Heather Litke’s huge striped bass has been certified as the official catch-and-release record fish for the state of Utah.
Big Fish Not a Story
Heather Litke was fishing for bass with her husband Ryan Litke, an avid bass fishing angler on the San Juan River arm of Lake Powell on April 9, 2019 when Heather hooked into something much bigger than a largemouth bass.
After about a 10-minute fight, the Litkes brough the huge striper aboard and quickly weighed it at 35.33 pounds and measured it at 44 1/2 inches long. They snapped a few pictures and released the big striper to swim away.
While the striped bass record for Utah is 48 pounds, 11 ounces and also caught from Lake Powell in 1991, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources deemed in late May of 2019 that her 44 1/2 inch striper is the largest documented catch-and-release fish in the history of Utah.
It’s definitely the fish of a lifetime for some on regular bass fishing tackle. Congrats on the catch-and-release record to Heather Litke!
