Big <b>Bass</b>: Alabama Striper May Be a Landlocked World Record

James R. Bramlett shattered a 54-year-old Alabama state record with this 70-pound striped bass he caught on February 28. The Dora resident, 65, may have also eclipsed the IGFA all-tackle world record for a landlocked striper when he hauled in this monster on the upper Bankhead Reservoir.

Heath Haley, a district fisheries biologist for Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries who viewed the fish shortly after it was caught, says the pending state record (which was weighed on a certified scale in Sumiton and now awaits only the completion of paper work) is remarkable by Alabama standards. Bramlett’s catch beat the prior record—which had stood since June 28, 1959—by 15 pounds.

“It’s definitely uncommon,” Haley says. “This fish certainly, in my opinion, was an anomaly. It’s a very fat, chunky fish. The previous record being 55 pounds, the fact that it hasn't been broken since the 1950s, it’s just incredible that not only he broke it, but he shattered it. You just don’t see them that big that often.” Haley measured the fish at 45 ½ inches long, with a girth of 37 ¾ inches.

The freshwater striper very well may be remarkable by world standards, as well. The International Game Fish Association all-tackle world record for landlocked striped bass is a 67-pound, 8-ounce fish caught May 7, 1992, by Hank Ferguson in Los Banos, Calif.

Bramlett was fishing near the Gorgas Steam Plant on the Upper Bankhead, an impoundment on the Black Warrior River in north-central Alabama not far from his home. An experienced angler, he was targeting one of his favorite spots on the river that day at the urging of his wife, Janice, who will undergo surgery soon and wanted Bramlett to get in one last fishing trip before she goes into the hospital. After seeing a big fish roll on the surface, he cast a 10-inch gizzard shad on a 6.0 Mustad hook to the spot. He landed the striper after a 20-minute fight, and his first phone call was to Janice. (Bramlett was unavailable for an interview this week due to his wife’s impending surgery, but Janice said he was excited by his catch and the attention it is generating. “He’s got a lot on his plate right now,” she said.)

If the fish does become a world record, as expected, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, Haley says. “He’s very humble, very generous. He does a lot of fishing, and he showed me some photos of big catfish he’s caught in the area. I’d love to spend a day on the water with him!”

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Record striper is caught

Shields' monster fish weighed 66 pounds, topping not only the previous freshwater state record of 54.2 pounds, also caught from Hiwasee, but also the current saltwater state record of 64 pounds taken from Oregon inlet in 2011.

The young angler was fishing a black Zoom Trick Worm for largemouth and smallmouth bass using a Bass Pro Shops Bionic Blade rod and a reel spooled with 10-pound-test line when the monster striper hit. Shield and his two companions, Logan Howard and Caleb Davis, both 15 years of age, thought the big fish was a catfish until Shields got the fish near his boat.

After being advised to weigh the huge striper by a friend's father at the dock, Shields took the fish to a grocery store that couldn't handle the fish because its scales only registered to 50 pounds.

Shields found certified scales capable of doing the job at Interstate Welding and Steel Supply in Marble, and the fish was verified as a striper and new state record by NCWRC biologist Powell Wheeler.

Hiwasee is not stocked with striped bass, but occasionally a striper survives passing through Nottely Dam from Nottely Reservoir, which is stocked with stripers by the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, and swims 13 miles down the Nottely River to Hiwassee Reservoir where it can grow to plump proportions because it has an abundant food supply and few competitors.

“The rarity of striped bass in Hiwassee coupled with the abundance of forage fishes in the reservoir are the main reasons why Hiwasee has produced the last two freshwater fishing state records for striped bass,” Wheeler said.

Ironically, Shields and most Hiwasee fishermen prefer fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass. Only a small number of locals deliberately target the rare but extremely large stripers in the lake.

More fishermen would continue to go fishing if someone would ask them to go fishing.

That startling but simple explanation of what would prevent many fishermen from retiring their rods and reels is one of the main findings of a recent study conducted by Southwick Associates, an organization specializing in statistical research related to the outdoors.

The study tried to find the reasons why many fishermen do not renew their fishing licenses and what activities they do in place of fishing.

First, the study examined why fishermen fish in the first place. The main reasons were fun, relaxation, spending time with family and friends, and getting outdoors. Surprisingly, the thrill of catching a big fish, the sense of following a tradition, and the thought of meeting a challenge ranked as minor reasons for fishing.

Many cited “not enough time” as the main reason for not fishing or not continuing to fish; inherent within that response was a preference for other recreational activities.

Fishing time was often sacrificed for time to do other outdoor-related activities, such as hunting, camping, hiking, golfing, gardening, trail running, and walking for fitness. Ex-fishermen largely remained connected to the outdoors even if that connection resulted in less fishing.

Indoor activities competing with fishing time were television, cooking, and reading.

Another factor reducing fishing time involved limited opportunities. Many fishermen do not live in rural areas where access to fishing is more likely. Unless fishing was convenient, many chose to do other activities.

The biggest initiative that would encourage fishermen to go fishing again is the simple invitation.

According to Southwick Associates, “inviting a person to go fishing is that easy in stemming the drop in angler numbers and can be the most effective way to retain or recruit new anglers to fishing's ranks.”

In a closely related AnglerSurvey.com survey, many anglers expressed a desire to go fishing more often. When asked if they fished more or less or as much as expected, 45 percent said they made it out “less.” Only 27 percent said they went fishing more than expected and only 28 percent made it out as much as expected.

Tony Garitta is a fishing columnist for The Dispatch.

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