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World Record Smallmouth Bass
D.L. Hayes, Dale Hollow Lake, TN. Weight: 11 lbs, 15 oz.
On July 9, 1955, D.L. Hayes caught the world-record
smallmouth bass, weighing 11 pounds and 15 ounces, while trolling a
pearl-colored Bomber at Dale Hollow Lake near the Tennessee-Kentucky
boundary. Here is a photo
of the catch from 1955, and a photo
of the mount in 2005 (scroll down the article to see the mount).
This almost 50-year-old record was challenged and dismissed in 1996 but then later reinstated in 2005. That happened after an affidavit submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated that Hayes’ fish had only weighed 8 lb 15 oz and that he had stuffed three pounds of metal in the fish's mouth and stomach to make it a record. The affidavit was only discovered 40 years later, and it caused the IGFA to remove Hayes' name from the record books.
However, after a lengthy investigation, both the IGFA and the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame reinstated the record.
Here are links to interesting articles about the prize bass, and the controversy that has now been resolved.
Smallmouth bass world record turns 50 by Taylor Wilson.
IGFA
Reinstates 50-Year-Old World Record Smallmouth by Richard Simms, December
13, 2005.
Ready to catch a world record prize bass? Getting the right guide can help. Here are lListings of fishing guides by State. You can add your listing by sending your information -->contact us<--
If you're a fishing guide, this is a great place to list your business. Thanks! PrizeBass.com
National
WMI Bass Fishing Guides - Huge list of fishing guides organized by state.
Florida
- All Florida Fishing Trophy bass trips on central Florida's best lakes