A 73-pound striped bass, caught on January 23rd by Frederick Barnes of Chesapeake, has been certified as the new  Virginia state record by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, as it easily eclipsed the existing record of 68 pounds, 1 ounce.

Barnes made the record-setting catch in the Atlantic Ocean, about one-half mile north of the 4A buoy, which is located north of Rudee Inlet and off Fishermen’s Island, while fishing with Captain Pat Foster aboard the Country Girl, and the boats’ owner, Kenny Finck.  The trophy striper hit a red and white Stretch 30, trolled from a Penn rod and reel, spooled with 50-pound test mono of unknown manufacture, according to the Captain.   The group had landed and kept a pair of 20-pound class striped bass and released several smaller fish, when the Captain spotted bird activity at a distance.  The Captain altered course and sped up to about 5 knots.  The mate, Adrian Colapret, was in the process of bringing in the lines when the huge striper hit a rod still in its holder.  Barnes grabbed the rod but nothing about the 10-minute fight of the fish prepared the crew for the first site of the striper.  “Its head was huge, that was the first thing I noticed,” said Barnes, whose earlier thought was, “it’s just another 40-pounder.”   Colapret leadered the fish and a discussion of how much the fish might weigh ensued as it lay on the deck.  All agreed the fish had to be over 50 pounds.   A quick measurement of the fish and the crew was now thinking they had landed a 60-pounder.  It was just 11:00 AM and the group continued to fish for a brief time but decided to head back to Rudee Inlet as they became more curious of the weight of the fish.

Tournament Director Lewis Gillingham viewed the official weigh-in at the Virginia Beach Fishing Center by its weighmaster, John Crowling.  “Every fin was perfect, every scale was in place and the fish just glowed. The fish was big from its head to its tail.  It didn’t just have a big stomach,” noted Gillingham.   In fact, when the taxidermist finished his work days later, a gut analysis revealed the fish’s stomach was empty.  “To put this catch in perspective, at 73 pounds, this huge striper is one of only half-a-dozen or less striped bass weighing 70 pounds or more ever documented landed on recreational rod and reel along the entire Atlantic Coast,” added Gillingham.

The 73-pound, record-setting striper measured 52 inches in length and had a girth of 31-1/2 inches.    The prior state record of 68 pounds, 1 ounce was caught in the Atlantic Ocean just south of Rudee Inlet by Clay T. Armstrong on March 4, 2006.   The current International Game Fish Association (IGFA) All-Tackle World Record striped bass, caught in 1982 by Al Reynolds from the beach at Atlantic City, NJ, stands at 78-1/2 pounds.

For more information, contact Lewis S. Gillingham, Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, 968 S. Oriole Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, (757) 491-5160, vswft@mrc.virginia.gov

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Previous Coverage

The Fishing Center weighed a pending a 73pound striped bass today. It was verified by Lewis Gillingham and is being processed as the new Virginia State Record. The fish was caught off the Country Girl off Virginia near the 4A bouy on a Stretch 30. The angler's name is Fred Barnes of Chesapeake, and the Captain was Pat Foster.

From Julie Ball: "I went down to Rudee Inlet Station Marina, where the Country Girl is kept. This was a private recreational trip, not a charter. I just met the angler, the owner, Kenny Finck, and visited with the crew from the Country Girl. The boat is a 36 foot Sea Vue. The captain told me they were trolling just outside the 4A buoy at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. There were birds and bait. The angler described the fight as “not much” when it hit a red and white Stretch 30. He said it took him about 10 minutes, and he guessed it was about a 40-pounder. He was surprised it was so big. Fred, the angler, is no stranger to big striped bass. He also won the World Championship Striped Bass Tournamnent in 2005 with a 58lb 13oz rockfish he pulled from he surf! Fred is trying to decide if he wants it mounted or not. I vote yes! I put him in touch with Dave Suanders, hope he will.

The Fish Story

The recreational trip began out of Rudee Inlet Wednesday morning, where the Country Girl Captained by Pat Foster, embarked on a striper-catching mission off the coast of Virginia Beach with dozens of other boats to keep them company. After catching a few stripers ranging up to about 35 pounds, they ventured off the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay near the 4A buoy in pursuit of working birds and bait. When the monster fish hit the red and white Stretch 30, angler Fred Barnes of Chesapeake was ready. Fred described the notorious 10-minute battle of a lifetime as “not much.” In fact, he guessed the fish to be about a 40-pounder. He was surprised when he finally spotted the fish, and realized it was much, much bigger! The crew, which included boat owner, Kenny Finck, are a very proud bunch, and rightly so. This fish is only 5.5 pounds shy of the 78lb 8oz IGFA World Record caught off New Jersey in 1982. Fred, the angler, is no stranger to big striped bass. He also won the World Championship Striped Bass Tournament in 2005 with a 58lb 13 oz rockfish he pulled from the surf! Fred is trying to decide if he wants it mounted. I vote yes! The fish measured 52-inches long, and 31.5-inches in girth. I put him in touch with Dave Saunders, so I hope he will.

The fish is huge! It is very proportional, and solid…a gorgeous specimen. It is hard to judge how big it is by looking at it with the crew, so I stepped into the picture between the crew, and now you can see how big it is!

The fish is massive! It is very proportional, and solid…a gorgeous specimen. It is hard to judge how big it is by looking at it with the crew, so I stepped into the picture between the crew, and now you can see how big it is! "