Big Striper Takes Top Slot

[NCangler]

MOREHEAD CITY – In the waning days of 2005, out-of-state angler David N. Hiebert hauled in a monster striped bass, breaking a 34-year North Carolina record.

On Dec. 30, Hiebert, of Scotts, MI, landed a 62-pound striped bass that was 53.5 inches long, with a 32-inch girth. Hiebert caught the big fish in the waters off of Avon aboard the vessel Triple Crown. The boat’s captain was David Bronson of Apex, N.C. The state-record fish was weighed-in at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center in Dare County.

Catherine Willis held the previous striped bass state record for a 60-pound fish she caught in the surf off of Hatteras Island back in 1972.

In 2005, anglers landed five record-breaking saltwater fish in North Carolina. Derek Williams of Tampa, FL, caught a world record 21-pound, 6-ounce hogfish snapper off of Frying Pan Shoals. Another world record was broken when Frank Ballas of Indiana, PA hauled in a 4-pound, 5-ounce sand tilefish in the waters off of Oak Island. Brandon Bailey of Moneta, VA, caught a 185-pound thresher shark off of Oregon Inlet and Jesse Lockowitz of Carteret County, N.C. broke the tarpon state record, landing a 175-pound fish at the Bogue Inlet pier.

For more information about state record fish, visit the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Web site at http://www.ncdmf.net/recreational/record.htm or call Partha Howell at 1-800-682-2632 or 252-726-7021.