Larry Larsen is a

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

sport fishermen and author. He is best known for catching

peacock bass Peacock bass or Brazilian tucunaré are large freshwater cichlids of the genus ''Cichla''. These are diurnal predatory fishes native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas, in tropical South America. They are someti ...

. He is Founder and President of the Peacock Bass Association. He was born in 1945 in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

where he received a bachelor's degree from

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

. He later received a master's degree in engineering from

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...

. Larsen is a prolific author of sport fishing books. Four of his books are on peacock bass, explaining their behaviors, habitats and the most effective techniques for catching them. According to his website, ''Larsen's Outdoor Publishing'', he has set seven peacock bass world line class records, including an all-tackle world record for the

butterfly peacock bass ''Cichla ocellaris'', sometimes known as the butterfly peacock bass ("peacock bass" is also used for some of its relatives), is a very large species of cichlid from South America, and a prized game fish. It reaches in length. It is native to th ...

(''Cichla ocellaris''). He also set a line class world record for

Suwannee bass The Suwannee bass (''Micropterus notius'') is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (biology), family (Centrarchidae) of order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. One of the black basses, This species is native to just two river syste ...

(''Micropterus notius''). In addition, he set two all-tackle world records for the following: the saber-tooth payara ('' Hydrolicus scomberoides''); the tarpon snook ('' Centropomus pectinatus''); and the South American silver croaker, also known as the freshwater corvina ('' Plagioscion squamosissimus''). Larsen's achievements as a freshwater sport fisherman led to his 1999 induction into the

National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame is an American hall of fame in Hayward, Wisconsin, dedicated to promoting freshwater fishing. Approximately 100,000 visitors tour the museum each year. The muskie sculpture is the world's largest muskie sculp ...

in Hayward,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

as a "Legendary Angler."

References

National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame "Legendary Anglers" list
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larsen, Larry American fishermen Living people 1945 births