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Ohio Angler Sets New Striped Bass Record at Kiser Lake
An Ohio angler who set out for a simple day of bluegill and perch fishing ended up rewriting the state record book with a striped bass that outweighed the previous mark by just over a quarter of a pound.
George Bruggeman of New Carlisle caught the 37.375 pound striper on Sept. 29 while fishing one of his longtime favorite spots at Kiser Lake in Champaign County. Fisheries biologists Mike Porto and Kipp Brown with the Ohio Division of Wildlife confirmed that the catch was a true striped bass and not a hybrid. The fish measured 41.81 inches long with a 27.36 inch girth.
Kiser Lake in Champaign County delivered one of the most unexpected record fish in Ohio history. Photo: ODNR
Bruggeman hooked the record fish while using half a nightcrawler on 8 pound test line. The 71 year old angler was fishing from a small jon boat using a light spinning setup when the fish struck. A photograph shared by ODW shows him holding the large striper vertically, its tail reaching the floor of the boat.
“It is always the guy with 8 pound test fishing for bluegill that ends up catching giant records,” one Facebook user commented under the agency’s announcement.
The record striper stretched more than 41 inches, reaching from Bruggeman’s waist to the floor of the boat. Photo: ODW
Bruggeman said he and his son were rowing across the 400 acre lake since motors are not allowed. They had already caught bluegills, perch, and even a 33 inch carp when the strike came. At first they believed the fish was another carp or possibly a catfish because it stayed tight to the bottom. The striper was so strong that it dragged their boat around the lake for roughly twenty minutes before tiring.
When the fish finally surfaced, the pair used a small folding landing net that barely fit the striper’s head. They pulled it aboard, measured it, and quickly realized they needed an official weigh in. The fish was recorded on certified scales at a local feed store, then taken to the Ohio Division of Wildlife District Five office in Xenia for verification.
A closer look at the 37.375 pound striped bass that now stands as Ohio’s state record. Photo: ODW
Bruggeman’s catch surpasses the previous Ohio striped bass record of 37.10 pounds caught at West Branch Reservoir in 1993 by Mark Chuifo. Ohio’s record fish are certified based on weight by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from state fisheries biologists. More information on the program can be found at www.outdoorwritersofohio.org.
Bruggeman has already delivered the fish to a taxidermist and is deciding whether it will be mounted on driftwood or a wall plaque.
“I do not know where it will go in the house,” he said. “But it will be there somewhere.”
The post Ohio Angler Sets New Striped Bass Record at Kiser Lake appeared first on OutdoorHub.
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Ohio Angler Sets New Striped Bass Record at Kiser Lake
An Ohio angler who set out for a simple day of bluegill and perch fishing ended up rewriting the state record book with a striped bass that outweighed the previous mark by just over a quarter of a pound.
George Bruggeman of New Carlisle caught the 37.375 pound striper on Sept. 29 while fishing one of his longtime favorite spots at Kiser Lake in Champaign County. Fisheries biologists Mike Porto and Kipp Brown with the Ohio Division of Wildlife confirmed that the catch was a true striped bass and not a hybrid. The fish measured 41.81 inches long with a 27.36 inch girth.
Kiser Lake in Champaign County delivered one of the most unexpected record fish in Ohio history. Photo: ODNR
Bruggeman hooked the record fish while using half a nightcrawler on 8 pound test line. The 71 year old angler was fishing from a small jon boat using a light spinning setup when the fish struck. A photograph shared by ODW shows him holding the large striper vertically, its tail reaching the floor of the boat.
“It is always the guy with 8 pound test fishing for bluegill that ends up catching giant records,” one Facebook user commented under the agency’s announcement.
The record striper stretched more than 41 inches, reaching from Bruggeman’s waist to the floor of the boat. Photo: ODW
Bruggeman said he and his son were rowing across the 400 acre lake since motors are not allowed. They had already caught bluegills, perch, and even a 33 inch carp when the strike came. At first they believed the fish was another carp or possibly a catfish because it stayed tight to the bottom. The striper was so strong that it dragged their boat around the lake for roughly twenty minutes before tiring.
When the fish finally surfaced, the pair used a small folding landing net that barely fit the striper’s head. They pulled it aboard, measured it, and quickly realized they needed an official weigh in. The fish was recorded on certified scales at a local feed store, then taken to the Ohio Division of Wildlife District Five office in Xenia for verification.
A closer look at the 37.375 pound striped bass that now stands as Ohio’s state record. Photo: ODW
Bruggeman’s catch surpasses the previous Ohio striped bass record of 37.10 pounds caught at West Branch Reservoir in 1993 by Mark Chuifo. Ohio’s record fish are certified based on weight by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from state fisheries biologists. More information on the program can be found at www.outdoorwritersofohio.org.
Bruggeman has already delivered the fish to a taxidermist and is deciding whether it will be mounted on driftwood or a wall plaque.
“I do not know where it will go in the house,” he said. “But it will be there somewhere.”
The post Ohio Angler Sets New Striped Bass Record at Kiser Lake appeared first on OutdoorHub.
Continue reading...