HookedinFishing » What is Considered a Good Size Bass?

What is Considered a Good Size Bass?

A good size bass is anything bigger than the legal keeping limit of the state you are fishing in. This size varies state to state but any bass larger than the state’s limit would be eligible to be weighed in a fishing tournament. For most of the country a 2-3 pound bass would be a good size.

Largemouth bass being held above water

What is Considered a Big Bass?

Most anglers would consider anything larger than 5 pounds a big bass. A 5 pound bass would likely be a weekend angler’s personal best outside of California, Florida, Texas and few other southern states. A 5 pound bass will also make a professional angler very happy. In many professional tournaments the largest fish will be in the 5 pound range.

How Big is a Trophy Bass?

What is considered a trophy bass will depend heavily on the state you are fishing in. Most anglers consider 10 pounds the benchmark for a trophy bass. However if you look at the state records listed below you will see that 6 states have records smaller than 10 pounds. For this reason a more accurate way to judge a trophy bass is anything bigger than 75% of the states record is a trophy bass. This makes a trophy bass in California, Florida, and other large bass producing states closer to 12 pounds while a trophy bass in more norther states like Minnesota are 6 pounds.

What is the Biggest Bass Ever Caught?

The biggest bass ever caught was 22 pounds 5 ounces. It was caught at lake Biwa in Japan by Manabu Kurita. The International Game Fish Association requires a record to outweigh the past record holder by at least 2 ounces. So even though Kurita caught the largest bass ever his bass is considered a tie with George Perry’s 22 pound 4 ounce bass he caught at lake Montgomery in Georgia.

Largest Bass Caught by State

StateWeightLocationAnglerYear Caught
AlaskaN/AN/AN/AN/A
Alabama16 lbs, 8 ozMountain View LakeThomas Burgin1987
Arizona16 lbs, 7 ozCanyon LakeRandall White1997
Arkansas16 lbs, 8 ozMallard LakeAnn Mardis1976
California21 lbs, 12 ozLake CastaicMicheal Arujo1991
Colorado11 lbs, 6 ozEcho Canyon ReservoirJarrett Edwards1997
Connecticut12 lbs, 14 ozMashapaug PondFrank Domurat1961
Delaware11 lbs, 10 ozWagamons PondAJ Klein2016
Florida17 lbs, 27 ozUnnamed LakeBilly O'Berry1986
Georgia22 lbs, 4 ozMontgomery LakeGeorge Perry1932
Hawaii9 lbs, 9.4 ozWaita ReservoirDickie Broyles1992
Idaho10 lbs, 15 ozAnderson LakeMrs. M.W. TaylorN/A
Illinois13 lbs, 1 ozStone Quarry
Lake
Edward Walbel1976
Indiana14 lbs, 12 ozUnnamed LakeJenifer Schultz1991
Iowa10 lbs, 14 ozLake FisherPatricia Zaerr1984
Kansas11 lbs, 12.8 ozPrivate Pit LakeTyson Hallam2008
Kentucky14 lbs, 9.5 ozHighsplint LakeMark Ward2019
Louisiana15.97 lbsCaney LakeGreg Wiggins1994
Maine11 lbs, 10 ozMoose PondRodney Cockrell1968
Maryland11 lbs, 6 ozHuntington Farm PondColton Lambert2013
Massachusetts15 lbs, 8 ozSampson PondWalter Bolonis1975
Michigan11 lbs, 15.04 ozBig Pine Island LakeWilliam Maloney1934
Minnesota8 lbs, 15 ozAuburn LakeN/A2005
Mississippi18 lbs, 2.4 ozNatchez State Park LakeAnthony Denny1992
Missouri13 lbs, 14 ozBull Shoals LakeMarvin Bushong1961
Montana8 lbs, 12.8 ozNoxon Rapids ReservoirDarin Williams2009
Nebraska10 lbs, 11 ozSandpit Near ColumbusPaul Abegglen Sr.1965
Nevada12 lbs evenLake MeadMicheal R. Geary1999
New Hampshire10 lbs, 8 ozLake PotanipoG. Bullpit1967
New Jersey10 lbs, 14 ozMenantico Sand Wash PondRobert Eisele1980
New Mexico15 lbs, 13 ozBill Evans LakeSteve Estrada1995
New York11 lbs, 4 ozBuckhorn LakeJohn L. Higbie1987
North Carolina15 lbs, 14 ozPrivate PondWilliam H. Wofford1991
North Dakota8 lbs, 7.5 ozNelson LakeLeon Rixen1983
Ohio13 lbs, 2 ozPrivate PondRoy Landsberger1976
Oklahoma14 lbs, 13.7 ozCedar LakeDale Miller2013
Oregon11 lbs, 1.6 ozBallenger PondB. Adam Hastings2002
Pennsylvania11 lbs, 3 ozBirch Run ReservoirDonald Shade1983
Rhode Island11 lbs, 3.2 ozJohnson's PondBrandon Migliore2016
South Carolina16 lbs, 2 ozLake MarionP.H. Flanagan1949
South Dakota9 lbs, 3 ozHudson Gravel PitRichard Vierick1999
Tennessee15 lbs, 3 ozChickamauga LakeGabe Keen2015
Texas18 lbs, 2.8 ozLake ForkBarry St.Clair1992
Utah10 lbs, 2 ozPowell LakeSam Lamanna1974
Vermont10 lbs, 4 ozLake DunmoreTony Gale1988
Virginia16 lbs, 4 ozConnor LakeRichard Tate1985
Washington12 lbs, 9 ozLake BosworthBill Evans2016
West Virginia9 lbs, 9.9 ozDog Run LakeEli Gain2001
Wisconsin11 lbs, 3 ozRipley LakeN/A1940
Wyoming11 lbs, 9 ozKleenburn PondsCaleb Salzman2018