In February, Keith Bryan caught a 10.48-pound spotted bass from New Melones Reservoir in California. Recently, he received word that his fish has been declared the new IGFA all-tackle world record for the species as well as the 8-pound-test line class record.
Bryan, the president of Powell Rods, a Novato, Calif. based rod manufacturer, was competing in a two-day California Tournament Trail pro-am event, which he won thanks in large part to his record catch on the first day of the tournament.
“I am speechless at this moment,” said Bryan. “I already felt like I had lived a dream by winning a pro-am event that day, but to have that fish be declared a world record is something I would have never dreamed of being a part of.”
Bryan caught the bass on a wacky-rigged Senko in about 10 feet of water. He had inserted a 3/32-ounce nail weight in the nose and rigged it on a size 2 Gamakatsu Wide Gap Weedless Finesse Hook. He threw the rig on a Powell Inferno spinning rod and a Shimano Sahara reel filled with 8-pound-test braided line, tipped with a leader of 8-pound-test fluorocarbon.
“I am so proud and humbled at the same time by this notification, and I am absolutely beside myself with joy,” said Bryan. “I think it is a great thing for the entire northern California fishing community and for California as a whole that the world record was once again broken in our state.”
Bryan remains realistic about how long his record will stand. He said with as great a spotted bass fishery as California has become, that he’s proud to hold the record even if it’s just for a day.
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