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Post by strippitman on Mar 7, 2013 8:24:14 GMT -5
 I always heard that 'Bama was the place to go for big stripers and crappie. I guess this proves it!  An Alabama resident has reeled in a 70-pound striped bass that shattered a 34-year-old state record and could land the angler in the book of world records for the heaviest striper ever caught in a landlocked fishery. James R. Bramlett, 65, reeled in the behemoth on the Black Warrior River on Feb. 28. Bramlett told Joe Songer of AL.com that he credits his wife, Janice, for urging him to go fishing. She was scheduled to undergo a hospital procedure in a few days and would need him to be around and take care of her. The catch, weighed on a certified scale, exceeds the previous record, set in 1959, by 15 pounds. "It's definitely uncommon," Heath Haley, a biologist for Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, told Field & Stream. "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." The striper measured 45.5 inches long and boasted a girth of 37.75. According to Songer, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has already approved the catch as a state record. If approved by the International Game Fish Association it'll become a new world record (this process can take weeks or months). The current IGFA record for landlocked stripers is a 67-pound, 8-ounce specimen landed in 1992 in Los Banos, California. [Related: The biggest fish ever caught from a kayak.] Bramlett said he saw the huge fish roll on the surface, so he tossed a bait and soon hooked up. The battle lasted 20 minutes and as soon as Bramlett could secure the catch, he telephoned his wife to share the news about the memorable catch--and, presumably, to thank her for persuading him to spend the day fishing
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Post by goosepondmonster on Mar 7, 2013 8:57:15 GMT -5
That's just a baby.
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Post by strippitman on Mar 7, 2013 9:01:04 GMT -5
LOL! I wish you had one of these in West Island  . If the guy in the picture moved a little to the right, I don't think we would be able to see him behind the fish. |
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Post by Greenedog on Mar 7, 2013 9:05:40 GMT -5
That's an amazing catch!  |
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Post by goosepondmonster on Mar 7, 2013 15:01:44 GMT -5
LOL! I wish you had one of these in West Island . If the guy in the picture moved a little to the right, I don't think we would be able to see him behind the fish. There's probably a couple of grass carp in there that are close to that size. My grandma tells the story of a catfish that dragged her boat around the pond and snapped the line when she had it close to the boat. The only catfish I have ever seen come out of there was a yellow belly, which I really hope there aren't many of them in there. |
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Post by strippitman on Mar 7, 2013 15:29:17 GMT -5
LOL! I wish you had one of these in West Island . If the guy in the picture moved a little to the right, I don't think we would be able to see him behind the fish. There's probably a couple of grass carp in there that are close to that size. My grandma tells the story of a catfish that dragged her boat around the pond and snapped the line when she had it close to the boat. The only catfish I have ever seen come out of there was a yellow belly, which I really hope there aren't many of them in there. Yellow bellies are good eating and easy to catch. You might want to give it a try. |
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Post by goosepondmonster on Mar 7, 2013 16:16:05 GMT -5
Yellow bellies are good eating and easy to catch. You might want to give it a try. I'm more concerned about the negative effect they have on a pond's ecosystem. Believe it or not, but West Island is probably the toughest place of my regular spots for me to fish. I don't know why, but I get skunked there more than any other place. I'm not sure if it is lack of knowledge of the lay of the land, so to speak, but there are days there that make we want to throw my pole in the water and walk away. I guess I need to get some kind of fish finder/sonar out there to get an idea of the bottom and such. |
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sam
Full Member
Posts: 113
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Post by sam on Mar 7, 2013 20:53:05 GMT -5
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Post by Greenedog on Jun 3, 2013 11:13:36 GMT -5
The record has been confirmed....  From the ADCNR; June 3, 2013 On May 13, 2013, James Bramlett of Dora, Ala., received a highly anticipated call from the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). The World Records Coordinator of the IGFA, Jack Vitek, informed Bramlett that his state record, a 69-pound, 9-ounce landlocked striped bass, now holds the world record for that species. According to Jason Schratwieser, IGFA Conservation Director, the organization was honored to acknowledge Bramlett for his catch. "The new record has generated a buzz among anglers around the world," said Schratwieser. Bramlett is surprised by the recognition, but is excited to see the attention cast on Alabama and its fishery. "I got the call at exactly 2:09 p.m., and I couldn't be happier," said Bramlett. "I've been fishing for a really long time and I'm glad it happened to me, but mostly for my state. This record is for all of us now." Bramlett hooked the goliath on February 28, 2013, in the Warrior River, while free-lining shad near the Gorgas Steam Plant. He first saw the fish chasing skipjack about a foot under the water shortly after 11 a.m. A skilled fisherman, Bramlett has caught several trophy striped bass and blue catfish on the Warrior River. He knew right away this fish was something special. "I had been catching three to five-pound bass all morning, which is fairly common for February," said Bramlett. "I had never dreamed of a stripe like that coming up. It had the skipjack flying out of the water." Bramlett cast his bait after watching the fish feed on the surface. It took only minutes for the striper to hit. Bramlett wrestled the giant for more than 20 minutes until finally hauling the fish into the boat. A river barge captain and his crew witnessed his catch. "That bait clicker went off and it sounded like grandma's sewing machine," Bramlett said. "By the time I picked it up, it had taken at least 100-feet of line. I pulled back and I knew then I had a solid hook set." Bramlett's striped bass shattered the Alabama state record by nearly 15 pounds and eclipsed the previous IGFA world record of 67-pound, 8-ounce, a record that stood for two decades. Bramlett's catch has been mounted and will be on display temporarily at Sayre Auto Parts at 7192 Bankhead Hwy. in Dora, Alabama. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com. Media Contact Heath Haley (205) 339-5716 |
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I always heard that 'Bama was the place to go for big stripers and crappie. I guess this proves it! 
. If the guy in the picture moved a little to the right, I don't think we would be able to see him behind the fish.
Just another night at work for me and Monty will be back here again bright and early. 
