Striped bass record broken

Rocky Rawls of Gautier caught this 39.6-pound striped bass in the Pascagoula River March 5. Friday, the MDWFP certified it as the new state record, beating a fish caught in 1993.

Lower Pascagoula River yields a 39.6-pound striper

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has certified a new state record for striped bass — 39.6 pounds.

Rocky Rawls of Gautier caught the fish March 5 in the West Pascagoula River near his home. He was using a bull minnow for bait.

Biologist Stan Crider certified the fish and the weight.

The previous record of 37 pounds, 13.12 ounces stood for nearly 23 years. Tony Graves caught that fish May 13, 1993, in the Bowie River near Hattiesburg. The Bowie River is part of the upper Pascagoula River system.

Striped bass are native to Mississippi and are anadromous, meaning they are at home in both fresh and salt water. Spawning takes place in fresh water, but according to the MDWFP natural reproduction is limited in the state’s coastal rivers.

However, a stocking program by the MDWFP and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has been able to boost the population, and it is likely the new record fish is a product of those stocking efforts.

About Bobby Cleveland 1340 Articles
Bobby Cleveland has covered sports in Mississippi for over 40 years. A native of Hattiesburg and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Cleveland lives on Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson with his wife Pam.

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