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.
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
| State | Weight | Location | Angler | Year Caught |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Alabama | 16 lbs, 8 oz | Mountain View Lake | Thomas Burgin | 1987 |
| Arizona | 16 lbs, 7 oz | Canyon Lake | Randall White | 1997 |
| Arkansas | 16 lbs, 8 oz | Mallard Lake | Ann Mardis | 1976 |
| California | 21 lbs, 12 oz | Lake Castaic | Micheal Arujo | 1991 |
| Colorado | 11 lbs, 6 oz | Echo Canyon Reservoir | Jarrett Edwards | 1997 |
| Connecticut | 12 lbs, 14 oz | Mashapaug Pond | Frank Domurat | 1961 |
| Delaware | 11 lbs, 10 oz | Wagamons Pond | AJ Klein | 2016 |
| Florida | 17 lbs, 27 oz | Unnamed Lake | Billy O'Berry | 1986 |
| Georgia | 22 lbs, 4 oz | Montgomery Lake | George Perry | 1932 |
| Hawaii | 9 lbs, 9.4 oz | Waita Reservoir | Dickie Broyles | 1992 |
| Idaho | 10 lbs, 15 oz | Anderson Lake | Mrs. M.W. Taylor | N/A |
| Illinois | 13 lbs, 1 oz | Stone Quarry Lake | Edward Walbel | 1976 |
| Indiana | 14 lbs, 12 oz | Unnamed Lake | Jenifer Schultz | 1991 |
| Iowa | 10 lbs, 14 oz | Lake Fisher | Patricia Zaerr | 1984 |
| Kansas | 11 lbs, 12.8 oz | Private Pit Lake | Tyson Hallam | 2008 |
| Kentucky | 14 lbs, 9.5 oz | Highsplint Lake | Mark Ward | 2019 |
| Louisiana | 15.97 lbs | Caney Lake | Greg Wiggins | 1994 |
| Maine | 11 lbs, 10 oz | Moose Pond | Rodney Cockrell | 1968 |
| Maryland | 11 lbs, 6 oz | Huntington Farm Pond | Colton Lambert | 2013 |
| Massachusetts | 15 lbs, 8 oz | Sampson Pond | Walter Bolonis | 1975 |
| Michigan | 11 lbs, 15.04 oz | Big Pine Island Lake | William Maloney | 1934 |
| Minnesota | 8 lbs, 15 oz | Auburn Lake | N/A | 2005 |
| Mississippi | 18 lbs, 2.4 oz | Natchez State Park Lake | Anthony Denny | 1992 |
| Missouri | 13 lbs, 14 oz | Bull Shoals Lake | Marvin Bushong | 1961 |
| Montana | 8 lbs, 12.8 oz | Noxon Rapids Reservoir | Darin Williams | 2009 |
| Nebraska | 10 lbs, 11 oz | Sandpit Near Columbus | Paul Abegglen Sr. | 1965 |
| Nevada | 12 lbs even | Lake Mead | Micheal R. Geary | 1999 |
| New Hampshire | 10 lbs, 8 oz | Lake Potanipo | G. Bullpit | 1967 |
| New Jersey | 10 lbs, 14 oz | Menantico Sand Wash Pond | Robert Eisele | 1980 |
| New Mexico | 15 lbs, 13 oz | Bill Evans Lake | Steve Estrada | 1995 |
| New York | 11 lbs, 4 oz | Buckhorn Lake | John L. Higbie | 1987 |
| North Carolina | 15 lbs, 14 oz | Private Pond | William H. Wofford | 1991 |
| North Dakota | 8 lbs, 7.5 oz | Nelson Lake | Leon Rixen | 1983 |
| Ohio | 13 lbs, 2 oz | Private Pond | Roy Landsberger | 1976 |
| Oklahoma | 14 lbs, 13.7 oz | Cedar Lake | Dale Miller | 2013 |
| Oregon | 11 lbs, 1.6 oz | Ballenger Pond | B. Adam Hastings | 2002 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 lbs, 3 oz | Birch Run Reservoir | Donald Shade | 1983 |
| Rhode Island | 11 lbs, 3.2 oz | Johnson's Pond | Brandon Migliore | 2016 |
| South Carolina | 16 lbs, 2 oz | Lake Marion | P.H. Flanagan | 1949 |
| South Dakota | 9 lbs, 3 oz | Hudson Gravel Pit | Richard Vierick | 1999 |
| Tennessee | 15 lbs, 3 oz | Chickamauga Lake | Gabe Keen | 2015 |
| Texas | 18 lbs, 2.8 oz | Lake Fork | Barry St.Clair | 1992 |
| Utah | 10 lbs, 2 oz | Powell Lake | Sam Lamanna | 1974 |
| Vermont | 10 lbs, 4 oz | Lake Dunmore | Tony Gale | 1988 |
| Virginia | 16 lbs, 4 oz | Connor Lake | Richard Tate | 1985 |
| Washington | 12 lbs, 9 oz | Lake Bosworth | Bill Evans | 2016 |
| West Virginia | 9 lbs, 9.9 oz | Dog Run Lake | Eli Gain | 2001 |
| Wisconsin | 11 lbs, 3 oz | Ripley Lake | N/A | 1940 |
| Wyoming | 11 lbs, 9 oz | Kleenburn Ponds | Caleb Salzman | 2018 |