It takes just the right combination of factors to produce a record fish of any species. Fisheries biologist Steven Bardin has dedicated his career to bringing better bass fishing to his clients and partners, including Major League Fishing. As the owner of Texas Pro Lake Management, he’s regularly called upon to evaluate and improve private waters, and he’s personally grown largemouth bass to 17 1/2 pounds.

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In the March-April 1997 issue of Sporting Classics magazine, the editor decided to play an April Fools' joke on his readership. An article in that issue — “Has Roy Greer Caught the New World Record Bass?” — told the fabricated story of a 22-pound, 7-ounce largemouth bass from South Carolina.

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The Bassmaster Classic is the biggest, brightest stage in competitive fishing, and every tournament angler dreams of holding up a giant bass as he walks across that stage. Preston Clark not only dreamed it, but he did it bigger and better than anyone in history. Here’s the story of the biggest bass ever caught in the Bassmaster Classic.

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The Bassmaster Classic is the biggest, brightest stage in competitive fishing, and every tournament angler dreams of holding up a giant bass as he walks across that stage. Only a very few anglers have lived that dream, but ironically, it didn’t always pan out quite the way they imagined. Here are the stories of the biggest bass ever caught in the Bassmaster Classic. In the first episode of this two-part series, the guys are joined by pro angler Ott DeFoe, who caught one of the five biggest ever Classic bass.

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The McMinn County Bassmasters tournament did not start well for David Presley. His outboard wouldn’t start. By the time he and his partner started fishing, it was almost two o’clock in the afternoon. Twenty-five minutes later, he had a bass that was not only big enough to win the entire tournament on its own, but also become a new state record ... or not, depending on what state he was in when he caught it.

Mentioned in the show:

Bass Fishing's 15-POUND, 8-OUNCE Miracle on Ice! (https://youtu.be/jLbLOP9LYUA)

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California was long thought to be the state that would produce the world record largemouth bass. First, it was the San Diego lakes that profited from the 1959 Florida bass experiment conducted by Orville Ball. Shortly after, Lake Casitas, in Ventura County, was stocked in 1968, as was Lake Castaic in 1974. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, these fisheries were producing record-class catches that began to outshine the San Diego lakes. In this episode, we discuss what happened to the famed Lake Casitas and why it will never produce a record-class fish again.

Mentioned in the show:

Orville Ball and the Florida Bass Experiment (https://youtu.be/G_cXIShrvJc)

Jim Brown and California's BIG BASS EXPLOSION! (https://youtu.be/tJOayeGfd5c)

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Texas has been a destination state for big bass ever since the 1980s, when the Florida bass they introduced in the ’70s first reached teen status. But before Florida bass made their way to the Lone Star State, a bus driver from San Francisco held the top spot on the Texas lunker list, and he held it for more than 38 years.

Mentioned in the show:

Should Florida's State Record Largemouth be 20-02? (https://youtu.be/KNzmFnd4UFg)

H.W. Ross and his 23 1/2-POUND Largemouth BASS! (https://youtu.be/4Xa1LHi6S3I)

Orville Ball and the Florida Bass Experiment (https://youtu.be/G_cXIShrvJc)

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We dream of fame and glory if we’re fortunate enough to catch a world-record bass, but we want riches, too, and for decades we’ve been told that catching a world-record largemouth bass is worth a million dollars. Is it? And if a world record largemouth is worth a million dollars, what is a world record smallmouth or spotted bass worth?

Mentioned in the show:

Did this Comedian Catch the World Record Bass? (https://youtu.be/tVwIiEQwJlw)

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In 1923, using a Creek Chub Pikie, Fritz Friebel caught a 20-pound, 2-ounce largemouth bass from a natural lake in Pasco County, Florida. It was the first bass to be recognized as a “world’s record,” and it lasted for several years, eventually replaced by George Perry’s 22-4 in 1932 ... but there’s an argument that it should have lasted much longer.

Mentioned in the show:

H.W. Ross and his 23 1/2-POUND Largemouth BASS! (https://youtu.be/4Xa1LHi6S3I)

Did Florida Produce the World Record SMALLMOUTH Bass? (https://youtu.be/AYi9Gq_d_Ks)

This episode of The Big Bass Podcast features Billy Westmoreland, the greatest smallmouth angler of all time. Ken and Terry go into Westmoreland's life, how he started guiding at age 12 on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake, his two 10-pound smallmouths, his tournament career, and much, much more. It's a look back on a man who is the greatest trophy smallmouth hunter that ever lived.