Still no news from the IGFA on the potential world record from Japan. Bassmaster interviewed Mr. Kurita which was cool - you can watch at link below. It wasn't clear if they're interviewing him by where he caught the fish but it seems likely since there is a big bridge in the background.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4644453&categoryid=4445315

At the end of the interview, he says he has seen other bass that are bigger. That was cool.

Hello IGFA, I know you are taking your time and all but dang this is going on forever.

I just got this e-mail from the IGFA. It looks like we will finally get a decision in a couple hours!

January 8, 2010

Today, Friday, January 8, IGFA will release its decision on what may be the most significant record application in recent history.

On July 2, 2009 bass enthusiast, Manabu Kurita landed a 22 lb 4 oz largemouth bass from Japan’s Lake Biwa. This catch is eligible to tie the nearly 78 year old All-Tackle record caught in 1932 by George Perry.

Over the last five months, IGFA has been engaged in collecting a considerable amount of information and testimony from the angler, fisheries authorities and representatives from our sister organization, the Japan Game Fish Association.

Today (January 8, 2010) at 1:30 p.m. ET, IGFA will announce its decision, which will also be televised live by Bassmaster.com. Visit www.igfa.org for all the details.

Sounds like he is going to get it.

Done deal as a tie

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/live/kyte

Well, I think it's good. The tie for the world record makes things interesting. There was a good article on the catch in Bassmaster this month. Manabu Kurita said he'd hooked one he figured was 28lbs on a Roman Made Mother. I tend to believe it. By the sound of things, an uncontested world record may very well come from Japan soon.

Reading the article, I got the impression that Mr. Kurita fishes a similar program to Fish Chris. Bird dog with swimbaits to see if they will bite or at least show themselves, then camp out with whatever it takes bait or lure wise to catch the fish. Fishing like this is the most effective way to catch giant bass, there is no question.

That said, the fact that this giant bass was caught on bait doesn't make me very excited. Like when I think about all the giant bass I've seen through the years that could have easily been caught on bait. It just makes me shrug my shoulders. Catching bass on bait doesn't yield the same rush of adrenaline and the same feeling of satisfaction that lure fishing does.

One time a few years back Nico and I used live shad for bait. We had used swimbaits for several hours with no bites while fish crashed all around. Then we tossed out shad for 2 hours and caught over 40 bass with the best 5 around 35lbs. After the stupidity of it all wore off we threw swimbaits the rest of the day and caught two bass. Catching those bass on bait was no harder than catching stocked trout on salmon eggs in a creek, or flylining for calico bass in a wide-open chum bite. Truly, it reminded me of catching mackerel off the pier when I was 12.

So I see this giant fish and I am impressed and enjoy looking at the photos, but I picture it sucking down a 10 inch bluegill and my enthusiasm is dampened. If guys in So-Cal could, or cared to use large live bait, the record would have fallen many years ago. If I could, or cared to use live bait I'd have 20 over 15 pounds instead of a half-dozen.

Another chapter has been written in the chase for the world record bass, and I am glad. But now I say, let the chase continue :)

I wonder how long will it take to tie or break the record again? In 2-3 months (spawn)? A year? Or will it take another 70+ years? Hoping to see the record getting broken several times in my lifetime.

The live bait thing doesn't taint it much in my mind. A little bit, but not much. I don't agree that live bait is a magic bullet... yes it is a deadly weapon, but you still need to know something to wield the sword effectively unless you get lucky. I would agree it does open up the "get lucky" factor considerably.

Guys fish live bluegill for stripers in the delta ALOT (I don't), but you don't hear about too many teener largemouth eating them.

Where do you draw the line? I fly fished for stripers almost exclusively from 2001-2006, and I can tell you that many fly fisherman LOVE to look down their noses at other anglers, as they delude their egos into believing that they have reached the highest peak of angling challenge. Saltwater fly fishing with the 100' casts with shooting heads, etc... is kinda like riding a bike. Real hard, almost impossible, until you know how to do it. Then it's just another deadly weapon.

I can tell you one thing, for many catching a FEEDING fish that eats a live bait is alot less tainted than sight fishing a huge broodstock spawning female off of her spawning bed. Sight fishing spawning fish is celebrated by many, and despised by many.

But I won't throw any stones, when I was gillnetting bristol bay sockeye salmon we laid gillnets out across the final estuarine funnel, at the end of tidewater, and plugged the nets with perfect nickel bright chrome ripe salmon returning to spawn. But I was younger then....

Marcus