Discover the Largest Striped Bass Ever Caught in Louisiana

Fishing in Louisiana is more than a hobby — it’s a culture and way of life. With a coastline covering 7,721 miles, Louisiana is the dream destination for anglers. It is nicknamed the Sportsman’s Paradise, which is accurate when you consider the state’s fishing history. With more than 224 fish species across Louisiana’s freshwater, brackish water, and marine resources, many record-breaking fish have been caught there. Read on to discover the largest striped bass ever caught in Louisiana. 

About the Striped Bass 

The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) is also called striper, rockfish, or linesider. There are two naturally occurring strains of this fish native to different regions. The Atlantic striped bass is native to the Atlantic coast. The other is native to the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. This fish is known as the Gulf Coast striped bass, which is the bass commonly found in Louisiana.

Striped bass are anadromous, which means adults live in saltwater ecosystems but migrate to rivers and other freshwater bodies to spawn. This fish has a long, slender body that is less than one-third as deep as it is long. It is a silvery color with olive green toward the top and lighter undersides. They have 7-8 distinct, horizontal stripes running down each side of their body, some of which extend to the tail.

Striped bass generally measure from 16 to 30 inches, with the longest recorded individual measuring 6 feet 6 inches. The heaviest striped bass ever reportedly weighed 125 pounds, but most are between 10 and 30 pounds. Gulf Coast striped bass are slightly smaller than Atlantic striped bass.

Largest Striped Bass Ever Caught in Louisiana

There is a long list of record striped bass catches in Louisiana dating back to the late 1970s. However, the largest one ever caught was at Toledo Bend in August 1991. An angler named James L. Taylor caught the massive fish weighing 47.50 pounds. This catch broke the previous record held by Daniel F. Thompson. In May 1990, Thompson caught a striped bass that weighed 44.50 pounds.

According to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the all-tackle world record striped bass weighed 81 pounds and 14 ounces. It was captured in August 2011 by Gregory Myerson at the Long Island Sound, off Westbrook, Connecticut. The fish was 54 inches long with a 36-inch girth.

There is also a record for the world’s largest landlocked striped bass. It weighed 69 pounds and 9 ounces. The fish was caught by James Bramlett in February 2013 along the Black Warrior River in Alabama. 

How to Fish for Striped Bass in Louisiana

The striped bass is a popular game fish because it is good table-fare, it is willing to take a wide variety of bait, and it puts up hard fight. There are several methods used to angle for striped bass in Louisiana. These include surf casting, trolling, and bait casting using dead or live bait.

Bait casting is very effective because striped bass feed on various animals that can be used as bait, such as clams, eels, bunker, herring, sandworms, bluegill, crayfish, mackerel, shad, and bloodworms. For the largest striped bass ever caught in the world, the angler Gregory Myerson used a live eel as bait, and the giant fish was hooked.

The Best Places to Find Striped Bass in Louisiana

Louisiana’s miles of coastline mean there is plenty of space for everyone to fish. If you enjoy fishing for striped bass, consider visiting Louisiana. Here are some places where you are likely to find striped bass in Louisiana.

Toledo Bend

Toledo Bend is where the largest striped bass in Louisiana was caught. It also has the largest bass population in the state, so it is not surprising that it’s at the top of the list. This large reservoir is about 110 feet deep and covers 1,200 miles of shoreline. The best time for striped bass fishing at Toledo Bend is summer and early fall. You can use topwater lures to catch them along the channels. Another effective way to fish for striped bass here is by using live shiners as bait around duck blinds at night.

Ouachita River Lakes

Ouachita River Lakes are also among the best places to catch striped bass in Louisiana. The river lakes also make fishing easier due to the trees and stumps that provide cover. You can use crankbaits if you’re angling on the river, but topwater frogs might work better if you are on the lake. You can throw them in small channels or vegetation to lure the fish.

Red River

Red River is a constantly changing aquatic environment, so you never get the same experience twice. However, even though the tides, water, and weather are constantly changing, there is still a large population of bass, including striped bass, in the river. The speedy flow of the water is an advantage for anglers. These large fish often move away from the main channel toward the eddies and pools in search of small fish taking refuge in those parts of the river. Also, since it’s a location with many forage fish, it is likely to have striped bass as well.

Lake Salvador

Lake Salvador is another popular location for striped bass fishing in Louisiana. It is a lake covered with aquatic vegetation on the surface, but it also has many bait fish, which can make your bass angling much easier. If you’re angling in this location, focus on the tides as they rise and fall. The wind also plays a crucial role, so consider fishing on shores opposite the wind direction. Striped bass in this area feed primarily on crawfish, rodents, small fish, and insects. So you can use crankbaits and topwater lures for fishing on this lake.