Rhode Island Angler Barely Misses World Record Striper

A Rhode Island fisherman is the talk of the angling community
after catching a 77.4-pound striped bass, missing the world record
by only a pound but breaking his own state record.

Peter Vican of East Greenwich and his friend, Don Smith, were
fishing off Block Island early Sunday morning and using eels as
bait when Vican caught the 52-inch-long, 35-inch-wide monster bass
at about 3:30 a.m. Smith grabbed a net, and they fought with the
fish for about 10 minutes before hauling it aboard.

The largest striped bass ever caught was a 78.5-pounder taken by
Albert McReynolds off Atlantic City, N.J., in 1982, according to
the International Game Fish Association.

Vican is an accomplished trophy striper fisherman, having also
broken the existing state record with a 76-pound, 14-ouncer back in
2009.

Vican says he believes his bass was 26 years old, and he’s sent
some of its meat out for testing.

For photos of the new record fish, check out this GoFISHn report.