Fisherman lands massive 37-pound striped bass, breaking Ohio record
A man in Ohio caught a record-breaking striped bass.
A striped bass weighing more than 37 pounds was caught last month, breaking the state's weight record, according to posts on Facebook from the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
George Bruggeman, of New Carlisle, caught the fish, which was 37.375 pounds, 41.81 inches long and 27.36 inches in girth. The previous state record was 37.10 pounds, set by Mark Chuifo on July 2, 1993.
Bruggeman reeled in the huge bass on Sept. 29 while fishing a "favorite spot" at Kiser Lake in Champaign County. He was looking to catch bluegills and yellow perch, but instead pulled in the record-setting striped bass.
According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the fish was hooked with a spinning rod spooled with 8-pound Trilene line tipped with one-half of a nightcrawler for bait.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife said fish records are determined by weight and are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with help from fishery biologists. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the organization has maintained fishing records in Ohio since the 1940s.
Earlier this year, Teresa Croy broke a 29-year-old Ohio state record for the white crappie fish.
What is a striped bass?
According to NOAA Fisheries, striped bass have "stout bodies with seven to eight continuous horizontal stripes on each side, from their gills to their tail."
They can be light green, olive, steel blue, black, or brown on top, with a white or silver iridescent underside, the federal agency added.