State Record Bass

Although the Florida State record bass caught by Billy O'Berry in Polk County in 1986 was a whopping 17.27 pounds, every year we see giant bass caught in our State that come closer and closer to eventually busting his 30 year plus record.

Recent submissions to FWC’s Trophy Catch citizen-science program of giant 14, 15, and 16 pound bass  has a lot of bass fishermen and biologists in our area betting on when and where the next state record will show up.

Nathaniel Scott Kicklighter's huge 14 pound, 11 ounce bass below had a lot of people thinking that he had broken the record but it wasn't in the cards.

If you get lucky and land what you believe is a new State record black bass, you won't get credit for it unless it is certified in person by an FWC biologist. 

To properly certify a new Florida state record fish, an FWC biologist must first identify the fish species, and an FWC employee, usually but not necessarily the same individual, must then witness the fish weighing on a certified scale. 

Anglers can check the current state records at BigCatchFlorida.com and clicking on “State Record”.     If you believe you have caught a record fish, immediately notify the nearest FWC regional office. 

Contact information for FWC regional offices can be found at MyFWC.com/contact by clicking on “Contact an FWC office” then the “Regional Operations” tab.

Do not confuse the state record certification with the FWC’s TrophyCatch program.


The TrophyCatch program is a citizen-science program that partners with industry leaders, such as Bass Pro Shops, to offer rewards for the catch, documentation and release of largemouth bass weighing 8 pounds or more. 

Nathaniel Scott Kicklighter's fish has just become the current leader for TrophyCatch’s eighth season with his 14 pound, 11 ounce bass that he caught from an unnamed lake in Putnam County.

The FWC’s North Central Regional Fisheries Administrator Allen Martin said that  “It’s important to note that while all that is needed to submit a fish for TrophyCatch is a photo of the entire fish on a scale with the weight clearly visible, that photo is not enough to certify a state record”.