It’s an exciting question and makes you wonder…can I beat it?
So, How big is the world record striped bass? Greg Myerson has held that record since 2011 when he caught his 81 lb 14 oz striped bass near Southwest Reef in Long Island Sound while drift fishing a live eel. Myerson said, “That fish changed my life”.
One of the factors that make fishing an exciting sport is the wide variety of fish available. In most cases one can never tell what species of fish they are going to end up with which makes the activity more adventurous. The fact that you could end up on the world record listing is an added advantage when it comes to fishing. This is why different people have held the record for different types of fish, including striped bass.
Here is a Facebook Group about big Striped Bass you might like.
FREE Printable tackle box checklist HERE
Previous striped bass world records
The first world record striped bass was caught in the 1980s and since then the title has changed hands multiple times. It weighed approximately 78 pounds and was believed to have been around 36 years old making it one of the oldest fish caught. Since then the world record striped bass have had alternate weights but none have gone above the 90 pound mark; at least not officially.
In 1981, the biggest striped bass was hauled in, but unfortunately, it never made it to the official world record records. A group of fishermen based in North Carolina caught a 125 pound bass but they were fishing for commercial purposes and therefore using nets. Because of this, their catch never made it to the official record of the biggest striped bass ever caught.
There have been similar events over the years with one of them happening in 1995. This was when a 92 pound striped bass was caught in Maryland. A research being done by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources led to the netting of the fish but it never made it to the official records.
In 2005, an angler from Texas almost made history with his striped bass during a regional championship competition for striped bass. He caught a bass that was believed to weigh between 60 to 90 pounds. It was not weighed properly since the angler who was fishing on his friend’s boat didn’t want to cause him any inconvenience. Instead they used the 50 pound weighing scale which wasn’t a match for the bass as it ended up being broken into two. The weight estimate was a result of the length and width of the fish which were 53.5 inches and 34.25 inches respectively.
Several claims have been made over the years about bigger striper catches but none of them have been verified making it harder to authenticate. It is therefore common to hear about most people wonder how big is the world record striped bass.
Current striped bass world record
For over 20 years only one person held the official world record striped bass fish title. This is why when Greg Myerson, from Connecticut, caught his “monster” bass the excitement was over the top. This happened in August 2011 and the fish was caught close to Outer Southwest Reef. Using a St. Croix and Quantum rod and reel combination respectively, the angler managed to steer the fish closer to his boat once he realized just how big it was. This move allowed him to net the fish into the boat easily before taking it to be weighed.
Here is the link to the International Gamefish Association for the largest striped bass.
Despite the obvious size of the fish, Mr. Myerson, the angler, continued to enjoy his fishing trip and only had the fish weighed the following day. It was only then that he discovered that the fish weighed 81.88 pounds and was 54 inches long. Following the news, the International Game Fish Association tracked down Mr. Myerson making him the new official world record striped bass record holder.
Catching a striped bass
HERE is an article I wrote about surf fishing for striped bass.
Both the rumors and the proven records show that one can never predict when they are going to catch a record breaking striped bass. This fish species that thrives in salt waters and fresh, can be caught in any part of the world and sometimes unintentionally. However, for those aiming to hold the world record, you can try to increase your chances by using bigger baits and lures.
Choosing the right type of bait such as live eels can also increase your chances, just like knowing the right place to fish. It is believed that striped bass migrate depending on the season which increases the chances of catching one in specific places. For instance, it is believed that they move to the coastal regions in late spring and summer.
World record freshwater striped bass
What is the world record freshwater striped bass? That All Tackle Class record belongs to James R. Bramlett who caught a (31.55 kg) 69 lbs 9 oz striped bass February 28, 2013 on the Black Warrior River in Alabama.
While breaking the world record can be thrilling and is one of the greatest achievements, people are encouraged to release their striped bass into the water after taking pictures. This is meant to ensure the continuation of their species. It’s a practice that many anglers have adopted and why not? When we do our best to conserve, we make it better for those coming after us and for ourselves in the future. Most striped bass over 40 lbs are females and a female over fifty lbs can lay up to 4,200,000 eggs. Its enough to make you think twice about taking her out of the population.
What if you do catch a huge striped bass? Well, one thing to keep in mind is that these fish run in schools, so if a huge bass gets pulled from the water, might there be another hawg lurking under the water still, and might she be even bigger? Should you run for the scales or keep on fishing?
Hey FISHMONGER – make sure to check out my FISHING RESOURCES page.
Poles, bait,line, hooks,and many other factors come into play while striper fishing and it all has to be just right if you really want to catch the big ones. If you do however pull in a grand daddy may I suggest that you take it to a third party and have it weighed officially? You don’t want to be one of those statistics that never actually makes it into the record books. If you do make it into the books it could “change your life” .
Here are more facts about Atlantic Striped Bass by NOAA
If you are interested in reading more about striped bass in lakes here is an article Iwrote about Lake Mead striped bass.
