The West Virginia state record for striped bass has been broken by James Brooks of Summers County, according to Frank Jezioro, director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Brooks caught the 47.16-inch, 45.70-pound fish from Bluestone Lake in Summers County on Sept. 3, 2010 while trolling a crankbait.
Brooks was fishing with his family and fought the striper for 40 minutes on 8-pound test line. His catch establishes new West Virginia records for length and weight. This striped bass exceeds the previous length record by more than six inches and the weight record by more than 16 pounds.
Anglers who believe that they have caught a state record fish should check the record listing in the current DNR Fishing Regulations brochure. The brochure also outlines the procedure to follow for reporting a state record catch. This information is also available online at www.wvdnr.gov.