Discover the Largest Largemouth Bass Ever Caught in Kansas

Are you daydreaming about catching the largest fish you’ve ever seen? Well, you’re in good company because most anglers can’t wait to land a record-breaker. If you’re itching to get your rod and line out, here’s some inspiration in the form of the largest largemouth bass ever caught in Kansas.

What Is the Largest Largemouth Bass Ever Caught in Kansas?

The largest largemouth bass caught in Kansas weighed 11.80 lbs and measured a whopping 28.5 inches in length. Tyson Hallam caught it in a private pit lake in Cherokee County in March 2008. Tyson used a rod and reel with a pig and jig to land that record-breaker.

How do we know this for certain? Well, all potential Kansas state records have to be verified by a Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism fisheries biologist or regional fisheries supervisor. It’s hard to cheat the system! Certified scales are needed to weigh the fish before it’s frozen and a clear photograph is required.

You might hear anglers contesting the largest largemouth bass fishing record. It’s possible they may have landed a bigger fish, but without independent verification it doesn’t count.

Where Is Cherokee County Located on a Map?

Cherokee County is situated in Kansas’s most southeast corner. It is close to the state borders with Missouri in the east and Oklahoma in the south. The county’s seat is Columbus and the most populated city is Baxter Springs.

What Is the Biggest Fish Ever Caught in Kansas?

The heaviest verified fish ever caught in Kansas was a paddlefish that weighed an enormous 144 lbs. Clinton Boldridge caught that heavyweight in 2004 in Atchison Co. Pond. To put it into perspective, it was roughly the same weight as a red kangaroo or a mountain lion!

While we’re on the subject of fishing record-breakers, Hazel Fey of Toronto has held the largest black crappie caught in Kansas since 1957. If you’re looking to break her long-standing record head to Woodson State Fishing Lake and try your luck with a live minnow.

What’s the Largest Largemouth Bass on Record in the World?

The largest largemouth bass ever caught weighed 22 lbs 4 oz and the title is shared between two men.

In 1932, George W. Perry caught his 22 lb 4 oz largemouth bass in Montgomery Lake, Georgia, and 77 years later in 2009 Manabu Kurita from Shiga, Japan matched it on Lake Biwa. His largemouth bass also weighed 22 lbs 4 oz.

George Perry received $75 worth of fishing equipment for his record and rumor has it the fish fed his family of 6 for two dinners.

If anyone beats this current record, they stand to win over a million dollars, so it’s all to fish for!

What Tackle Should I Use to Catch Largemouth Bass?

Expert anglers say that to catch largemouth bass you should use large bait because big fish tend to eat less frequently than tiddlers, waiting for a decent-sized meal to appear before they grab it. This article from the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society found largemouth bass were more open to predation on cobbles than vegetation, so when you’re fishing for largemouth bass try an area with lots of cover.

They spend their time hunting in reeds or vegetation, but smallmouth bass hover around the edges of vegetation often chasing prey into clear water. If it’s a big largemouth you want, head to murky waters and tempt them with large bait.

Largemouth Bass vs. Smallmouth Bass: What’s the Difference?

At first glance, these two fish are very alike in shape and they are both live in freshwater, but as you’ll see they are two very different fish.

Smallmouth bass are brown with vertical stripes, whereas largemouth bass are usually mottled green with horizontal stripes. Their color can be influenced by their habitat, so the name is the easiest way to distinguish between the two.

A largemouth bass has a large jaw that extends past the eye whereas on a smallmouth bass the mouth stops in line with its eye. They have different dorsal fins too. If you spot a break between the fins that’s a largemouth.

Where Are the Best Lakes for Largemouth Bass in Kansas?

Kansas is one of the best states for largemouth bass because nine of its lakes are highly rated for bass fishing.

Here are four of the best lakes that have consistently produced the biggest largemouth bass over the years.

La Cygne Lake

La Cygne in eastern Kansas holds a good number of largemouth bass mainly due to its plentiful underwater vegetation that creates perfect living conditions for large fish.

This fish-heavy lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet and anglers report that 16-inch largemouth bass are common in the hot water areas. When bass are spawning it’s particularly good.

Wilson Reservoir

Wilson Reservoir in central Kansas has a very high catch ratio. It’s best known for smallmouth bass, but there are plenty of largemouth bass lurking there too.

Milford Reservoir

Milford Lake is the largest man-made lake in Kansas with a 15,709 acre surface area to go bass fishing. Frank Evans Jr holds the Kansas state record for smallmouth bass and he caught it at Milford in 2010. It weighed 6.88 lbs and measured 21.5 inches!

It’s one of the top places to hunt bass in Kansas because the lake is full of rich vegetation and fertile water. Beginners and experienced anglers routinely catch largemouth, smallmouth, and striped bass here.

Melvern Reservoir

Each year, more largemouth bass emerge from Melvern reservoir in southeast Kansas and it’s getting a reputation for fine fish.

There are numerous rocky outcrops and shorelines just perfect for largemouth bass to reside in. It’s a prime target for serious anglers with 7,000 acres and a max depth of 60 feet.

These lakes are some of the prime bass fishing spots in Kansas. However, there are plenty of other lakes there bursting with largemouth bass.

If you’re miles away from the top fishing lakes don’t despair. It’s worth remembering the record holder for the largest largemouth bass ever caught in Kansas hooked his whopper in a private pit lake!

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/stammphoto