World Record Spotted Bass Caught at Bullards Bar

The world’s largest spotted bass known to date, caught at a local reservoir on February 21st.

Fisherman, 74 year old Lou Ferrante says the only thing waiting is the official weight. the scale at the competition was not a certified scale.

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If the first scale is approved by the International Game Fish Association in Florida, then the heavier weight will stand if not, 10.95 pounds also eclipses the prior record of 10.48 pounds caught in 2014.

Ferrante has been a bass fisherman for 30 plus years and is a member of the Great Basin Bassers Club out of Reno Nevada.
He says his only prior experience at Bullards Bar was not a successful one.

Click here to listen to Lou Ferrante

The pair did not do any pre-fishing; they just showed up and started with the tournament Saturday morning. And it was his partner that put him in position to catch the record breaking bass. The two were fishing from his partner’s boat when his partner broke off a fish… and told Lou to move to the front of the boat… after getting hung up on the rocks himself and breaking his line, Lou went to re-tie his line… but intuition intervened…

Click here to listen to Lou Ferrante

Ferrante and his partner knew it was big fish… but had no idea it was an 11 pounder.

Lou Ferrante has sent the club scale to the IGFA. Jack Viteck, World Records Coordinator for the International Game Fish Association says the scale and application arrived this morning and it will take approximately two months to complete the certification process.

Ferrante caught the record bass on a rod he bought in 1985… and was using a Yamamoto Grub on a Darter head… he was near the bank in about 20 feet of water.

Lou Ferrante offers up a couple of fishing tips for other fisherman looking to hook a spotted bass. The first has to do with hiding the fishing line.

Click here to listen to Lou Ferrante

Ferrante’s second tip deals with setting up the Yamamoto grub on the dart head.

Click here to listen to Lou Ferrante

Lou Ferrante began bass fishing while living and working around Lake Havasu.