© 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. She was scheduled to undergo a hospital procedure in a few days and would need him to be around and take care of her. m_gallery_json = "https://blog.al.com/photogallery/4461/12359411.json"; The result of that Feb. 28 outing crushed the Alabama state record striped bass by 15 pounds and will most likely beat the IGFA all-tackle world record for a landlocked striper by almost three. What’s next, BBQ? The world-record landlocked striped bass came from the Black Warrior River in Alabama and weighed 69 pounds, 9 ounces. His catch beat the previous world record for landlocked striped bass by 2 lbs 1 oz which was 67 lb 8 oz fish caught May 7, 1992, by Hank Ferguson in Los Banos, Calif. Keep in mind that this is a “Landlocked” record from … The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the Black Warrior is the primary tributary. m_gallery_blog_id = "4461"; m_gallery_id = "12359411"; All rights reserved (About Us). All rights reserved (About Us). James Bramlett, who caught the World Record freshwater land-locked striped bass on the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River in 2013, seen here during a during a patrol on the Mulberry. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. DORA, Alabama- James R. Bramlett, 65, landed a 70 pound striped bass from the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam Plant Thursday February 28, 2013. With its upper watershed encompassing a forested area of high bluffs at the extreme southern end of the Appalachian Mountains and its western edge the suburbs of Birmingham, the Black Warrior River drains an area of 6,275 sq mi (16,250 km²) in west central Alabama. Mark Johnston. Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are found throughout Alabama’s rivers and lakes. Bass Fishing Tips Fishing Life Gone Fishing Kayak Fishing Fishing Stuff Fishing Videos Crappie Fishing Bass Fishing Pictures Magnet Fishing He was fishing near a warm-water outlet from the Gorgas Steam Plant near Parrish, northwest of Birmingham. It is a reservoir located on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River that covers over 21,000 acres in Cullman, Walker, and Winston counties. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Photo by Rev. March and early April are prime times for catching stripers in North Alabama as the fish move up into the rivers and congregate below dams in an attempt to spawn. It is suspected that the striped bass is following the blueback herring since they share the same water column. It’s also been described as one of northern Alabama’s top secrets for bass fishing. Maybe. Most are caught on live shad or herring, but large jigs, swimbaits and even topwaters are also effective. m_gallery_permalink = "http://photos.al.com/4461/gallery/record_striped_bass_caught_on_black_warrior_river/index.html"; He is an Eagle Scout and has fished and hunted central Alabama all of his life. (White bass and hybrids, closely related to stripers but smaller, follow this same pattern in spring.). m_gallery = "record_striped_bass_caught_on_black_warrior_river"; Details on the record striped bass caught in Black Warrior River (photos and video) Updated Jan 14, 2019; Posted Mar 10, 2013 Record Striped Bass caught on Black Warrior River Dora, Alabama– James R. Bramlett, 65, landed a 70 pound striped bass from the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam Plant Thursday February 28, 2013.The fish was weighed on certified scales and officials and a fisheries biologist with the Alabama Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources were at Bramlett’s home today [March 13, 2013] to make it official. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. On February 28, 2013, James Bramlett of Dora, Ala. hauled a 69-pound, 9-ounce striped bass from the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam plant in north-central Alabama. The individual record is a 70-pounder caught in 2013 on the Black Warrior River near Gorgas Steam Plant. The Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River below Lewis Smith Dam remains in the fifty to sixty-five degree range all year. m_gallery_id = "12359411"; Another southern bass, the Warrior bass finds its home in western-central Alabama, throughout the Black Warrior River system. Lewis Smith Lake is known for having the most fish, but Lake Martin is … After a battle that lasted more than 20 minutes, he landed the record striped bass and immediately called his wife.Bramlett used a Mustad 6.0 hook, Ambassador 7000 reel, a catfish Ugly Stik rod with Berkley Big Game 30 pound test line to catch the fish of a lifetime.Questions or comments? That was not the case for James R. Bramlett, 65, of Dora, Alabama, who on Feb. 28 was fishing far downstream in the Black Warrior River system of which Smith Lake is a part. The striper measured 45.5 inches long and boasted a girth of 37.75. Brooke is the Black Warrior Riverkeeper, and a native Alabaman, born and raised in Birmingham. Usually found in smaller, covered streams, these fish have the same redeye and dusky blotches along their body as many others nearby. The battle lasted 20 minutes. The world-record landlocked striped bass came from the Black Warrior River in Alabama and weighed 69 pounds, … That record currently stands at 67 pounds, 8 ounces. Vitek told Bramlett that the monster striper he caught on February 28, 2013 in the Black Warrior River is the new IGFA world record for a landlocked striped bass. They require long stretches of moving water for a successful spawn, and though that rarely happens inland, the massing of the fish in high-current areas makes them far easier to find and catch than the rest of the year. m_gallery_creation_date = "Friday, March 01, 2013, 6:19 PM"; The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Record Striped Bass caught on Black Warrior River, [Related: See more of Alabama's record catches and kills]. But Alabama’s Black Warrior River has been called one of America’s best kept secrets for boating. m_gallery_type = "photo"; Gallery: Record Striped Bass caught on Black Warrior River. It’s easy enough to work up an appetite while hauling in lunker spotted bass, largemouth bass, and even the world record for inland striped bass (69 pounds, 9 ounces from the upper Bankhead Reservoir). Alabama has a new state record for striped bass, and it is a whopper. m_gallery_type = "photo"; Gallery: Record Striped Bass caught on Black Warrior River. On average striped bass grow around 3 pounds a year. James Bramlett caught the fish in February 2013. (Stripers living in coastal waters--which return to fresh water rivers only to spawn, get somewhat bigger and records are kept separately--the current record for those fish is 81 pounds, 14 ounces for a fish caught in Connecticut in 2011.). Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). Fun day on the black warrior river! 1:39. The potbellied monster, weighed on a certified scale by ADCNR biologist Heath Haley, went 70 pounds even, exceeding the former Alabama record by remarkable 15 pounds. The standing IGFA record for landlocked stripers is a 67-pound, 8-ounce specimen landed in 1992 in Los Banos, California. DORA, Alabama- James R. Bramlett, 65, landed a 70 pound striped bass from the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam Plant Thursday February 28, 2013. m_gallery_title = "Record Striped Bass caught on Black Warrior River"; In addition, during summer, blueback herring swim to the deep water so does the striped bass. Warrior Bass. Bramlett said he saw the huge fish roll on the surface, so he tossed a bait and soon hooked up. The world-record striped bass came from Long Island Sound off of Westbrook, Ct. Gregory Myers caught the 81-pound, 14-ounce fish in August 2011. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. In this photo taken March 1, 2013, James R. Bramlett, 65, poses in Dora, Ala., with the 69-pound, 9.8-oz striped bass he caught in the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam Plant on Feb. 28. The catch may become the new IGFA world record for a landlocked stripe bass. That fish was caught on the Tallapoosa River. The Black Warrior River is the largest watershed entirely in the state of Alabama. According to Songer, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has already approved the catch as a state record. Black Warrior River. Dora’s James Bramlett landed this 70-pound striped bass while fishing on the Black Warrior River on Feb. 28. This fish had a length of 44 inches (110 cm) and a girth of 37.75 inches (95.9 cm). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. If approved by the IGFA it'll become a new world record. He said the fish rolled on top of the water so he threw his bait in that direction. James caught the 45.5 inch long, 70 pounder at one of his favorite spots on the Black Warrior River … Russell Jones 1,836 views. After being weighed on certified scales, this fish beat the previous record by more than 14 pounds and measured 46.75 inches long with a 37.75 inch girth. Bramlett caught the fish from the Black Warrior River. Dora man catches record striped bass on the Black Warrior River (Joe's Outdoor Office photos and video) Striped bass beats state record by 15 pounds and could be … Record Striped Bass caught on Black Warrior River. In a state known for boating and bassin’, it’s hard to believe any secrets remain. I saw largemouth bass, spotted bass and catfish of several varieties in the samples taken in 2012 at several locations on the Black Warrior River. m_gallery_title = "Record Striped Bass caught on Black Warrior River"; Dora man catches record striped bass on the Black Warrior River (Joe's Outdoor Office photos and video) Striped bass beats state record by 15 pounds and could be new IGFA world record in the landlocked category. m_gallery_json = "https://blog.al.com/photogallery/4461/12359411.json"; m_gallery_creation_date = "Friday, March 01, 2013, 6:19 PM"; m_gallery_pagetype = "embed"; That record has stood since May, 1992. The fish was weighed on certified scales and officials and a fisheries biologist with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources were at Bramlett's home today to make it official. Nelson Brooke, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, with a striped bass from Clear Creek. The former record had stood over 50 years. This World Record Striped Bass (Landlocked) was caught by a gentleman by the name of James R. Bramlett (pictured above) in the Black Warrior River in Alabama on February 28, 2013. There have been some large striped bass landed in the lake I fish here at Smith, but this thing is astounding. Bramlett told Joe Songer of AL.com that he credits his wife, Janice, for urging him to go fishing. A whole lot of Lewis Smith Lake anglers will tell you they've had record striped bass on the line--but lost them. m_gallery_blog_id = "4461"; The approval process typically takes several months and involves affidavits certifying the catch as well as samples of the line and photos of the fish. Record Striped Bass caught by Dora man on the Black Warrior River DORA, Alabama- James R. Bramlett, 65, landed a 70 pound striped bass from the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam Plant Thursday February 28, 2013. The Black Warrior River is a 178 mi (286 km) long tributary of the Tombigbee River. He went to one of his favorite spots on the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam Plant. ... Micah's Magnums Warrior River Spotted Bass - Duration: 1:39. m_gallery = "record_striped_bass_caught_on_black_warrior_river"; Alabama has a new state record for striped bass, and it is a whopper. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Contact me at jsonger@al.com or on Twitter @joesonger22. It tops the previous state record by 15 pounds that has stood since 1959. Check out the article on how he landed it. m_gallery_permalink = "http://photos.al.com/4461/gallery/record_striped_bass_caught_on_black_warrior_river/index.html"; Jun 20, 2020 - Striped bass beats state record by 15 pounds and could be new IGFA world record in the landlocked category. Bramlett landed a 70-pound striped bass that shattered a 54-year-old state record and could put him in the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) book of world records for the heaviest striper ever caught in a landlocked fishery. Topwater fishing at the black warrior river. The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. m_gallery_pagetype = "embed"; these are the rest of the bass that weren't in the first video. A 70.6-lb (32.0-kg) landlocked bass was caught in February 2013 by James Bramlett on the Warrior River in Alabama, a current world record. More information Dora man catches record striped bass on the Black Warrior River (Joe's Outdoor Office photos and video) - al.com A self-sustaining population of striped bass also exist in Lake Texoma, a brackish lake. Fun day on the black warrior river! Smith Lake is conveniently located in North Alabama. Skip navigation Sign in. She will be in the hospital next Tuesday for a procedure and will need him to take care of her when she gets home. Charles Totty Tallapousa river 1955 55 Lbs . It surpassed the world record by 3 lbs. The fish is 45.5 inches long and has a 37.75 inch girth. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21). [Related: See more of Alabama's record catches and kills]Bramlett's wife Janice urged him to go fishing Thursday. During the heavy rains, the blueback herring move into the Black Warrior River, this causes the striped bass to move deep into the water. Fisheries have stocked the Gulf Coast strain of striped bass annually for almost 30 years. The river is named after the Mississippian paramount chief Tuskaloosa, whose name was Muskogean for 'Black Warrior'. It's composed of the Locust Fork or Little River and the Mulbery Fork which flows out of Smith Lake. Now 40 years old, he has been the Riverkeeper here since 2004, patrolling the watershed, collecting data, watching for trouble, making his living guarding his home country. Since the record application is for an all-tackle mark, the strength of Bramlett's line will not be at issue as is often the case in line-class records, and the catch was promptly well-documented and photographed so it's likely IGFA will accept the application. When James R. Bramlett of Dora, Alabama caught the fish of a lifetime February 28, 2013 on the Black Warrior River near the Gorgas Steam Plant, he knew the striped bass may be … And the 180-mile Black … - dead fish were also found in aquatic vegetation on both sides of the river, from the mouth of Baker’s Creek to downstream of the Gorgas coal barge unloading dock - saw dead largemouth bass, striped bass, freshwater drum, and skipjack herring - several largemouth & striped bass were quite large; biggest fish killed were stripers Monday May 13. Don't be fooled, however, the Warrior is a mecca for giant spots as well, and many experts believe it will be the location of the next state-record spotted bass. No stripers were caught so they couldn't be sampled.