Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World-Record Largemouth Bass

And all this time I thought that fishing was supposed to be a stress releiving, sit on the bank of the river drinking a beer on a sunny summer day. Boy, was I ever wrong. These people don't approach fishing like that at all. "Nuts" is not a word that I would use, but it's not far off. A little background, the world record for large mouth bass is now 72 years old. Other catches have come close to the twenty two pounds four ounces of that fish, but so far, none have surpassed it. Since then, but especially in the past few years people have been diligently seeking to surpass this record. I hate to have to say this, but it is rumored that some people have even tried to cheat to break the record. Texas is even trying to breed the biggest fish, well, what would you expect from Texas. This is the story of the quest for the fish, the people, their lakes, and tales of the "sport." It's a delightful read. And while you'll necer catch the winning pass at the Super Bowl, you could catch the biggest bass.

The opening line from Melville's Moby Dick says it all. This book is not about catching the biggest largemouth bass in the world. It's about the men who try to catch the biggest largemouth bass in the world. (Don't worry though; Burke recites plenty of fishing tales.) Their stories are all a bit different but, at their core, have many of the same elements. No matter if it's the anger and frustration of Bob Crupi or a desire to be the "biggest dog" like Mike Long, each and every angler - addict might be more accurate - displays a single-minded purpose; to catch the biggest largemouth bass in the world. Sowbelly is a great read!

A fantastic read! As the owner of the Creek Chub factory display of the World Record Bass and having fished with some he writes about including Porter Hall in Florida and Dan Snow in trips to Cuba in 1979, and closely following the exploits of others who persue big bass, I know that this authors reporting is accurate. He also has dug deeper than anyone else uncovering a lot of information that no one knew, pulling it all together in a compelling way that helps us to understand the sacrificies made by those who strive to be the best or set a world record in any endeavor. I will read it again and again and am highly recommending it to all my friends and you.

This is simply one of the best, most well written books I have ever read---on any subject! My highest compliment is that I wish it had gone on and on. If Mr. Burke decides to write another book, I shall be the first in line to purchase it. Great job, Monte!

Monte Burke's book Sowbelly, which chronicles the pursuit of the world record bass, is a great read that should appeal to all types. In addition to being a great fishing tale, it also looks into the depths of some very interesting lives.