Bill O’Berry has held the record for biggest Largemouth Bass caught in Florida for over 30 years. It wasn’t the largest Bass ever caught in a Florida waterway, but the record still stands today because O’Berry did the right things to certify it.
Angler Frederick Friebel had one of the first opportunities at setting the record. In 1923, Fred caught a Largemouth Bass he claimed weighed in at over 20 pounds. Even though he took a picture and weighed his catch on a postal scale, that wasn’t enough to certify the record. A Florida state biologist wasn’t there to verify it.
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Other talented anglers just weren’t thinking with their heads. Thomas A. Johnson caught a Bass weighing 21 pounds and 3 ounces in January 1975. Unfortunately, he must have worked up an appetite reeling it in because after the local paper photographed his catch, Johnson decided to eat the fish. Sadly, he finished his meal, along any chance of catching the record, before state officials learned about his accomplishment.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) is responsible for inspecting fish for record-holding purposes. A biologist with the commission identifies the species, and an FWC employee who can (but doesn’t have to) be that same biologist witness the weight as measured on a certified scale. While improved technology has helped with verification efforts, they have not replaced the in-person check as a vital step for confirming a record.
Some records are still wide open. If you can catch a 35 pound Common Carp, you’ll be filling in a vacant record ripe for the taking. But the Largemouth Bass record is still the crown jewel among anglers in the sunshine state.