Catch a Record by the Tale

A great number of striped bass over 40 pounds have been caught locally so far this season. Among these cow bass are several that weighed over 50 pounds, which for many serious anglers is the dividing line between a large and true trophy fish. With big schools of bunker still roaming our waters and more bait arriving daily, will this be the year that a dedicated, if not lucky, fisherman catches a world-record striper?

The current world-record 81.88-pound striped bass was caught by Greg Myerson on Aug. 4, 2011, on a live eel while fishing at night from a boat off Westbrook, Conn. Myerson had previously caught multiple striped bass over 50 pounds including two over 60 pounds and was considered an elite striped bass fisherman even before landing the slob.

Myerson’s fish broke the record held by Albert McReynolds, who hooked a 78.5-pound striper on Sept. 21, 1982, on 5 1/2-inch black and silver Rebel swimming plug while casting from an Atlantic City jetty around 10 p.m. during a northeaster. He fought the fish for nearly 90 minutes on 20-pound test line. There were many who thought that McReynolds could not have caught the record fish from such a perilous perch during a violent storm and that, instead, it was given to him by a commercial netter. The record striper earned McReynolds a $250,000 cash prize from the tackle manufacturer Abu-Garcia but also propelled him into a life filled with lawsuits, confrontations with old friends, and perpetual accusations of cheating from fellow fishermen. His story begs for big-screen treatment. Are you there, Mr. Spielberg?

Many giant striped bass were caught at the start of the 1980s. Jon Baldino caught a 71-pound fish off Norwalk, Conn., in July 1980. Twelve months later Bob Rochetta, now a charter boat captain based at Orient Point, landed a 76-pound world-record fish on a live eel off Montauk Point that remains the largest striper caught in New York State. That same special night and place, Dennis Kelly caught a monster 66-pounder. On Nov. 3, 1981, Tony Stetzko landed a 73-pound striper on a black teaser fly above a live eel while surfcasting at night on a Cape Cod beach. 

The heaviest striped bass on record was captured in a seine net in Edenton, N.C., in 1891. At 125 pounds it would have dwarfed the current world record. Fish over 100 pounds were netted in New England in the 1880s, according to local reports. One was estimated at six feet long. In 1876, a haulseiner off a North Carolina beach netted 350 striped bass averaging 65 pounds each. In 1995, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources netted a 92-pound fish while conducting research in the Chesapeake Bay. 

Striped bass between 40 and 50 pounds, which are almost always female, are about 16 to 18 years old, according to data supplied by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The relative abundance of large striped bass this year suggests the class of fish born around 2000 possesses genetic traits that have allowed them to thrive during their lifetimes. This begs the question as to whether or not fishermen should do more to conserve these large fish so that young anglers might catch a trophy fish in 20 years.

An Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission report notes that a 50-pound striper can produce over 5 million eggs annually while a newly sexually mature striper, typically about 4 years old and six pounds, can yield as few as 372,000 eggs. The report also cites studies that suggest some stripers older than 10 years might not spawn every year. 

Fishermen who want to release a trophy striper can always take a quick measurement for bragging rights or photograph the behemoth. Interestingly, they also can pluck a scale from the fish and use a magnifying glass to count its annual growth bands. The approximate size and weight of a striped bass can be extrapolated from its age. Maybe it’s time to start releasing big stripers and let a scale tell the tale.

Sea bass fishing in federal waters, including Frisbees and Cartwright, is closed until Oct. 22. Expect a visit from the men in orange if you are bouncing bait in these areas.

False albacore largely refused tins and flies north of Gardiner’s Island but were more cooperative from Fort Pond to the Montauk Lighthouse. They also came within casting range of Albert’s Landing on Monday morning, according to Harvey Bennett at the Tackle Shop in Amagansett. Cocktail blues and snappers continue to feed in the bay, Bennett said.

Paulie’s Tackle in Montauk reported that lots of stripers in the 10-pound class were landed by those participating in the New York State Parks Department’s Montauk Surf Fishing Contest this past weekend. A 27-pound striped bass and 13.4-pound bluefish took first-place honors. A white bucktail with red pork rind proved to be most productive. The abundance of bait of all sizes is setting up nicely for improved surf fishing, those at Paulie’s say.

Bass fishing remains good for boaters but there are bluefish in the mix now, reported T.J. at Gone Fishing Marina in Montauk. The strong sea bass and porgy bites continue, he said.

Sebastian Gorgone at Mrs. Sam’s Bait and Tackle in East Hampton reported stripers along ocean beaches and sea bass north of Plum Island. 

Ken Morse at Tight Lines Tackle in Sag Harbor reported false albacore and striped bass at the Shinnecock Inlet jetty. Morse proudly added that his 10-year-old daughter, Thea, landed her first albie while fishing alongside her dad on the jetty.

Saturday is the start of the deer bow-hunting and woodcock open seasons. Hunters are urged to consult the East Hampton Town Hunting Guide for regulations and permitted hunting areas. It can be found at ehamptonny.gov/documentcenter/view/698 or obtained at the town clerk’s office on Pantigo Road.

The Star’s fishing columnist can be followed on Twitter, @ehstarfishing. Photos of prize catches can be emailed to David Kuperschmid at [email protected].