Man Catches Likely New Record Smallmouth Bass—Then Fillets It

It’s widely believed that after bass legend George Perry caught the world-record largemouth in Georgia in 1932, the fish became a family meal.

Now, the 7-pound smallmouth bass caught recently by Vermont angler Andrew Oestringer isn’t in the same company as Perry’s 22 pound, 4-ounce largie, still it would have easily broken a state record—before he started filleting it.

’Unofficial’ Smallmouth Bass Record

“It’s rare but not unheard of for anglers who plan to keep a nice fish for dinner to grab an unofficial weight at home, realize their catch might have been a record, and reach out,” said Shawn Good, a fish biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “That’s exactly what Andrew did. Even though Fish & Wildlife can’t accept the weight from a non-certified scale for our official record books, we can all agree this new ‘unofficial record’ is one heck of a fish story.”

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It seems probable that Oestringer’s fish caught at Lower Symes Pond would have been a Vermont smallmouth bass record. His scale weighed the fish at 7-6, a whopping 10 ounces heavier than the existing record. He caught the trophy while kayak fishing.

“It's a dream come true for me,” Oestringer said in a press release. “There is no better place to fish than Vermont. Smallies, trout, pickerel, pike—Vermont has endless opportunities.”

More 7-Pound Bass

Oestringer’s smallmouth bass was the fourth black bass over seven pounds caught this season in Vermont (the other three are largemouth bass), the state agency said.

In September, high-school angler James Lenox caught a 7-0 largemouth at Lake Bomoseen while scouting for new fishing spots with his father Michael. James is a student at Fair Haven Middle School & High School; his father is a teacher and coach of the varsity bass-fishing team.

Also in 2025: Joshua Curtis caught a 7-13 largemouth from Neal Pond, and Roy Gangloff landed a 7-8 largemouth from Lake Champlain.

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