A new Ohio record hybrid striped bass - a cross between a white bass and a striped bass and also called a "wiper" - has been certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio's State Record Fish Committee.
The new state record hybrid striper, weighing 18.32 pounds, was caught by Richard A. Knisley of Washington Court House, Ohio in a feeder creek to 1,301-acre Deer Creek Lake in Fayette and Pickaway counties.
Deer Creek Lake is not to be confused with the much smaller 334-acre Deer Creek Reservoir in Stark County.
Knisley caught the hybrid striped bass May 24, 2015, using cut shad for bait, on a spinning rod with 15 pound test monofilament line. The hybrid striped bass measures 31.75 inches long and 24.5 inches in girth.
His catch replaces the previous state record hybrid striper. That fish was caught in Deer Creek Lake by Rosemary Shaver on May 4, 2001. It weighed 17.68 pounds and measured 31 inches long.
Ohio's record fish are determined on the basis of weight only.
Ohio's state record fish are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from fisheries biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
Fish Management Supervisor Debra Walters from the Ohio Division of Wildlife's District Five Office (southwest Ohio) in Xenia confirmed the identification of Knisley's catch as being a hybrid striped bass.
The Outdoor Writers of Ohio is the only such entity that maintains any state record fish list, a project that began decades ago when Ohio did not have a program honoring best-of state record fish.
Also, Knisley's wiper is the first new Ohio state record fish caught this year. No state record fish was taken in 2014. In fact the last new state record fish recorded by OWO was the current bow-fishing entry for the buffalo sucker, a fish taken Oct. 11, 2013.
The last hook-and-line new state record fish was the brown trout, taken July 14, 2012, or nearly three years ago.
Ohio's oldest state record fish is the 1.97 pound rock bass, caught September 3, 1932. Yep, that's 83 years ago.
For more information regarding Ohio's state record fish program, contact Fred Snyder, Chairman, OWO State Record Fish Committee, 754 Co. Rd. 126, Fremont, OH 43420, or phone (419) 332-0777.
Also, email Snyder at fnsnyder@gmail.com or visit the group's web site to see a complete list of Ohio's state record fish at www.outdoorwritersofohio.org.
Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
Jeff is the retired News-Herald reporter who covered the earth sciences, the area's three county park systems and the outdoors for the newspaper. During his 30 years with The News-Herald Jeff was the recipient of more than 100 state, regional and national journalism awards. He also is a columnist and features writer for the Ohio Outdoor News, which is published every other week and details the outdoors happenings in the state.
That's a massive hybrid! At that size it would be a decent fish even if it was a striped bass.
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