--- title: "Texas Angler’s Largemouth Bass Officially a New World Record" description: "Lea Anne Powell's lunker largemouth was officially accepted as a women's line-class world record on June 23." date: "2023-06-28" modified: "2023-06-28" authors: - name: "Dac Collins" job_title: "News Editor" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/dac-collins/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/fishing/texas-bass-womens-record/" categories: - "Bass Fishing" - "Fishing" - "Freshwater" - "Record Fish" tags: - "News" --- # Texas Angler’s Largemouth Bass Officially a New World Record ![texas world record bass]() *Lea Anne Powell's largemouth outweighed the previous line-class world record by three pounds. @dsmithfishing / via Instagram* After months of waiting, [Lea Anne Powell]() learned Friday that the lunker largemouth she caught in February was officially accepted as a new women’s line-class world record by the International Game Fish Association. This makes her roughly 12-pound fish the heaviest largemouth bass ever caught by a woman on 12-pound test. “I submitted everything in March, and it was official on June 23,” Powell told [KETK News]() earlier this week. “I had been driving them insane by calling. I’ve been very anxious you know, I wanted it.” Powell’s journey into the record book began on February 28, when she went out on O.H. Ivie Lake with Dalton Smith, a close friend and fishing guide. It was their third day in a row fishing the sprawling reservoir, which has been on fire so far this year. (At least [10 other bass over 12 pounds]() were caught from O.H. Ivie during February alone.) The duo was using Smith’s Livescope to pinpoint trophy fish, and at one point that morning, Powell watched the screen as a giant largemouth homed in on her soft plastic lure. “Once I set the hook he was like, ‘Oh my God, you caught a giant,’” she said. “We were both freaking out because it was hooked 45 feet from the boat and 15 feet down on 10-pound line with a spinning rod. Which, if anybody knows fishing at all, that’s a very hectic situation.” After a stressful 10-minute battle, they boated the bucket mouth, put it in Smith’s live well, and ran to a nearby RV park where they found a certified scale. They recorded an official weight of 12 pounds, 3 ounces, and then released the fish back into the lake. For Powell, who also tournament fishes, it was easily the biggest bass she’s ever caught. **Read Next:** [This 17-Pound Bass Is the Biggest Largemouth Caught in Texas in 30 Years]() It wasn’t until the following month that she learned her personal-best largemouth was also a world-record contender. Heeding the advice of a friend, Powell submitted all the required information, including witness statements, photographs, measurements, and a line sample. This last detail turned out to be especially important, as she explained that the 10-pound Seaguar Red Label line she used “actually tested up to 12 pounds” when examined by the IGFA. Curiously, the [IGFA record book]() lists the official weight of Powell's bass as 12 pounds, 0 ounces, instead of 12 pounds, 3 ounces. Either way, it's more than enough to replace the previous women's line-class world record: a 9-pound, 1-ounce largemouth caught in Mexico in 2021. ## Author Dac Collins is the News Editor at *Outdoor Life*. He helps tell the latest stories about America's hunters and anglers while reporting on critical conservation issues, oftentimes with a fly rod or shotgun in hand. He lives in Colorado with his wife and son. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()