Fred Barnes of Chesapeake on Wednesday January 23rd 2008 shattered the Virginia state striped bass record with a 73-pounder caught off the Virginia Beach coast. The previous record was a 68-pound, 1-ounce fish caught in 2006 by Clay Armstrong. Barnes was fishing new Cape Henry aboard the Country Girl, skippered by Pat Foster, when the big fish hit a red and white Stretch 30 trolling plug. Barnes' fish is one of only a few 70-pounders ever caught.
Old record below
Clay Armstrong of Mechanicsville caught a 68-pound, 1-ounce rockfish while fishing in the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia Beach on Saturday. February 25th 2006. The 33-year-old road construction worker broke the mark of 63-8 established by Paul Kleckner in January 2005 off Wachapreague.
Have a look at another picture of Capt Paul with his fish in the forum.
Virginia State Record Striped Bass Landed
A 63-lb., 8-oz. striped bass caught on January 2nd 2005 by Paul W. Kleckner of Greenbackville has been certified as a new Virginia state record by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament.
Kleckner caught his fish in the Atlantic Ocean off the Eastern Shore of Virginia, approximately 18 miles south of Wachapreague Inlet. He was fishing with Otis W. Evans, Jr. on the private boat White Bite. The record-setting striper, which measured 50.5 inches in length and had a girth of 33 inches, was fooled by a parachute lure dressed with a 4-inch white shad fished as the trailing bait of an umbrella rig.
They were trolling approximately 2 miles off the beach in area with a lot of bait and gannets sitting on the water when the record-setting striped bass struck. Kleckner fought the fish for almost 25 minutes before he was able to land it.
Gallery
Carolyn W. Brown of Virginia Beach 63-pound striped bass on January 30 2004 in the Atlantic Ocean off Currituck, NC with Captain Larry Mattocks on the Fishateer. The record-setting striper, which measured 50 inches in length and had a girth of 33.25 inches, was fooled by a 9-inch Storm plastic bait being trolled as the trailing bait behind a Mojo lure.
Capt. Mattocks stated they were trolling in 50 feet of water approximately 2.75 miles off the beach when the fish struck. The water temperature at the surface was a chilly 39 degrees
Virginia's State Freshwater Striped Bass Record
53 lbs 7 oz Leesville Reservoir 03-16-2000 James B. Davis