Knisley sets state fishing record

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Richard Knisley holds the current state record for the largest hybrid striped bass, pictured here, which he caught on May 24 at Deer Creek Lake.

A local man claimed a fishing record recently for the largest hybrid striped bass to be caught in the state.

Richard Knisley, a Washington C.H. resident and an employee of the Travel Centers of America in Jeffersonville, was enjoying a nice, relaxing day of fishing at a feeder creek at Deer Creek Lake on May 24. After having little luck, he began to consider packing it up and calling it a day when a big fish made its move.

“I had just about decided to leave when the fish began to pull at my line,” Knisley said. “I just go fishing on the weekends, occasionally during the week, and never really imagined or thought this would happen. I was about to leave when it decided to bite.”

Weighing in at 18.32 pounds, measuring 31.75 inches long and 24.5 inches in girth, Knisley hauled this monster of a fish out of the water. Using cut shad for bait on a spinning rod with 15 pound test mono-filament line, he expertly caught the record-breaking fish.

Knisley’s catch replaces the previous state record hybrid striper, which was caught in Deer Creek Lake by Rosemary Shaver on May 4 in 2001. It weighed 17.68 pounds and measured 31 inches long. All of 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 District Five Office in Xenia confirmed the identification of Knisley’s catch as a hybrid striped bass.

Since he needed to keep the fish to verify it with the proper authorities, he decided to take it to a taxidermy. After its returned, he said he will proudly display on his wall to remember this accomplishment.

When asked if he plans on breaking more records with his fishing, Knisley laughed and said, “I am just happy to have one. That is good enough for me.”

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