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Kansas’s largest officially listed largemouth bass weighed 11.80 pounds (11 pounds, 12 ounces). Tyson Hallam of Scammon caught the fish on May 3, 2008, in a private pit lake in Cherokee County. The current Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) record table lists it at 28 1/2 inches and records the tackle as a rod and reel with a jig and pig.
A contemporaneous KDWP announcement reported the same fish as 28 inches long with a 19 1/8-inch girth. Those figures come from different official documents, so the length difference should be attributed rather than silently combined. This is the Kansas state record, not a claim to be the world record.
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Kansas largemouth bass record at a glance
| Record detail | Official information |
|---|---|
| Weight | 11.80 pounds, equivalent to 11 pounds, 12 ounces |
| Length on current KDWP record list | 28 1/2 inches |
| Angler | Tyson Hallam of Scammon, Kansas |
| Date | May 3, 2008 |
| Location | Private pit lake, Cherokee County |
| Tackle listed by KDWP | Rod and reel with a jig and pig |
| Measurements in the June 2008 announcement | 28 inches long and 19 1/8 inches in girth |
The current record table and its certification guidance are on the KDWP State Record Fish and Master Angler Awards page. The agency’s species page also states, “The Kansas record is 11 pounds, 12 ounces.”
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Who caught the biggest largemouth bass in Kansas?
Tyson Hallam, an angler from Scammon, caught the record fish on May 3, 2008. The public record identifies the water only as a private pit lake in Cherokee County. Neither the current record listing nor the 2008 announcement names the lake, and no public directions are supplied. It is therefore not possible to identify a specific lake from the official record without guessing.
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The catch was certified by KDWP. The agency’s 2008 announcement says the fish was weighed on a certified scale and witnessed by David Jenkins, manager of the Mined Land Wildlife Area, and Rob Friggeri, a KDWP fisheries biologist. Friggeri confirmed the species and measurements, according to the announcement. The release does not include direct quotations from either official.
How heavy was the Kansas state-record bass?
The listed weight is 11.80 pounds. KDWP also expresses that figure as 11 pounds, 12 ounces; the decimal and pounds-and-ounces forms describe the same weight because 0.80 of a pound equals 12 ounces. KDWP’s largemouth bass species page repeats the 11-pound, 12-ounce figure, while the current state-record table supplies the 11.80-pound format.
That weight is the relevant answer to searches such as “How much did the biggest largemouth bass in Kansas weigh?” It should not be presented as a national or world record. Record systems use different rules and verification standards, and the Kansas listing establishes only the Kansas state mark.
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Why do the official length figures differ?
The current KDWP record table gives the bass a length of 28 1/2 inches. The department’s June 2008 announcement gives a length of 28 inches and a girth of 19 1/8 inches. Both documents are official KDWP sources, but they do not report exactly the same length.
| Document | Length | Girth | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current State Record Fish listing | 28 1/2 inches | Not stated | Use this as the present record-table measurement |
| “New Kansas State Largemouth Bass Record Confirmed,” June 2008 | 28 inches | 19 1/8 inches | Use when describing the contemporaneous announcement |
The safest wording is to lead with the current listing’s 28 1/2 inches and note that the 2008 announcement reported 28 inches and a 19 1/8-inch girth. Rounding, measuring conventions, or later record-table transcription could explain a half-inch difference, but the available documents do not establish which explanation applies. Do not invent a single reconciled measurement.
What was the record fish caught on?
KDWP lists the method as rod and reel with a jig and pig. “Jig and pig” generally describes a bass jig paired with a pork-style trailer or a similar bulky trailer, but the record listing does not identify a lure brand, model, color, trailer material, hook size, line, rod, reel, or retrieve. Those details should not be attributed to Hallam.
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The method is useful historical context, not a guarantee that a particular lure will produce another record. A modern angler can search for a bass jig with trailer when exploring the same broad presentation, but no current product can be described as the lure used for Hallam’s fish or as a proven way to reproduce the catch.
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KDWP’s current guidance sets out the agency’s requirements for a fish submitted as a possible state record. The requirements apply to potential records generally; the 2008 announcement separately describes what happened with Hallam’s catch.
- Have the species identified. A KDWP district fisheries biologist or regional fisheries supervisor must identify a potential record fish. Correct species identification matters because state records are maintained separately by species.
- Weigh the fish on a certified scale. KDWP says the fish must be weighed on a certified scale before it is frozen. The 2008 announcement specifically reports that Hallam’s fish was weighed on a certified scale.
- Document the fish with a clear color photograph. KDWP requires a clear color photograph with the record application. Take readable images of the whole fish and its measurements while preserving the fish’s condition; the agency’s stated requirement is the photograph, not a particular camera or file format.
- Provide any additional sample KDWP requests. The department says a tissue sample may also be required. Because this is conditional, an applicant should follow the instructions given by KDWP staff rather than assume a sample is always necessary.
- Submit the application for agency review. The identification, certified weight, photograph, and any requested sample allow KDWP to evaluate the claim under its record process. Keep the original scale information and measurement notes with the application so the figures can be checked against the fish and supporting documentation.
These steps explain why an impressive fish at a private lake is not automatically a state record. Verification by the agency, a certified weight before freezing, and the required documentation turn a catch into an official claim.
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What was reported about the 2008 verification?
The June 2008 KDWP announcement says Hallam’s fish was certified after being weighed on a certified scale. David Jenkins witnessed the process as Mined Land Wildlife Area manager, and fisheries biologist Rob Friggeri confirmed the species and measurements. The announcement reports a 28-inch length and 19 1/8-inch girth, while the current record table now shows 28 1/2 inches.
No direct quote from Hallam, Jenkins, or Friggeri appears in the official materials cited here. Claims about the catch should therefore stick to the documented date, angler, location description, tackle, weight, and measurements rather than adding an unverified story about the fight or conditions.
Why a private Cherokee County pit lake matters to the record’s context
The location description points to a private pit lake in Cherokee County, but it does not prove that every pit lake in the county produces unusually large bass. KDWP’s species information provides broader habitat context: largemouth bass are common in farm ponds and tend to favor shallow, murky water with cover such as weeds or submerged timber. The agency also notes that newer reservoirs and smaller lakes containing standing timber can offer good largemouth fishing.
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- Vibrating Swim Action – Steady Retrieve, Solid Vibration. Reel it in at a constant speed, and the paddle tail produces a powerful, tight vibrating swim. The lifelike tadpole profile and tail kick send out water displacement and flash that predator fish can't resist – perfect for covering water
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Those are general species preferences, not a description of the exact water conditions on May 3, 2008. The official record sources do not state the pit lake’s water temperature, depth, forage, vegetation, weather, time of day, or seasonal pattern. Treating those unknowns as facts would overstate what the record documents.
How to read the Kansas record without overstating it
- Call it the Kansas state record largemouth bass, not the world’s largest largemouth bass.
- Use 11.80 pounds or 11 pounds, 12 ounces for the official weight.
- Identify Tyson Hallam and the May 3, 2008 catch date.
- Describe the location as a private pit lake in Cherokee County; do not supply an invented lake name or directions.
- Credit KDWP’s current table for the 28 1/2-inch length and the 2008 announcement for the 28-inch length and 19 1/8-inch girth.
- Describe the tackle only as the listed rod-and-reel jig-and-pig setup.
- Keep habitat observations general unless a source documents conditions at the record lake.
What anglers can learn from the record
The record demonstrates that a state-record claim depends on documentation as much as on the fish itself. A large bass caught in private water still needs species confirmation, a certified-scale weight before freezing, and a clear color photograph under KDWP’s stated process. The record also shows the value of preserving contemporaneous information: the 2008 announcement contains a girth measurement that is not included in the current table.
For anyone pursuing a legitimate Kansas record, the practical priority is preparation. Know how to contact the appropriate KDWP fisheries staff, locate a certified scale, keep a measuring device and camera available, and record the date and water description accurately. Those preparations do not promise a record, but they reduce the risk that an otherwise qualifying fish cannot be evaluated.
Official sources and current-status note
The current record and certification details are maintained by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks State Record Fish and Master Angler Awards page. General largemouth bass habitat information and the agency’s 11-pound, 12-ounce record statement appear on the KDWP Largemouth Bass species page. The contemporaneous account is “New Kansas State Largemouth Bass Record Confirmed,” published in June 2008.
Record tables and agency requirements can change as KDWP updates its pages. When documenting a new potential record, consult the current KDWP instructions rather than relying solely on an older announcement.
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