There’s no freshwater fish on earth more sought after than a largemouth bass bigger than George Perry’s mark of 22 pounds 4 ounces, caught almost 73 years ago. While larger bass may have been caught, no claim has met the stringent requirements for certification that would have made their catch official.

Back in 1973, David Zimmerlee caught the first ”over-20” in more than 50 years from Lake Miramar in southern California, while fishing for trout. It didn’t beat Perry’s record but was certified as the state record. Eight other largemouths over 20 have since been certified, and several other fish have not been verified, due to insufficient documentation.

Fishing at Lake Miramar in California in 1988, Sandy DeFresco hauled in a huge bass that was documented by California Department of Fish and Game officials as weighing 21 pounds 10 ounces and was being processed as a new state record. While preparing the carcass for mounting, the taxidermist found a 2.5-pound diver’s weight in the fish’s stomach. He notified officials, who examined the fish and surmised that the weight had been in the bass prior to its capture by DeFresco.

Deducting 2.5 pounds for the weight, it’s listed officially at 19.06 pounds. Discussing that controversy, Larry Bottroff, fishery biologist for the San Diego City Lakes and Parks Department, noted, “This is a perfect example of why record fish must be verified by authorities to preclude the possibility of false claims. When I looked at that bass, I had a feeling there was something wrong with it.”

In 1991, Bob Crupi, a trophy bass hunter, pulled a 22.01-pound bruiser from Castaic Lake, California, and weighed it on a scale that had been certified a week before, with a store owner as witness. Seeing that it didn’t quite break the record, Crupi returned it to the lake rather than wait for California officials to arrive. That bass wasn’t recognized as a state record because it wasn’t verified by the California Department of Fish and Game. Many Californians consider it the state record anyway, and it’s listed by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) as the 16-pound line class world record.

Another famous behemoth not wearing an official ribbon is the largemouth caught by Paul Duclos at Spring Lake in northern California in March 1997. Duclos weighed the monster on a bathroom scale but didn’t measure its length before releasing it. The photos he showed California fishery officials caused a stir. By comparing it to the lure in the picture and Duclos’ rod, they “guesstimated” its length at about 30 inches and its girth at about 29.5. Perry’s fish was a couple of inches longer but an inch thinner in girth. There’s a chance Duclos had caught and released a record largemouth bass. We’ll never know.

The most recent assault on the record came in August 2003, as Leaha Trew reported a 22-pound 8-ounce largemouth bass—possibly 23 pounds—caught in the same Spring Lake in California. Leaha and her son Javad, himself an avid trophy angler, had reportedly weighed the bass on a Boga Grip scale. They photographed her with the bass, summoned a witness, and released the fish. The 30-pound Boga Grip, which weighs in 8-ounce increments but is known for its accuracy, hovered between 22.8 and 23 pounds.

No park or state officials were available to verify weight, length, and girth measurements. She sent a photograph of the fish along with its stats to the IGFA and the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame for certification as the new world record. The IGFA asked her to send them the scale, as well—and she did, but they eventually rejected her application for insufficient supporting data. Meanwhile, the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame accepted it as the “unofficial”All Tackle World Record at 22.8.