Fall 2023
page 26
®
died, and I haven’t been able to find an obituary for him, but in June of 1899, his wife applied to get his military pension. It’s very likely that he died that year at the age of 47 or 48.
Should we believe that the Ross bass was legitimate? There’s a lot to support it. The fish came from the right place—central Florida. The genetics and habitat are there. He met every reasonable standard of the time for certifying the fish. He weighed it, measured it, and even sent the carcass to a popular outdoor publication for examination. Few current record holders went to such lengths.
Of course, there are no photos, but it was 1884. Being photographed was not a common occurrence. It wouldn’t be fair to hold that against the claim. The Ross bass didn’t get away, but the story nearly escaped us. And if 23 1/2 pounds isn’t big enough for you, keep reading.
PRIVATE POND ON THE HUDSON
On February 4, 1900, no less an authority than The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story headlined “Biggest Black Bass Ever Recorded.” The bass reportedly weighed 24 pounds—half a pound bigger than the Ross bass taken 16 years earlier and nearly two pounds heavier than the current world record.
But what made the story remarkable was the location of the fish and the man who reported it. The enormous bass was captured— though not caught on hook and line—from a pond adjacent to the Hudson River in New York, which is not exactly fertile territory for giant largemouths.
The property owner and witness to the fish was Mr. Levi P. Morton. His pond was more than a century old, and he wanted it cleaned out. While the water was being drained from the pond, Morton went out to see what had been living in it.
And while Morton was not the only witness, he was certainly the most notable. At the time of the incident, he was 75 years old and quite well known. Morton was a minister and the son of a minister. His brother was the mayor of Toledo, Ohio, and one of his nephews was the assistant Secretary of State.
Morton was a successful businessman, and a business partner of the legendary J.P. Morgan. He served on the board of trustees of the American
Museum of Natural History and had been elected to the United States House of Representatives. He was a diplomat and had served as the U.S. Minister to France. He was the 31st Governor of the State of New York, and he was Vice President of the United States under Benjamin Harrison.
And though none of these things guarantee that Levi P. Morton was an accurate and honest witness—he was, after all, a politician—it’s a sure bet that he was the most accomplished person in history to claim to have seen such a fish. That’s got to be worth something.
Editor’s note: Ken Duke is a longtime bass fishing writer and co-host of “The Big Bass Podcast.” •