Angler's place in history revisited by local author

The world's most famous fish has a new biography about the man who caught it here in Georgia 77 years ago.

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Bill Baab's new book, Remembering George W. Perry

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Associated Press

Manabu Kurita shows off the 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass he caught July 2 in Japan's Lake Biwa. If certified, it would tie the 77-year-old reigning world record largemouth, which was caught in Telfair County in 1932.

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Remembering George W. Perry , by local author and retired Augusta Chronicle Outdoors Editor Bill Baab, is a lot more than a fish story, though.

It traces the life of the man who hauled in the 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth in 1932 that was certified as the world record for a species that spawned a global, multibillion recreation industry.

"Early on, not that many people really cared about bass," Baab said. "In 1932, if you looked at the major outdoor magazines, trout fishing was No. 1. The good authors were writing about trout streams in New England or out West."

Perry's bass, landed in an oxbow lake in Georgia's Telfair County, attracted very little attention at first, with even less emphasis on the man who caught it.

"My feeling is, when Ray Scott got B.[filtered word] going in 1966 or 1967, it put a lot more focus on the species -- and the record."

Perry, who was just 20 when he caught the fish, was little more than a name in a recordbook.

Baab, who met Perry many years ago and has carefully collected details on the record bass for three decades, decided to bring the story of the man and his fish to life.

Ironically, and coincidentally, the publication this month of Baab's 158-page book -- which has more than 50 photos -- comes at a time when the Perry bass is as much in the news as it ever has been.

As of this writing, the International Game Fish Association is in the process of evaluating an application from a Japanese angler to have his 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth -- landed last July 2 in Japan's Lake Biwa -- certified as a tie for the Georgia fish's reigning world record status.

Jason Schratwieser, the IGFA's conservation director, told me it is very likely the fish will soon be certified as a tie with the Perry bass.

"It's submitted, it is well documented and we're just following up on a few minor things," he said. "It has taken us a little more time than usual because we are corresponding with an angler in another country."

The lucky angler, Manabu Kurita, should be proud of his accomplishment, said Baab, who covers the new development in his book.

"The Japanese bass will make its mark in Japan and some of the Asian countries," he said. "But I don't think it will make that much difference here in the United States."

Perry died in a plane crash in Alabama in 1974, but his record lives on today, even though the fish was eaten the same day it was caught.

The book can be ordered online from www.whitefishpress.com or purchased locally during an author's book signing Dec. 12, from 1-3 p.m. at the Book Tavern, located at 1026 Broad St.

AUDUBON DOLLARS: Augusta-Aiken Audubon's 10th annual Auction for Education raised $3,264 this year -- all of which will go toward environmental education programs in local schools.

Paul Koehler, director of the Silver Bluff Audubon center, said this year's event, which was held Nov. 6, included auction items such as artwork, canoe trips, bird feeders, books and even some golf packages.

LAKE FALLING: Thurmond Lake peaked last weekend from heavy rains, but it's expected to drop about 3 feet in coming weeks, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The lake rose more than 2 feet above its full pool of 330 feet above sea level, then began falling. By today, levels were expected to be near 329, with a target level of 326 soon.

BAITING CASE: An Appling man charged in a Sept. 7 baiting case on property owned by Merry Land & Investment Co. will pay $1,300 in fines and court costs and lose hunting privileges for one year, according to Richmond County State Court records.

Lawrence Fordham Hatcher, 54, of White Oak Road, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of illegal enticement of game -- a misdemeanor charge levied by state Wildlife Resources Division officers.

Two days earlier, those officers had issued warnings to nine hunters in a field subsequently declared off limits because of baiting. Hatcher was also sentenced to one year of probation.

LAND PURCHASED: South Carolina completed one of its largest land acquisitions ever last week with the acquisition of the 25,668-acre Woodbury Tract in Marion County once owned by International Paper.

In 2006, the state bought a 56-percent interest in the site, while The Nature Conservancy held title to the remaining 44 percent.

South Carolina used money from a combination of federal sources to complete the deal. The total cost was $28.9 million.

Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.