It's still totally unclear to me whether the guy was fishing in an off-limits area or not.

There's some important questions such as:

Was his boat in an off limits area?
Was he casting in to an off limits area?
Was he casting in to an area that was behind an an off limits line but that it was OK to cast in to?
In Japan are the rules about off limits fishing different than in the US, not enforced, or not cared about?

I feel very strongly that if he was breaking a lake rule then he should not get the record.

Let's USA examples to put this in perspective. Let's say I'm at San Pablo Dam and ...

Let's say its a weekday and I'm being sneaky and fishing close to the marina docks. Whammo, here comes the world record and I land it. Sounds great. But read the EBMUD rules:

5.10 To operate any vessel within one hundred feet of any dock or marina while trolling or fishing unless embarking or disembarking a vessel within the marina.

DQ!

Now let's say I'm at San Pablo Dam and decide to get up next to the buoy line by the dam and make a few casts over the line. Blammo, here comes the world record and I land it. Guess what, legal catch! Oh but, what if my boat was tied to the line while I was fishing, then it's too bad so-sad:

5.04 To tie up to any buoy, buoy line, log boom, boat restraining barrier, float or dock placed in any District waterway except designated mooring buoys or to place any private mooring facilities on any District waterway unless otherwise posted.

DQ!

I happen to think both of these lake rules are stupid rules made up in order to provide jobs to park rangers with nothing better to do, but the bottom line is that as fisherman we have to play by the rules and if you want the world record you damn well better not be bending or breaking the rules to get an advantage.

Bottom line: No one has made a ruling about whether the Japan fish was caught following the lake rules or not. If he was following the lake rules, more power to him. If he wasn't, too bad. If he was breaking the lake rules and knew it, then submitted the record then I think that's just a dirtbag move from the get go.

It's been months now since the catch. Someone needs to sort this out. Let's hope the IGFA gets to the bottom of this. The longer this goes on the more suspicious people get, including me.