Wow! A 50-pound striper on a 2-pound line

[Fish Chris]

Did you just skip right past my post ? Do you not believe that a 102 lb Sailfish was caught on 2 lb mono, either ? .....and that one edged out a 101 lb'er.

I'm not trying to force feed you guys anything here..... But your talking about "how things seem". I'm telling you how I know things to be, concerning micro-light fishing for big fish, from actual experience.

Super light gear, for big fish, is just not as big a deal as a lot of people believe it is.

Oh and hey Lavrakos, you could not lift a 50 lb block of concrete off of the bottom with 2 lb test, no. However, a mid-water swimming fish, such as a Striper, is just about perfectly equal in buoyancy. Meaning, you can gently lead a (dead, or close to it) 50 lb fish to the boat with 2 ounces of pressure, if you were extremely gentle about it...... in the same way that you can close a 2 ton bank vault door with one finger, or push a 70 foot, 20 ton boat away from the dock with one hand. Simple physics.

Peace,

Fish

[RobbyZ5001]

Fish Chris I am glad you said it not me. This record is totally believable. I was thinking exactly the things you said, but I would probably catch flack if I said them. Thank you!

[Crabcakes]

Hey Micro, that photo looks like a fiberglass replica if I've ever seen one. Conveniantly blurred too.

Fish

Fish Chris as far as I know that fish was legitimately netted by the Maryland DNR. Details are surprisingly sketchy which makes me wonder qwhat exactly the story is. It was electroshocked and netted by DNR at the mouth of the Patuxent River near Solomons, MD. The picture is of the taxidermy mount taken later for a photo op.  It currently hangs at the Maryland State DNR office in Annapolis. Not sure why but apparently it did not survive the electroshocking. At any rate the mount is there and it was caught by DNR.  

[Fish Chris]

Now I have figured it out..... you said "it was electroshocked" ! :-) LOL

Seriously though, a Striper that size is believable I guess. The photo just struck me funny, with the fish looking completely stiff, and all its fins straight out.....

Peace,

Fish

[Crabcakes]

Yeah it's sort of a strange story with an equally strange photo. It strikes me as odd they didn't get a picture right when they electroshocked it. Theres also very little info to be found about it.  But the fish is hanging in DNR so who knows.

.....But back to the original topic. Why is this so hard to believe. If you're in a boat and your drag is set correctly and smooth there's no reason you couldn't land that fish. You have to remember hes not pulling it out of weeds and sticks he's following it around in open water. It may take awhile but its very possible. It's really the habitat the fish lives in that dictates heavy line size most of the time. We're used to things on a bass scale... but different kinds of fishing have different requirements.

[Fish Chris]

totally..... that, and that the size of the lure or bait you have to throw.

The only reason I ever use a big, heavy action rod, with 50 lb braid, is for the big, 5 ounce swimbait I have to throw with it. Otherwise, in most situations, I could land the biggest bass in Nor Cal.... Heck, even the biggest Striped bass in Nor Cal, on a micro-light.

Medium light gear gives you a little more feel of the fish though.

Peace,

Fish

[secretlakes]

not possible. full of crap. i fish striper off of LBI every year and there is no way he landed a fifty pounder on 2lb test. they are just too hard of a fight. and with that light of line, the drag setting would have to be so light that the fish would have just swam away not even knowing it was hooked. he prob couldnt even have set the hook. look at my post in other fish species and tell me u could have pulled that in on 2 lb test, and then add 10 lbs to the fish i am holding.

[roadwarrior]

At one time the World Record 2 lb Line Record was recorded on Norfork Lake in north central Arkansas: 32 lbs.

8-)

[slomoe]

I believe it.

[jrhennecke]

I have never met Fish Chirs personally.  In the conversations I have had with him and reading his posts I fully believe him to be an honest individual.

[Micro]

Since this thread started, the 68lb Virginia record has been shattered.  Now its 73.25lbs.  Caught very nearly where that 50lb'er (the subject of this thread) was caught.

http://www.mrc.state.va.us/vswft/State_Records/state-record-stripedbass_01-23-08.shtm

[Micro]

that people are always so skeptical about big fish on light line ? Are any of you aware of what the "2 lb test Sailfish" record is ? 102 lbs ! IGFA certified, with witnesses !

I suspect that fish was caught in open water, on a boat with an experienced skipper than could manuever or back the boat to keep up with the fish.  No one is saying it can't be done.

But where he caught that fish, at the sourthern tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, has ferocious currents.  And depending where he was, probably structure.  He claims he followed the fish.  That's difficult to do when you are JUST driving the boat.  But he was watching/handling his rod, too.  

Not saying it can't be done - it can.  But that is a super-remarkable feat of fishermanship - way beyond just landing a 50lb fish on 2lb line.