New Ohio State Record Striped Bass Certified

It’s been many years since Kiser Lake, a small impoundment in Champaign County, has been stocked with Striped Bass (not hybrids), but Kiser has produced Ohio’s newest state record.

The new Ohio record was confirmed to be a Striped Bass by fisheries biologists Mike Porto and Kipp Brown from the Ohio Division of Wildlife District Five office in Xenia.

The new state record striper, weighing 37.375 pounds, was caught by George Bruggeman of New Carlisle, Ohio.  Mr. Bruggeman caught his Striped Bass September 29, 2025, while fishing a favorite spot at Kiser Lake.  The fish measured 41.81 inches long and 27.36 inches in girth.  Mr. Bruggeman was actually fishing for Bluegills and Yellow Perch at the time, thus the huge striper was hooked with a spinning rod spooled with eight-pound Trilene line tipped with one-half a night crawler for bait. 

His catch replaces the previous Ohio record Striped Bass which was caught in West Branch Reservoir by Mark Chuifo of Ravenna on July 2, 1993, weighing 37.10 pounds and measuring 41.25 inches long.  Ohio’s record fish are determined on the basis of weight only and are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from fisheries biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. 

For more information on Ohio’s state record fish program contact Fred Snyder, Chairman, OWO State Record Fish Committee, 754 Co. Rd. 126, Fremont, OH 43420, phone (419) 332-0777, email  fnsnyder@gmail.com” fnsnyder@gmail.com, www.outdoorwritersofohio.org