Fish Record, Again

Catch a fish, weigh it, measure, get it in the record book.

Then someone else comes along and claims you cheated. Lose your record.

Finally, after years, your name is cleared and your record is reinstated.

See this story:

The world record for heaviest smallmouth bass taken on rod and reel — one of the most controversial and often discussed titles in the outdoor community — has been returned to the original holder from 1955.

While fishing Dale Hollow Lake on the Tennessee/Kentucky line on July 8, 1955, Hayes, caught the biggest smallmouth bass of his life. He brought it to a nearby marina, which weighed the catch at 11 pounds, 15 ounces and measured it at 27 inches long with a 212/3-inch girth.

Then, a affidavit was filed that alleged the fish was stuffed with three pounds of metal to reach the record weight. The record is taken away.

[R]ecent documentation, including polygraph results, was supplied to the IGFA indicating that Hayes never tampered with his fish and [affiant] may have made out his affidavit as retaliation against the marina where the fish had been weighed.

Further investigation also found that the dimensions of Hayes’ fish would make it very unlikely to weigh only 8 pounds, 15 ounces.

Gorman’s fish was 261/4 inches long with a girth of 211/2 inches.

Someone just please catch a larger fish and put this controversy behind us.