass record weighed 19.15 pounds and was caught by Kazuya Shimada from Lake Ikehara on April 22, 2003 on a swimbait.

That is awesome, incredible. How long will this one stand? 77 years?

I just peed in my pants a little.

hopefully its legit & not set up somehow...cuz it'll make for one heck of an advertisement opportunity for the company ...

no doubt a helluva mutant hog none the less

Simply amazing, never thought Japan would be the home of the new world record.

I dont really doubt the record but Id be willing to bet they say it was caught on some Deps lure regardless...

My thoughts exactly, but it is a GIANT fish. I never knew about the 2oz. rule for IGFA world records.

Japan....home of "Godzilla", now soon to be home of "BASSZILLA!!!"

That thing looks like it eat someones lunch box!

Holy cow, I wanna catch one of those!!!!!!

wow.....

what kind of rule is that.... 2oz

beating it beating, 1/4oz, 1/2oz, 1oz, it still beat it. to me, that's no tie if it is just fractions bigger.


wow....... still wow....

Check out the crankbait in the picture. It looks like the one sold inf the informercials and in the back of Outdoor Life!

And he caught it on 4lb mono! Just kiddin'

wow, it is a huge fish... tough to say if it will hold..