The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

2.3 kg. , 5.0 lbs.

Bass, Largemouth Micropterus salmoides

Record Category: Women Speargun

Diver:		Shelby Lynn Peterson
Date:		9/14/2024
Location:		UNITED STATES

I was on a fun dive/get-together with a bunch of divers from Utah at Lake Powell, where the more experienced among us try to check off at least one fish from every species we’re allowed to target down there. The irony is, we typically don’t go for bass—especially largemouth—because they’re considered an easier target. Plus, at Lake Powell, the largemouth bass population is healthy, but they could use a break from spearfishermen who have plenty of other, more challenging (and just as delicious) species to go after. That said, I was back in a canyon, diving on some sunken brush, looking for crappie and walleye, when this gigantic largemouth bass swam out and just stared me down. I instantly knew it had the potential to be a women’s speargun world record—which I’ve been chasing for years. You don’t come across largemouth this big very often in our local lakes, so… yeah, I took the shot. For the record, this is completely legal in this lake. It just wasn’t what I originally set out to target with my friends that day. But as soon as I surfaced, everyone was stoked for me because they knew—just like I did—that this was going to be a world record.
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