Taking Aim at a World Record Bass
April 1, 2005
In the world of angling, no fish is as highly coveted as George W. Perry’s all-tackle world record 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass.
Perry’s record catch took place way back on June 2, 1932 at obscure little Montgomery Lake in Telfair County, Georgia. Since then, legions of anglers have dedicated their lives solely to the pursuit of besting that catch.
Why all the fuss? First of all, a new world record largemouth is said to be worth millions of dollars in endorsements to whoever catches it.
Think of all the sponsors - everybody from tackle manufactures to boat builders to 4X4 truck makers to beer and tobacco companies - that would want a piece of the action. Along with the fortune, instant worldwide fame is also guaranteed.
The problem is, 23-pound bass don’t grow on trees. Perry’s fish aside, only 11 other largemouth bass over 20 pounds have ever been landed.
A fish that large has to be a freak of nature, the byproduct of perfect water conditions, unlimited feed - and some damn impressive genes. Even if all the planets are in alignment and a bass grows up in ideal conditions, chances are she (all the big ones are females) won’t live long enough to get to record size.
The odds of hooking into the Queen of all Bass and living happily ever after as the world’s most rich and famous angler are a bazillion to one.
Or maybe not…
Recently, I had the great pleasure of meeting Jurrien Devisser, a friendly Dutch gentleman who lives on a private ranch in Redrock Canyon near the headwaters of the Santa Ynez River just over the ridge from Santa Barbara. Probably in his mid-70’s, Devisser is about 5-foot-7 with a weathered face and not a single strand of hair on his leathery scalp. Devisser retired from Dutch electronics giant Philips 15 years ago with a hefty pension and moved to the states after his wife of 50 years died.
When he was a working stiff and still living in his hometown of Valkenburg aan de Geul (in the southeast corner of the Netherlands), Devisser spent much of his off time as a self-proclaimed “Vis Boer,” or fish farmer. In the pond behind his house, he mainly raised walleye-like fish called zander. After tinkering with special diets, he found that he could get his “pet” fish to attain unusually large sizes. His zander were routinely growing to 8.6 kilograms (19 pounds), which is nearly twice the size of the fish that occur naturally in the waters of Western Europe. And he had one particularly obese specimen that topped out at 26 pounds before it died of old age.
Devisser occasionally caught and released fish from his pond, but he mainly raised them just to help blow off the stresses of working in the high-pressure corporate world. After his wife died, he needed a change of scenery and moved to Southern California, where he eventually found his own little slice of heaven in Redrock Canyon. On his property is a small cattle pond, which he immediately fenced off and stocked with largemouth bass.
Devisser told me that the climate at his ranch seemed to suit the bass just fine and it wasn’t too many years before he had some beautiful 5- to 8-pound largemouth swimming around. Eventually, he realized how revered big bass are in this part of the word and decided to try his old zander feeding routine on largemouth. For a year, the fish got the special diet and the results were startling. The following summer, the 8-pounders were up to 12 or 13 pounds and he had one big sow that tipped the scales at 14.2 pounds. Now, if you’re like me, you’re dying to know what the heck it is that Devisser feeds his fish. Well, I repeatedly asked that very question and all I got out of him was a hearty chuckle and then: “De geheime mengeling van de colonel van elf kruiden en kruiden,” - loosely translated, “The Colonel’s secret blend of 11 herbs and spices.” I got the distinct feeling I wasn’t going to get a straight answer out of the guy anytime soon.
Anyway, he kept feeding the bass his secret brew, but after the initial growth spurt, they failed to gain much more weight. He eventually got the big hen up to 16 pounds but she died not long thereafter. Then an idea hit him. Devisser fished out all the bass from his pond except one - a robust 6-pound hen which he named Gertrude. With a steady diet of his wonder feed and no competition from other fish, the female got up to 10 pounds in a year and miraculously put on another 5 pounds over the next 7 months.
Now, let’s fast-forward to my trip to Devisser’s property last week. He told me that he’s been feeding Gertrude for nine years now and, the last time he weighed her, she was an unbelievable 24.7 pounds. He fears that the bass has about lived as long as it’s going to live and, since she’s larger than the current record, he wants her to be forever immortalized. To that end, he’s going to allow the general public to have a shot at catching her.
Of course there’s a catch.
The fee to fish his pond for seven hours is going to be $1,000. Only one angler at a time will be allowed in and whoever catches Gertrude will instantly make millions.
I actually got first crack at her last week. Devisser gave me a free half-day because I was writing a story on him. I’m not much of a bass angler and, sad to report, I am not the new holder of the world record. I can tell you this: the pond is very small and I could cast across it in most spots. In the small confines, there’s no way you won’t be able to put something in front of her. It’s just a matter of picking the right lure and making the proper presentation, I guess.
You guys who know how to fish big bass could probably get her to bite… maybe on a swimbait? I don’t know - it’s just not my field of expertise (which cost me a million bucks, but I’m trying to forget about it). Devisser said that he already has fishermen coming in on Friday but Saturday is still open. Do you think you have what it takes to get your name in the record books? If so, give him a call at (800) APRIL-FOOLS.
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