Striped Bass Fishing Forums Forum banner

New Missouri State Striper record

9K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  GMen 
#1 ·
Bradleyville Man Reels in Record-breaking Bass

Early on a July 13 2008 morning on Bull Shoals Lake, Greg Blair reeled in a 56 pound, 4 foot long striped bass.
After the Conservation Department weighed it, he found out it beat the old state record by 5 pounds.
The same day his cousin lured in a 35 pound striped bass in the same spot.
The record breaking bass is at, where else, Bass Pro right now.
Taxidermists are making two replicas, one to hang in the store, the other for Blair.
It took him 50 minutes to reel it in.

Greg Blair with his daughter of Bradleyville, MO, with striped bass weighing 56.35 pounds. New MO State Record. Caught on 7-13-08
Clothing Shorts Smile Fisherman Grass
 
See less See more
1
#4 ·
Re: New Missouri Striper record

I'm very familiar with Bull Shoals lake. Does anyone have any idea where and on what this magnificient fish was caught?

I'm not stupid enough to expect exact details from any fisherman, as this would start a rush to fish in the exact 200 sq. ft of water.

Was it caught in the "main lake", off the bluffs, a cove?
Was it caught casting, trolling, downrigger, ?
Above or below the thermocline?
Live bait, soft plastic, surface lure, marshmallow-jellybean-Girlscout cookie combo.
Daytime, nighttime, crack of noon?

I've trolled extensively with downriggers and soft plastics, usually below the thermocline, and have had some luck but nothing to get excited about.

Congrats to Greg Blair on his trophy, and to see he is a Jr. fan.
 
#5 ·
Here's a link to an article with details...

The 56-pound fish topped the previous record by more than 5 pounds.



FORSYTH, Mo.-One of the reasons some people find fishing endlessly fascinating is the element of chance it involves. Regardless of what you are fishing for, you never know what is going to turn up at the end of your line. Greg Blair spun the wheel of fishing fortune and came up with a 56-pound winner.
Blair and his cousin Derek Blair, both of Bradleyville, were fishing the upper reaches of Bull Shoals Lake in the early morning hours of July 13. The temperature was a pleasant 70 degrees or so, but a misting rain kept them alert for their quarry, trophy striped bass.
"There had been several around 40 pounds caught, and guys fishing from the bank had lost a lot of lures," Greg said. "I was fishing a King Kong. It is a kind of oversized jerk bait with four segments. It is about as big around as a half-dollar and looks kind of like a snake coming through the water.
Apparently striped bass have no fear of snakes, because a big fish nailed Greg's lure and headed for the bottom of the lake. The fish was all the angler's baitcasting reel spooled with 17-pound-test line could handle.
"He didn't do a lot of head shaking like smaller striped bass do," said Greg. "He was just strong. He took off for the bottom. We were in about 35 feet of water. I kept bringing him back to top and he kept going back down."
When Greg finally got the fish to the surface he realized that the landing net he normally used for largemouth bass was completely inadequate. Derek got the net under the fish's tail, but it only came about halfway up the striper's 47-inch body.
"I tried to grab it by the gills to pull it into the boat and about that time the lure came loose. We were sure glad when he finally hit the bottom of the boat."
Then they faced another problem. The monstrous striper would not fit in the boat's live well, so they wrapped it in a damp towel and left it in the bottom of the boat while they continued to fish.
"When one of you catches a fish like that, you want the other guy to catch one, too," said Greg. "We fished for another three and a half hours or so until Derek landed a 35-pounder, and we were done."
Naturally, they were curious about how much Greg's fish weighed. However, neither of the anglers had ever seen a 50-pound striper, so they underestimated its size, guessing it might weigh 45 pounds. When they returned to shore, Joe Placzek, owner of Tri-Lakes Rod & Reel advised them to get the big fish weighed as a possible state record. They were amazed when the certified scales at Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery registered 56.35 pounds.
"This was unexpected," said Greg. "We expected to catch one, but we didn't realize they would be this size."
If you catch a fish whose size surprises you, consider the possibility that it might be a state record. A complete list of Missouri fishing records is available online at www.missouriconservation.org
 
#7 ·
I did a little research and answered my own questions.

FORSYTH, Mo. -- One of the reasons some people find fishing endlessly fascinating is the element of chance it involves. Regardless of what you are fishing for, you never know what is going to turn up at the end of your line. Greg Blair spun the wheel of fishing fortune and came up with a 56-pound winner.

Blair and cousin Derek Blair, both of Bradleyville, were fishing the upper reaches of Bull Shoals Lake in the early morning hours of July 13. The temperature was a pleasant 70 degrees or so, but a misting rain kept them alert for their quarry, trophy striped bass.

"There had been several around 40 pounds caught, and guys fishing from the bank had lost a lot of lures," Greg said. "I was fishing a King Kong. It is a kind of oversized jerk bait with four segments. It is about as big around as a half-dollar and looks kind of like a snake coming through the water.

Apparently striped bass have no fear of snakes, because a big fish nailed Gregs lure and headed for the bottom of the lake. The fish was all the anglers baitcasting reel spooled with 17-pound-test line could handle.

He didnt do a lot of head shaking like smaller striped bass do, said Greg. He was just strong. He took off for the bottom. We were in about 35 feet of water. I kept bringing him back to top and he kept going back down.

When Greg finally got the fish to the surface he realized that the landing net he normally used for largemouth bass was completely inadequate. Derek got the net under the fishs tail, but it only came about halfway up the stripers body.

"I tried to grab it by the gills to pull it into the boat and about that time the lure came loose. We were sure glad when he finally hit the bottom of the boat.

Then they faced another problem. The monstrous striper would not fit in the boats live well, so they wrapped it in a damp towel and left it in the bottom of the boat while they continued to fish.

When one of you catches a fish like that, you want the other guy to catch one, too said Greg. We fished for another three and a half hours or so until Derek landed a 35-pounder, and we were done.

Naturally, they were curious about how much Gregs fish weighed. However, neither of the anglers had ever seen a 50-pound striper, so they underestimated its size, guessing it might weigh 45 pounds. When they returned to shore, another angler advised them to get the big fish weighed as a possible state record. They were amazed when the certified scales at Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery registered 56.35 pounds.
 
#10 ·
Stripers were stocked in Bull Shoals during the early 1970’s but stocking was discontinued in 1975 in deference to a developing rainbow trout fishery. Because of the small numbers stocked, plentiful forage, and good water quality, Stripers were very successful in Bull Shoals which eventually produced the current Arkansas state record of 56 pounds. That was a 33 year old fish? The maximum lifespan of a Striper in Arkansas is about 20 years. Few of the Stripers stocked in Bull Shoals now remain.


Among black bass anglers, Bull Shoals is truly world class
 
#12 ·
Missouri News leader.
Striped bass catch might obliterate state record
Republic angler J.J. West has only caught one striped bass in his life in Missouri.

But his cast Thursday night into rain-soaked Bull Shoals Lake was well worth the wait.
"I was fishing in the rain at 9:45 at night and was about ready to go home," West recalled Friday. "I was cursing the weather."
But his final shoreside cast produced a 58-pound, 10.4-ounce monster that likely will shatter Missouri's current striper record -- a 56-lb. 5-oz. fish landed two years ago by Bradleyville fisherman Greg Blair.
That fish also came out of Bull Shoals Lake.
West's striper was weighed at 11 p.m. Thursday on official scales at the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.
The documentation is now on its way to the Missouri Department of Conservation office in Jefferson City for official confirmation as the new striper champ, according to hatchery manager Clint Hale.
"We do think we have a new state record," Hale said. "It was a tremendous fish."
West said he usually fishes all spring long, but has been stuck at home renovating his house this year.
He admits he's been "a little cranky" and said his wife was happy to see him grab his fishing pole and head to the lake with a couple of buddies.
But late Thursday, West said it was so foggy and rainy that he couldn't see his 8-inch plastic swim bait hit the water.
He bounced the rig along the bottom until something big suddenly inhaled it and took off.
"I was fishing with a spinning reel with 200 yards of 30-pound test line," West said. "It took off on one long run, until I had only about 15 wraps left on the reel."
Battling the fish from shore, West got back most of the line, but the fish took off again, stripping half the line from the reel.
After a 25- to 30-minute fight, the fish finally broke the surface near shore and West saw for the first time what he had.
"I knew I needed to buy a bigger net," he said. "It wouldn't fit in the one we had."
He dragged the fish ashore, recognizing a potential record flopping at his feet.
After the official weigh-in was complete, West iced the fish down in a jumbo-sized cooler.
On Friday, he took it by Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, where the current state-record striper hangs.
West said he hopes a fiberglass cast of his fish might eventually replace that one.
He plans to hang the original mount of his fish on the wall at home.
Although he caught the fish on the Missouri side of Bull Shoals Lake, West wasn't about to divulge where, exactly, he caught it.
"In the mouth," he offered, chuckling.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top