Fishing

California Angler Shatters Bass World Record

ROLLICK, C.A. (April. 1) - It appears that the early bird might just get more then the worm. Just ask Marc Deliar. The Northern California angler reeled in a world record-breaking Largemouth Bass from Fiction Lake, a small lake in Rollick, CA., on April. 1. The showcase bass, weighing in at 23 pound, 9 ounce, measured 27.78 inches in length and 19.65 inches in girth. Deliar caught his record breaker on a custom rod, using live bait.

The fish was weighed on certified scales at The Country Store in Rollick. Positive identification of record-breaking fish often can be a collaborative effort among agencies, as was the case with California's latest freshwater fishing record. While fisheries biologists with the California Wildlife Resources Commission tentatively identified the fish as a Largemouth Bass, it was sent to David Caper, research curator of fishes for the CA. Museum of Natural Resources, to confirm identification.

The second confirmation by Caper was a precautionary step taken to confirm identity of species and measurements because of the magnitude of the record being broken.

The second confirmation will also assure that the fish is not a hybrid between two closely related species, which may result in higher rates of growth and survival to record sizes.

"Because the amount of time that this record has stood and the possible effects in the fishing industry, we never want to take chances with misidentifying a fish," Caper said.

The previous world record bass was caught near Jacksonville, Georgia on June 2, 1932 by George Perry. It weighed 22 pounds 4 ounces and was caught from an oxbow lake off the Ocmulgee River called Montgomery Lake.

To qualify for a state record, anglers must have caught their fish on a hook and line, must have their fish weighed on a certified scale witnessed by one observer, have the fish positively identified by a qualified expert from the Commission and submit an application with a full, side-view photo of the fish.

Discuss this on the message boards Click Here

Note: The above information may be speculative, based on misinformation, contain inaccurate data, or could be entirely fabricated depending on how savvy the reader may be, what today's date is, or the degree of gullibility exhibited by any reader of this release. In the case of a more savvy reader there would be 7 clues to the fact that this release may in fact be of the previously mentioned nature. Click Here to guess the 7 clues.