Well first you have to stand on one leg, then you have to jump up and down while reciting the alphabet backwards, then make your cast and if you hook up, you're all set.

Really... you need to read the rules on the IGFA website
http://www.igfa.org/BookRule2004.pdf

There's too many rules to re-list them here. In regards to scales, it's best summed up like this:

In a perfect world, there is a certified scale at the marina of the lake you are fishing and the marina is open and you take your fish in and have them weigh it and witness it, etc. This works great if you live in San Diego where most of the lakes have this.

In Nor-Cal there are very few lakes with certified scales and people standing by to weigh fish etc. So IGFA has this provision about allowing you to use you own certified scale in 'very remote areas'. I don't know what qualifies as very remote but there's plenty of lakes around here that could produce a record bass where there is no marina, no boat rentals, and at many times when the lakes are open and legal to fish, no rangers are around.

With this eventuality in mind, I bought a Salter 55lb digital scale (available at Cabelas), became an IGFA memeber, and sent the scale in to be certified by the IGFA. At least that way I'll have a decent chance at having a record catch certified.

If you don't have a certified scale and you have to go drive somewhere to get access to one, you'll probably have to kill the fish if it's a bass because trasporting live bass is illegal in the State of CA and IGFA rules say, "the catch must not be at variance with any laws or regulations governing the species or waters in which it was caught". See the dilemma?

The WRB will be so totally scrutinized that if you do anything that breaks a lake rule or a DFG law, you'll probably get disqualified. If you're after the carp record at the Delta, you can probably take the carp to one of the marinas that has a certified scale and have it weighed, witnessed, photographed, etc and you'll probably get the record. If it's the world record largemouth bass and you catch it somewhere where there's no marina or certified scale, all I can say is good luck.