New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

May 15, 2002

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Fish and Wildlife, a new freshwater state record striped bass was taken from the Great Egg Harbor River on April 26. John Christian of Mays Landing caught a 51-pound striped bass that weighed 14 pounds, 8 ounces more than the previous record taken from the Delaware River in 2001.

Christian was fishing from the shore of the Great Egg Harbor River in Mays Landing when he caught the record bass on 25-pound test using live herring for bait. The fish measured 48 inches in length with a 28½-inch girth. He took the fish to the Division's Southern Region Office in Camden County for verification.

The Division has categories for striped bass caught in both freshwater and saltwater. The current saltwater state record (also a world record) for striped bass is 78 pounds, 8 ounces caught in 1982 off Atlantic City.

The striped bass is an anadramous marine species (one that travels from saltwater to freshwater to spawn) found along the Atlantic coast from northern Florida to the St. Lawrence estuary. Spawning occurs near the surface in fresh or slightly brackish (salty) waters. Most striped bass along the Atlantic coast are involved in two types of migrations: an upriver spawning migration from late winter to early spring and coastal migrations that are apparently not associated with spawning activity. Coastal migratory behavior appears to be limited to stocks north of Cape Hatteras and is related to sex and age.

The Record Fish Program honors the largest species of fish caught in the State. It revolves around a specific list of eligible freshwater and saltwater species, and is based on weight alone (there are no line classes). Scale certification documentation and a weighmaster's signature are necessary. Other rules apply. For more information or to request an application, call 609-633-7768. Visit the Division website at www.njfishandwildlife.com for a complete list of state record fish.