The fact that several fish have come so close to the record makes me believe that it's legit. That fish was right at the peak weight that a largemouth bass can become. How could that have happened, a coincidence?

I don't belive that fish was a striper. A striper with the lenght of Perry's fish would've only been around 15lbs. Stripers just don't have the girth.

The biggest factor is the numbers not adding up. Could it be possible that the formulas for determining trout fed Cali bass wouldn't have worked on that fish?
Or could the numbers be right and the post office scale was weighing light? Maybe his bass was in fact over 25lbs. Unlikely but possible.

The fact is, none of us will ever know for sure. I just feel that there are theories on either side that can prove or disclaim his catch. Maybe we should have a jury decide :)