I might as well throw in my 2 cents. I think there are a number of misconceptions floating around based on assumptions that things back then were the same as now. To whit - The mechanical (Post Office)scales back then were easily as accurate or more accurate than the digital scales of today. The Post Office back then was still a branch of the federal government and was kinda like the Marines in their code of honor. (By the way for those unaware the Perry's fish was weighed at the Post Office.) If the employees at the Post Office said it weighed 22-4 that's what it weighed. There were enough witnesses that saw the fish that there's no way they would all mistake a Striper for a LMB.
Disregarding the historical evidence I think the weight of 22-4 itself is evidence that it was a valid WRB. So many fish have come close (Crupi) or maybe surpassed that weight (Duclos) it seem to fit perfectly as close to the maximum size range of LMB.
As for why there haven't been any more fish from GA that size I think you have to look at the type of water there. Heavy snags everywhere. The reservoirs in So Cal are wide open with few snags so once you hook a fish that size in So Cal the odds of landing it are far higher. Pretty much any bass you hook in that size range the odds against landing her are more than 2/1. There may or may not have been other bass that size hooked in Ga and you'd never know because the lack of water clarity, snags etc...
I personally believe there are a fair number of bass in WRB size range all over CA and maybe other states as well (I have seen at least 2 in No Cal that I'm certain were WRB). Its just that the odds of finding that fish on that day with the right bait and then actually landing it are tiny.
Finally, the recognized WRB is Perry's 22-4. You can speculate all you want, but it would be a better use of time to figure out how to catch a bigger one. bob