State Record Catch for 66 Pound Striped Bass

According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Tyler Shields holds the new freshwater record for striped bass in North Carolina as of March 31.

Shields, 17, an avid fisherman who holds a lifetime fishing license in North Carolina went out on his 17-foot boat with his cousin to the artificially created Hiwassee Reservoir. Hiwassee is a small village in Cherokee County, North Carolina, the reservoir sits next to the Hiwassee Dam. 

The lucky lure he used to catch his record fish was a black Zoom trick worm that he tied onto his 10-pound test.

Shields took the striped bass to a certified scale where the catch was declared the record. The next closest catch was a 54.2-pound fish also from the Hiwassee. The catch was only two pounds off the IGFA record, and is two pounds bigger than the North Carolina saltwater record.

What about our area? What is the biggest fish you have caught, and where? Tell us in the comments section below.