In September 2025, George Bruggeman of Ohio broke a decades-old record for striped bass, with the catch of a fish that weighed 37.375 pounds. Bruggeman’s striper measured 41.81 inches in length with a girth of 27.36 inches.
Mr. Bruggeman caught his striped bass on September 29, 2025, while fishing at Kiser Lake. The trophy fish was confirmed by ODNR Division of Wildlife fisheries biologists Mike Porto and Kipp Brown.
George Bruggeman’s catch replaces the previous Ohio record Striped Bass which was caught in West Branch Reservoir by Mark Chuifo of Ravenna on July 2, 1993, weighing 37.10 pounds and measuring 41.25 inches long.
Mr. Bruggeman was actually fishing for bluegills and yellow perch at the time. The monster striper was hooked with a spinning rod spooled with eight-pound Trilene line tipped with one-half a night crawler for bait.
Kiser Lake, a small impoundment in Champaign County, was stocked with striped bass many years ago, according to ODNR Division of Wildlife. More recently, the lake has received stockings of hybrid striped bass
Operated by the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft, Kiser Lake has 394 surface acres of water and 5.5 miles of shoreline. It is a relatively shallow lake with abundant vegetation, including large areas of lily pads.
Ohio’s record fish are determined on the basis of weight only and are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from fisheries biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
sources: Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, Outdoor Writers of Ohio, State Record Fish Committee