Bryan Shishido with a 10.27 pound spotted bass caught on April 21, 2001 at Pine Flat Lake. It holds both the California and IGFA World record for spotted bass. Bryan was fishing an American Bass, Big Valley Region Team Tournament and hooked the winning fish with a 187 Senko made by Gary Yamamoto. |
Have you ever caught a big fish and wondered if it is a record? Angling records are broken every year and some never even make it into the books due to minor technicalities. The CDFW requires the following process for an angling record to qualify:
- - The fish must be legally taken under the provisions of a current, valid California sportfishing license.
- - The fish must be examined by an employee of CDFW.
- - The facts regarding the capture must be recorded on a form FG 737A (California Inland Water Angling Record Verification). This form must be signed by a permanent CDFW employee. (In signing this form the employee is conditionally certifying the authenticity of the record.)
- - Following conditional certification, the new record application must be reviewed and approved by CDFW's Fisheries Branch. In the event of any dispute regarding the authenticity of any application for any reason, the determination of the Fisheries Branch shall be conclusive.
- - Photographs of the fish are strongly recommended but not necessarily required. Nor do we require that the fish be killed as part of the authentication process. However, the employee signing the form FG 737A should inform the prospective new record holder that in the event of a dispute regarding species, size, or other information related to the legitimacy of the record, the fish may be required for ultimate resolution of the dispute. It is the responsibility of the angler to retain the fish in a condition for possible further examination until the new record has been officially acknowledged.
California Inland Water Angling Records: Rules and Procedures
California Inland Water Angling Record Verification Form (FG 737A)
|
Species |
Weight |
Angler |
Location |
Date |
Bass, Largemouth |
21 pounds, 12 ounces |
Mike Arujo |
Castaic Lake |
March 5, 1991 |
Bass, Smallmouth |
9 pounds, 13 ounces |
Harold Hardin |
Pardee Reservoir |
July 3, 2007 |
Bass, Spotted |
10 pounds, 4 ounces |
Brian Shishido |
Pine Flat Lake |
May 3, 2001 |
Bass, Striped |
67 pounds, 8 ounces |
Hank Ferguson |
O'Neill Forebay |
May 7, 1992 |
Bass, White |
5 pounds, 5 ounces |
Milton Mize |
Ferguson Lake |
May 8, 1972 |
Bluegill |
3 pounds, 14 ounces |
Michael Holoubek |
Rancho Murieta Reservoir |
June 22, 2008 |
Catfish, Blue |
113 pounds, 5 ounces |
Steve Oudomsouk |
San Vicente Reservoir |
April 27, 2001 |
Catfish, Bullhead, Brown |
4 pounds, 8 ounces |
Gary Dittenbir |
Trinity Lake |
October 7, 1993 |
Catfish, Channel |
53 pounds, 8 ounces |
Randall Gilgert Jr. |
San Joaquin River |
September 22, 2008 |
Catfish, Flathead |
72 pounds, 14 ounces |
Billy Joe Potter |
Colorado River |
April 22, 2003 |
Catfish, White |
22 pounds, 0 ounces |
James Robinson |
Land Park pond |
March 21, 1994 |
Crappie, Black |
4 pounds, 1 ounce |
Wilma Honey |
New Hogan Lake |
March 29, 1975 |
Crappie, White |
4 pounds, 8 ounces |
Carol Carlton |
Clear Lake |
April 26, 1971 |
Corvina, Orangemouth |
37 pounds, 0 ounces |
Dick Van Dam |
Salton Sea |
July 15, 1988 |
Croaker, Sargo |
4 pounds, 1 ounce |
Mike Leonte |
Salton Sea |
1972 |
Grayling, Arctic |
1 pound, 12 ounces |
Don Acton |
Lobdell Lake |
August 27, 1974 |
Minnow, Carp |
52 pounds, 0 ounces |
Lee Bryant |
Lake Nacimiento |
April 1968 |
Perch, Sacramento |
3 pounds, 10 ounces |
Jack Johnson |
Crowley Lake |
May 22, 1979 |
Pumpkinseed |
1 pound, 0 ounces |
Dave Smith |
Mountain Meadows Reservoir |
August 4, 1998 |
Salmon, Chinook |
88 pounds, 0 ounces |
O. Lindberg |
Sacramento River |
November 21, 1979 |
Salmon, Chinook - Inland |
20 pounds, 15 ounces |
Sally Nachreiner |
Trinity Lake |
July 16, 2013 |
Salmon, Coho |
22 pounds, 0 ounces |
Milton Hain |
Paper Mill Creek |
January 3, 1959 |
Salmon, Coho - Inland |
8 pounds, 1 ounce |
Hoshua Giordano |
Lake Oroville |
March 3, 2012 |
Salmon, Kokanee |
5 pounds, 2 ounces |
William Brush |
Lake Tahoe |
July 20, 2013 |
Salmon, Pink |
8 pounds, 11 ounces |
Mike Daily |
Sacramento River |
September 22, 2001 |
Shad, American |
7 pounds, 5 ounces |
Craig Stillwell |
West Branch of the Feather River |
May 9, 1985 |
Sturgeon, White |
468 pounds, 0 ounces |
Joey Pallotta |
San Pablo Bay |
July 9, 1983 |
Sunfish, Redear |
5 pounds, 3 ounces |
Anthony White |
Folsom South Canal |
June 27, 1994 |
Sunfish, Warmouth |
0 pounds, 15 ounces |
Russell Jacobs |
Hensley Lake |
May 21, 2004 |
Tilapia |
6 pounds, 0 ounces |
Gary Horton |
Palo Verde Lagoon |
April 5, 2007 |
Trout, Brook |
9 pounds, 12 ounces |
Texas Haynes |
Silver Lake |
September 9, 1932 |
Trout, Brown |
26 pounds, 8 ounces |
Danny Stearman |
Twin Lakes |
April 30, 1987 |
Trout, Bull |
9 pounds, 11 ounces |
James McCloud |
Lake McCloud |
May 1968 |
Trout, Cutthroat - Wild |
31 pounds, 8 ounces |
William Pomin |
Lake Tahoe |
1911 |
Trout, Golden |
9 pounds, 8 ounces |
O. Benefield |
Virginia Lake |
August 18, 1952 |
Trout, Lake |
37 pounds, 6 ounces |
Robert Aronsen |
Lake Tahoe |
June 21, 1974 |
Trout, Rainbow |
27 pounds, 0 ounces |
Frank Palmer |
Lake Natoma |
October 2, 2005 |
Trout, Rainbow - Domestic |
28 pounds, 5 ounces |
James Harrold |
Private lake |
January 3, 2006 |
Trout, Steelhead |
27 pounds, 4 ounces |
Robert Halley |
Smith River |
December 22, 1976 |
Whitefish, Mountain |
3 pounds, 1 ounces |
Gregg Harris |
Lake Tahoe |
January 24, 2004 |
Un-official Records
These catches did not make it into the DFW record books for various reasons but are still noteworthy catches.
Species |
Weight |
Angler |
Location |
Date |
Bass, Largemouth |
22 pounds, .5 ounce |
Bob Crupi |
Castaic Lake |
March 12, 1991 |
Salmon, Coho - Inland |
10 pounds, 2 ounces |
Jerry Chapman |
Lake Oroville |
December, 2005 |
|