This was the biggest bass I've ever caught in my life. Hooked it on a jig and thought for sure it was a snag...until it started taking my line! It measured at about 20 inches. I don't have a scale, but picking it up by its lip, I would guess it to be around 4-5 lbs. What do y'all think?

Johnny

Well, as one Volunteer to another, that ain't even

worth killing. You're right there on the Cumberland

River, probably the #1 fishery for landlocked striper

in the entire world. You'll need some heavier equipment

to go after the monsters in that river!

http://www.dalehollowguide.com/stripedbass.htm

8-)

Yeah, I'd say 4 or 5 is about right, but that fish on the ground would get your fishing license pulled for a year if you were here. Smallest you can keep is a 32" striped bass, all others must be immediately released.

a striper that length SHOULD be somewhere between 4-5 pounds...  but that 10 dollar scale will take out the guesswork.

that's not a big striper by any means, it's on the small side, so keep going out there and get that big one!  but like rw said you'll def. need some good sized line especially on a spinning rig. 

Thanks for the comments guys. And so y'all know, I never kill anything I catch. Just pull them in long enough to take a picture and then let them live to fight another day. This guy swam off happy and healthy right after he said cheese.

I did think about the fact that it probably wasn't that big compared to some of the ones that I've seen.  Those are some big ones on your site, RW!  But still, this only being my second season, it was still a trophy to me  

Thanks again for the input.  This site is full of super helpful people and I'm learning a lot!

Johnny

Thanks for the comments guys. And so y'all know, I never kill anything I catch. Just pull them in long enough to take a picture and then let them live to fight another day. This guy swam off happy and healthy right after he said cheese.

I did think about the fact that it probably wasn't that big compared to some of the ones that I've seen. Those are some big ones on your site, RW! But still, this only being my second season, it was still a trophy to me

Thanks again for the input. This site is full of super helpful people and I'm learning a lot!

Johnny

after reading what I posted, I wanted to make sure you know I wasn't trying to take anything away from your catch...  getting your personal best fish is always an amazing accomplishment, and a great feeling, regardless of how it compares to other fish.  I was just letting you know that it is small for a striper, which get to be pretty huge.  I wasn't trying to rain on your parade at all, and hope you didn't take it that way   8-)

Ditto...My comments didn't come across as intended either.

You live where you have the opportunity to

catch much larger striper on a regular basis

if you target them. I know the fish seemed

huge, but for the species, it's a juvenile and

probably not a legal keeper.

-Kent a.k.a. roadwarrior