Howdy folks, I don't do the freshwater side often, but after reading the junk in the latest Texas Fish & Game, a question popped in my head.
What is the opinion here if this was to happen. A World record largemouth was caught, kept alive, verified as a record, then released. Say it was tagged so it can be recognized. Say the next year it was caught again by a different angler and was say 8 oz heavier. Question is, should that person get the title of being the new record holder for catching the same fish? Or should it be only by catching a different fish?..........I read the Pro/Con section of Fish and Game, both points justified my opinion that the mag should be put to a quick death, it's getting to be an real bad........but again, new fish, new record or same fish heavier, new record?

why the same fish won't count cause she has no fear of the hook now. LOL

Really if I caught a fish that someone else released it is now mine and I caught it so get out the record book cause the fool that let it go is just that a fool.. that's why they have the TPWD to come put them on a breading program.
Or just EAT that monster, then you can say I ate the biggest fish that use to swim in this water lol we all know no one wants to eat those basses

[This message has been edited by puttman (edited 01-25-2004).]

What if someone caught a fish that was a few ounces under the record, tagged and released it, next year someone catches it and it now is the record.

Second person would without a doubt get the honor.
I'd think the same would apply with a record fish.


Good post, If i ever catch a record I'll be sure to turn it over to TPWD for breeding

Unless a millionaire catches the next
world record bass, it won't be released.
Anybody that says he would is a lying
SOB.
If the fish survives all the handling ,
it will be displayed at someplace like
bass pro shops, (remember Ethel ?)
Johnny Morris paid Mark Stevenson a
lot of money to display that fish. Imagine
the amount of money that would be paid
to display a new world record.
I hope the new record is caught by a
poor crappie fisherman on a zebco and a
minnow, and not by some hotshot tournament
bass pro.

I will go and see that 120 lb blue cat
at Athens. I found it really funny that
the Tyler paper had a huge picture of a 13
lb bass caught on fork (accidently by a
crappie fisherman) Along with a 1/4 page
article about that fish. Underneath that
was much smaller picture of the New
world record catfish with just a few lines
of story. This fellow was out there fishing
for exactly what he caught. He will probably
get some free line from BPS and maybe some
small $ from the rod and reel manufactures,
but nothing like he would get if it was
the holy grail of freshwater fishing "
the next world record bass "

Just my opinion
MO

If caught the world record I would be
yelling...SHOW ME THE MONEY
SHOW ME THE MONEY!!
Time to get paid for all these years of
fishing and not getting grap.This
will pay off my fishing debt and keep
wife happy for week or two.Mabye?
YOUR FRIEND
THE SKEETER MAN


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think of it this way... you release a record or to/be record fish, just so that you can catch 'em again when they are even healthier. not just the fact of being a good person and spreading the good genes

Well with all the hoop-la from that guy that said he had the new world record, I am under the impression that if there is a new world record it will be killed for some sort of study. I think they are going to check the DNA or something to make sure that it is a largemouth and not some home grown steriod freek. I would have to go back and check the posts on it to make sure.

As far as the question at hand I would not mind one bit that someone catches the fish that I had made my Millions on. You have to look at this way more than likely that fish has been caught somewhere sometime in her life so I'm just making mine off someones elses generosity by letting her go the First time. If I caught the big mama everyone would know that she was mine by the jewelry that she would be wearing because I would buy her a Big Diamond stud to wear instead of some ugly ole tag

If she is cuaght again then who ever caught her is the new record holder

It's neat to hear all the different opinions on what to do, what would happen and so on. Realize the lucky person would become a millionaire, However.........I was just wondering what the opinions were on if it was released and caught again and weighed more than the first record breaking weight. Would guess the diamond stud would have to come of to get an acturate weight. ....... GMR and Joe D, same fish, new record, in your opinions. How would that effect the sponsers of you and the new record holder?......again all hypothetical, neat comments though.

Most fascinating discourse! In all probability,once it is established as a world record, if it is caught in Texas, it would end up in Athens or some similar facility, for all to see and to breed it to death!

Caught in any other state, who knows? I too hope if and when it is caught, it will be by a "weekend warrior" who fished only because the "Honey Do" list was done, the wife was having a frau gathering,he was going to be underfoot anyway, and the sports on TV just didn't appeal to him that Saturday afternoon.

Rudy

I really think that after catching it I would get it to the nearest certified scales, take a few quick photos and a couple of quick measurements then slip her back into the water near where she was caught.

NOW, I say that and mean it, because I caught a monster once, she weighed 13.02 pounds. Everyone at the marina went crazy, including myself. She was handled and photographed and even stuck with a needle to get her bladder back to normal. When the T.P.W.D. came to get her about 21/2 to 3 hours later, she had been, what we thought was TAKEN CARE OF! We were gentle with her and except for holding her up right, no one really tried to touch her. We rotated and took turns keeping her upright til they came for her. I was, to say the least extremely excited about the fish and all the recognition I got and the fact that I would receive a fiberglass replica. Stoked was an understatement! That was on Saturday, Feburary 26, 1996.

The next tuesday night I received a call from the person in charge at Athens, she told me that my fish had died. I was and am still overwhelmed with grief because of it. I don't tell many people this, but,,,, I cried,,,like a dear friend had died. By keeping that fish and everything that we did to her,,, she died. Still sitting here writing this I'm getting all emotional.

I've been there,, done that! Now my fish wasn't a record, lake or otherwise. But I've been fishing ALL MY LIFE,,, and have always dreamed of catching a fish like that! And somehow,,, in all the glory of seeing her,, me holding her in front of all those people,, having all my dreams come true, I had failed. You can say this or you can say that,,,But I know that if the good Lord ever blesses me with a true world record, I will in fact do what I said,,, and release her!

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Do you know CPR ? I do! Catch, Photograph, Release.

IGFA regs say the fish must be killed and gutted to insure there are no artifical wieghts in the
fish. TP&W got special permission to
xray that 121 lb blue cat from texoma, and
keep the fish alive.
So anybody that wieghs and releases a 24
lb bass will not get IGFA recognition.
Good luck
MO

bummer... stupid igfa... thier rules are too complicated anyway... soo many classes to compete in

All of this talk about record bass got me to thinking. Although I love to fish, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught a record bass, being a crappie and catfish kinda guy. I keep seeing the words certified scales and such. Where does one find such scales? Are they at certain marinas on certain lakes and if so, where do I find that information? What if I'm night fishing for crappie and just happen to land the "whoa mama" of bass? What is the process for submitting the fish for the record? Normally I wouldn't worry about it, but now my curiosity has been peaked.

Well TOO, I guess I would become the has been but still have a title of former world record holder and hopefully the sponsers that that gave me the money would still be with me because I haven't gotten a big head and stayed humble. I hope the next person that caught her would be as elated as me and if my sponsers dropped me for them, I hope they would be kind enough to throw me a bone for giving them the opportunity.

I think if someone catches it, and it beats the current record, its a new record.

I never realized I could become a millionare if I caught a world record bass, anyone want to trade a bass boat for a bay boat?

Can you imagine the controversy if this actually happened?
I can easily say now "I released it, it's his record"
But I'm not sure that's how I'd respond if it actually happened.
Who thought of this?
Someone thinks of fishing way TOO much

good post!