Greetings Digger!
I'm not saying that the Chesapeake can't produce a new world record. About five years ago a ninety pound rock was netted in the Bay. The DNR made a mount of the fish and its a regular attraction at the MD booth at the Ft Washingtin (PA) Outdoor Show.
The problem with C&R fish is that the weights are usually guesstimates, and usually far from accurate. Accurate hand scales that go up to 100 lbs are very expensive. Even with a good scale, its hard to get an accurate weight on a bouncing boat. Most high end scales use a tripod that must be "leveled" before the fish is put on in a "weigh sling" (hanging a big struggling fish from the jaw or gill plate is a no-no in true C&R fishing!)
For those really looking for a record, the IFGA will certify your scale before and after the catch. You'll need dozens of photos and a boatload of witnesses to fend off the resulting cries of fraud. But depending on where you catch the fish, you may run afoul of state regulations. Some of the laws call for the "immediate" release of fish caught out of season and/or in "no kill" zones. If the catch is determined to be illegal, you lose the record and land a big fine. And if that big fish subsequently dies, things can get downright ugly.
With all that said, its clear to see why catching a prespawn supercow in waters where its legal to keep the fish is important. Otherwise, we can just hope that some of those sixty-plus fish still have a few years left, and will reach that magic weight!
Although Atlantic City is special too!
