Tennessee Bass Record Confirmed
A Tennessee angler has landed a new state-record largemouth bass this week, adding to a string of trophy catches across the Southeast. The record fish is drawing attention to Tennessee waters' trophy bass potential and may inspire increased angler traffic this spring. This comes as bass fishing discussions buzz with spring tips and big catches, including techniques for using big bass baits effectively.
The new Tennessee record largemouth bass, weighing a certified 15.75 pounds, was caught by Darren Nunley of Sequatchie County on February 28, 2026. The massive fish was pulled from Nickajack Lake, a reservoir on the Tennessee River that has been gaining a reputation for trophy-class fish. Nunley was fishing with guide Hensley Powell and landed the record-breaker around 8:30 a.m. using a half-ounce Z-Man Jack Hammer Chatterbait with a Hog Farmer Spunk Shad trailer. This catch eclipses the previous state record held by Gabe Keen, who landed a 15.20-pound largemouth from the nearby Chickamauga Lake on February 13, 2015. Keen's catch, which broke a 60-year-old record at the time, was also a product of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's (TWRA) fisheries management. Both fish are believed to be hybrids of native northern largemouth and stocked Florida-strain bass. The success of these trophy fish is largely attributed to the TWRA's strategic stocking of Florida-strain largemouth bass, which began in Chickamauga in 2000 and expanded to Nickajack and other reservoirs in 2015. This program is designed to create "hybrid vigor," producing bass that grow larger and faster than native species, a strategy that has clearly paid off in the form of multiple state records. The verification process for Nunley's catch was thorough, involving Sequatchie County Wildlife Officer Shawn Edgmon and a certified scale at a Save A Lot grocery store in Whitwell. The fish measured an impressive 29.5 inches in length. The TWRA will conduct a final review, which is expected to include DNA analysis to confirm the fish's genetic makeup before it is officially certified as the new state record.
