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Whitwell man’s Nickajack Lake catch breaks state record for largemouth bass

Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency / Darren Nunley of Whitwell holds the 15-pound, 7.5-ounce largemouth bass he caught Feb. 28, 2026, on Nickajack Lake, breaking the state record set in 2015 by more than 4 ounces. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency performed genetic testing to confirm the catch with official results released May 9, 2026.
Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency / Darren Nunley of Whitwell holds the 15-pound, 7.5-ounce largemouth bass he caught Feb. 28, 2026, on Nickajack Lake, breaking the state record set in 2015 by more than 4 ounces. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency performed genetic testing to confirm the catch with official results released May 9, 2026. Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency / Darren Nunley of Whitwell holds the 15-pound, 7.5-ounce largemouth bass he caught Feb. 28, 2026, on Nickajack Lake, breaking the state record set in 2015 by more than 4 ounces. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency performed genetic testing to confirm the catch with official results released May 9, 2026.

By Ben Benton 3 min read

Edging the previous state record by just over 4 ounces, a Whitwell angler now holds the state record for a largemouth bass at 15 pounds, 7.5 ounces, according to state wildlife officials.

Darren Nunley caught the record fish in Nickajack Lake on Feb. 28, measuring 27-7/8 inches in length, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said in a press release. The new mark overtook the previous record of Gabe Keen, who caught a largemouth weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces on Feb. 13, 2015. Keen’s Chickamauga Lake catch broke a 60-year Tennessee record.

(READ MORE: Record invasive Alabama bass caught on Parksville Reservoir)

For interested anglers, Nunley caught his trophy about 8 a.m. on a jackhammer ChatterBait lure using 17-pound test fluorocarbon line and a Shimano reel, according to wildlife officials. The fish was weighed on a certified scale at a grocery store in Whitwell. Wildlife officials sent a fin clip for genetic testing, and the official results were finalized Saturday.

LARGEMOUTH BASS