Discover The Largest Striped Bass Ever Caught in Arizona

Arizona is a beautiful outdoor state with lots of activities. Not only can you climb stunning mountains, hike through scenic trails, and canoe or kayak in crystal clear waters, but fishing is a huge hobby and sport in the state! Arizona is home to at least 128 lakes, so you won’t run out of fishing options.

Striped bass are a favorite for many Arizona natives and visitors to catch because they are abundant. There is no limit to how many striped bass you can catch in Arizona in some lakes as long as they are under 20 inches. But how large do these fish get? What is the largest striped bass ever caught in Arizona? What about the world? Keep reading to learn more.

About Striped Bass

Striped bass has many names. You might have heard someone call these striped shimmering bass the Atlantic striped bass, rockfish, or striper fish. This fish is part of the family Moronidae found on the Atlantic coast of North America. Interestingly, the striped bass found in the Gulf of Mexico is a different strain known as Gulf Coast striped bass. Because they are common and popular, they’ve become the state fish for Maryland, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. They are also the state saltwater fish of New Jersey, Virginia, New Hampshire, and New York.

Appearance and Size

Striped bass have long streamlined, silvery bodies with dark longitudinal dark stripes from underneath their gills to their tails. They slightly vary in color. Striped bass can reach lengths up to 35 inches, but some striped bass has been reported as larger. The average striped bass weighs 5 to 20 pounds.

Diet

Striped bass are not picky eaters, but their diets change a lot as they mature. Their diets also vary depending on the body of water they mainly reside in. For example, small larval striped bass consumes microscopic animals, like zooplankton. Growing juveniles eat insect larvae, mayflies, and other larval fish. Mature adults mainly eat small fish and crabs or small squid. Adult striped bass eats more during summer and fall compared to spring and winter.

Predators

Adult striped bass have few predators. Their most common predators are sharks, seals, and large fish-eating birds. Humans also fish for these bass. They are common fish baked in many recipes. Small striped bass are eaten by other fish like bluefish.

The Largest Striped Bass Ever Caught in Arizona

Arizona has many state records for catching striped bass. For example, the largest hook and line inland water striped bass weighed 29 pounds and 13.76 ounces. It was also 45.25 inches long. Bob Liddington caught the large striped bass on July 13 2020 in Lake Pleasant. Eric Martinez, Jr on April 11, 2021, caught and released a 34.25-inch striped bass in Lake Pleasant.

The largest fish caught in Arizona according to the Colorado River Waters Hook and Line division was 67 pounds and 1 ounce. Jeff Smith impressively caught this fish on August 15 1997 in Willow Beach. While most people fish with a fishing pole, the largest striped bass caught in Arizona’s Colorado River Water Non-Hook and Line division weighed 31 pounds and 14.08 ounces. Giovanni Cappelli caught this fish using a spear on July 14 2014 in Lake Mohave.

The Largest Striped Bass Ever Caught in the World

While you might think the largest striped bass caught in Arizona is impressive, the size of the largest striped bass in the world will blow you away! Although some striped bass grow above 100 pounds and 50 inches long, they are rarely caught in official competitions or verified. For example, rumors across the internet state a 130-pound striped bass was found in New York, but it’s not verified. Instead, according to IGFA, the current IGFA All-Tackle World Record striped bass was caught by Gregory Myerson. He caught an 81-pound and 4-ounce striped bass in Long Island Sound, Connecticut. On August 4, 2011, he beat the previous angler, Albert McReynolds, that held the same position for 29 years.

Other Fish in Arizona

Striped bass aren’t the only fish in Arizona. You can also take a day and visit a beautiful lake to look for trout and pike fish. Alaska’s state fish is the Apache trout. However, you aren’t limited to this type of fish. Most lakes are stocked with brook trout, black crappie, channel catfish, cutthroat trout, and northern pike. While there are some of the most common, you can also find Artic Grayling fish in Lee Valley Reservoir and small mountain lakes where they travel upstream in the spring.

Up Next:

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• What Do Striped Bass Eat?
• The 7 Best Bass Fishing Lakes in Florida

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