The striped bass that holds the all-tackle world record weighed 81 pounds, 14 ounces. Greg Myerson caught it on August 4, 2011, fishing the waters off Westbrook, Connecticut. That fish measured 54 inches long with a girth that defied what most anglers thought possible from a striper.
I remember when the news broke. The fishing forums erupted. Skeptics demanded verification. IGFA officials flew out to examine the catch. And Myerson’s record has stood for over a decade now, which tells you something about how exceptional that fish truly was.
The Catch That Changed Everything
Myerson wasn’t some weekend warrior who got lucky. The guy had been chasing trophy stripers in Long Island Sound for years, developing techniques that other anglers initially dismissed. He fished at night, during the full moon, targeting the deep structure where big bass staged to ambush prey.
His secret weapon? A lure he designed himself—the RattleSinker—that created vibrations mimicking wounded baitfish. Sounds gimmicky until you realize he was consistently boating stripers over 50 pounds while everyone else struggled to break 30.
The record fish hit around 9 PM in about 18 feet of water. Myerson was drifting over a rocky reef when the rod doubled over. The fight lasted roughly fifteen minutes, which sounds short until you factor in the tackle he was using and the size of the fish. Getting an 80-pound striper into a boat is a wrestling match regardless of your equipment.
Previous Records and Near Misses
Before Myerson’s fish, the record had stood since 1982. Al McReynolds landed a 78-pound, 8-ounce striper off Atlantic City, New Jersey. That fish dominated the record books for nearly three decades, and plenty of people assumed it would never fall.
The 1970s and 80s produced enormous striped bass, partly because the population had rebounded from previous overfishing, and partly because coastal ecosystems were healthier than they’d been in decades. Montauk, Block Island, the Chesapeake tributaries—all of these waters gave up fish that approached or exceeded 70 pounds.
Commercial catches documented stripers exceeding 100 pounds in the 19th century, though those fish were weighed on scales of questionable accuracy and weren’t caught on rod and reel. Still, the historical record suggests that truly massive stripers existed before modern fishing pressure and habitat loss reduced their maximum size.
Where Giants Still Swim
Trophy striper hunting concentrates in specific locations. Long Island Sound remains productive for reasons that biologists still debate—perhaps the structure, the bait concentrations, or the water chemistry creates ideal conditions for big fish.
The Chesapeake Bay tributaries produce impressive stripers during the spring spawn. Fish pushing 50 pounds show up regularly, though the true giants over 60 are uncommon. The bay’s role as the primary spawning ground for Atlantic stripers means serious trophy hunters make the pilgrimage every April and May.
New Jersey’s coast, particularly around the inlets and bridges, gives up occasional monsters. Raritan Bay has produced multiple fish over 60 pounds in recent years. The structure around the bridges creates ambush points where big bass wait for the tide to deliver prey.
Massachusetts waters, especially around Cape Cod, see heavy runs of large stripers in late summer and fall. The famous Outer Cape beaches attract anglers who wade into the surf hoping for that once-in-a-lifetime fish.
What It Takes to Catch One
Nobody lands an 80-pound striper by accident. Myerson spent years learning the habits of big fish—where they feed, when they move, what triggers strikes. He fished when other anglers slept, targeting windows that his experience told him were productive.
Tackle matters but not in the way manufacturers suggest. The rod and reel need to handle the fight, obviously, but plenty of trophy stripers have been landed on gear that experts would call inadequate. What matters more is the angler’s understanding of the fish.
Live bait versus artificial? Both produce giants. Eels remain the classic big-striper bait, either live or rigged to swim naturally. Large swimmers, tube-and-worm rigs, and topwater plugs all have their advocates. Myerson proved that custom lures designed for specific conditions can outperform conventional wisdom.
Night fishing produces a disproportionate number of trophy stripers. The big ones become more active after dark, hunting aggressively in waters they avoid during daylight. Moon phase matters—the several days around the full and new moons seem to trigger feeding behavior in large bass.
Conservation and the Future
Striper populations have fluctuated dramatically over the past century. The Chesapeake spawning stock collapsed in the 1980s before strict regulations allowed recovery. Current populations are considered healthy but below historical peaks, and climate change is shifting migration patterns in ways we don’t fully understand.
The trophy fishery depends on older fish surviving long enough to reach giant size. A striped bass needs roughly 15-20 years to exceed 50 pounds. Every fish killed before reaching that age reduces the odds of another record being caught.
Catch-and-release has become standard practice among serious trophy hunters. Myerson himself advocated for releasing large bass to maintain the breeding stock that produces future giants. The record fish was killed and weighed for verification—IGFA rules require it—but he’s spoken publicly about wishing he could have released it.
Will the record fall? Possibly. The waters that produced Myerson’s fish still hold potential 80-pounders. But finding one requires the combination of skill, persistence, and luck that only a handful of anglers possess. For now, that 81-pound striper from Connecticut remains the fish that everyone’s chasing.
