What A Whopper

By Susan M. Thigpen © 1992

Issue: June, 1992

Attention fishermen and women: There is a new Virginia state record for striped bass. A 44 pound, 14 ounce striped bass was caught by Gary Tomlin of Buena Vista, Virginia out of Smith Mountain Lake, in Franklin County, while casting with a Sutton spoon.

The fish was 47 and one-half inches long with a girth of 29 3/4 inches.

This breaks the previous record set in 1988 by Joseph Harris, which was a mere 42 pounds and 6 ounces.

By the way, the last record holder was also caught out of Smith Mountain Lake, making it one of the best fishing spots in Southwest Virginia.