So, I'm thumbing thru Oct's SWS and on the last page I come across this one pager by Capt Bob Rochetta, and it gets me to thinking...............................

In my view, even though the IGFA recognizes the McReynolds 78.6#er as its current World Record for Striped Bass, I find it difficult to accept/lend credence to a striper that was landed by "two" people. By Mr McReynolds' own account (avail. on line via Google, "On the Run") he was under tackled (20# test w/no shock leader) and at that fatefeul moment when he decides to swim with his monstah, since he was not going to win the fight by gear alone, his buddy gives Albert an unfair advantage by adding the second man to the battle.

Had McReynolds been able to swim with her and land her on his own, then we have an incredible and amazing feat worthy of acclaim and Record Books. But, without the aid of his partner I am certain that the fish would have won the fight that Nor'easter laiden night. Clearly, his tackle was insufficient to do so.

Am curious as to where the most of us stand? There is no right or wrong, just whether one agrees or disagrees with the legitimacy of the McReynolds fish. And if one does disagree, then Capt Bob becomes the Highest Hook, yes? Ah but his Striper came from a boat, quite the dilemma. And the stuff that winter pondering is made of....................

Just trying to pass the time before kick-off while the weather continues in its "delightfulness". What say you, gents?

This is like pondering if moses parted the seas at high tide or low tide.
Start a hotty thread imho!:pop::smokin:

This is no contest. As Mr Debendetto so helpfully points out, Mr McReynolds has BAD TEETH! Englishmen aside, anyone who cannot be trusted to brush their teeth twice a day is also likely to leave the toilet seat up.........except in Brockton where they usually just piss on the lid.........but the end result is the same...........a moment of imbalance, a moment of terror, followed by a big splash......which any jetty fisherman can relate to......... so Mr McReynold obviously either cannot be trusted, or has a wife with such enormous buttocks she really has no idea what is going on down there anyways. But, kind reader, consider also that even if the latter is the the case, who is to be believed..........a man with the title CAPTAIN in his name, or a man with bad teeth and a fat wife? Why the Captain of course! Master of the sea, a leader of men, an man of stature, with a firm unyielding jaw, good teeth, and a petite wife with a small butt yet unusually large firm breasts with prominent nipples that yearn upward as she wets her lips and smiles invitingly at............someone else other than you, leaving you angry, hateful, and with painful congested gonads....unless of course you are married, past 50, and have kids, in which case you have forgotten what gonads were. Either way, even if the handsome captain is telling the truth, the fcking baztard already has it too good sailing around catching fish all day then banging the bazoongas out of his hot wife every night....probably three or four times a night.......so the hell with him, he doesn't need no stinking world record! My vote goes for the guy with the bad teeth and fat wife.......and your's should too.

Rochetta caught his using 50# line from a boat.

I'd say that was better than having a helping hand pull you out of the water.

People have been questioning McReynolds' fish for 25 years.

Either put up the proof that it wasn't a legit catch, or pour yourself a hot steaming cup of STFU.

That last line is priceless MikeP!:rotf3:

you sh&%$#t fetish Larry!!

I give both fishermen props for landing their fish, no small feat by whatever the means...
I can only imagine what the next world record holder will have to endure in this age of cyper information and speculation...

I guess the best question here is whether it will be caught by boat or off land...

Numbskull, that was great thanks.

I had the pleasure ( ?) of meeting Albert MacReynolds whilst trout fishing back in the 80's in Spectacle Pond in Sandwich one cold March day. He came down to the waters edge with his tribe in tow to inquire how the fishing was and "Oh, by the way do you know who I am?" at that very moment, my new Gralite waders, which I noticed were getting very stiff the deeper I waded into the just after ice out water, cracked open from crotch to the knee on my right leg. (Talk about shrinkage).

Anyway, after enduring what seemed like an eternity of the tale of his epic (?) battle with the world record and fearing I would never see my manhood again if I didn't get into a warm truck an get home as soon as possible, I bid adieu to Mr. MacReynolds and his lovely family and left what was possibly the most bizarre encounter I have ever had while fishing ( except for a noted tournament caster who an also noted rod manufacturer makes a series of blanks in his name running full tilt across a flooded marsh not to say "hello, how are you" but to give me a catalog that was stuffed in his waders along with several others from that noted rod manufacturer while I was peacefully casting flies to bass in the creek in the middle of that marsh and also how does a casting champion become a surfcasting champion? But that's another story)

But I digress, knowing people familiar with the time place and people, there is a pall of, shall we say, mystery as to the real events of the day. Only time will reveal who is telling the real story.

i digress, but if you guys haven't fished with Capt. Bob Rocchetta out of Orient Point, NY - you should try to.

yes, folks say he is "captain hollywood" and he can be temperamental, but he is one of the greatest striper charter captains ever, in my book.

use his knowledge to your advantage.

IMO Stetzco's fish it the grandest surf caught bass ever. (Sorry, Al's story changed so many friggin times I just can't believe it., It is a huge bass and it is the current world record as recognized by the IGFA...but as recognized by ME, Tony's fish is the one. It is not because he was/is poor or has bad personal habits or because he is not a super bright guy, it is because the story I believe untrue. How many times have you read about this? And each time the story seems to change from the last. I recall when "The fishermen" reported on it shortly after the catch. All I know I found it hard to believe then and know that that story as he told it years later was a lot different. which is it?

Boat fishing for stripers are fun and I enjoy catching them by boat like many others but lets be honest...a 70 from the shore is a hell of a lot grander catch then a 70 from a boat. Equally great fish as recognized by the IGFA but from the shore is a lot different challenge. The IGFA is really a boaters organization in my view whose focus is truly aimed at the offshore community, they do not recognize any difference between shore and boat caught fish...are they saying there is no difference?

I had the pleasure ( ?) of meeting Albert MacReynolds whilst trout fishing back in the 80's in Spectacle Pond in Sandwich one cold March day. He came down to the waters edge with his tribe in tow to inquire how the fishing was and "Oh, by the way do you know who I am?" at that very moment, my new Gralite waders, which I noticed were getting very stiff the deeper I waded into the just after ice out water, cracked open from crotch to the knee on my right leg. (Talk about shrinkage).



Usually, the "Do you know who I am?" would be followed by him handing you a business card that read "Albert McReynolds, World Record Holder, Striped Bass" ;)

Which is why I laugh when I read about him now saying if he had it to do all over again, he'd cut the line :rollem:

But, unless someone comes up with proof, he's still the record holder. His story changes because he's not the sharpest tool in the shed--not because the basics aren't true.

That is some hilarious stuff, numbskull :rotflmao::rotflmao::rotflmao:!

Mr Sandman, I totally agree. In my view, Mr Stetzko is the undisputed SURFchamp!
Met him at RISAA last year, what a down to earth and nice guy he is. Talked extensively with Charlie Cinto as well, sweetheart of a man ~also. Both of those stripermen are at the top of my list, along with Capt Bob........................

Mike P, even funnier. But, doesn't McReynolds offer up the "reasonable doubt" himself when he tells of his buddy grabbing his hoodie, thereby adding a third party to the fight? I am not completely clear on the chapter and verse of the IGFA rules of qualification, but he was never going to land that fish by gear alone, nor all by himself ~apparrently. It has always been my understanding that any fish must be landed 'mano y pesco'. It just seems to me that someone was asleep at the wheel on that particular ruling. Agreed, however, a ruling is a ruling and they are our "governing" body when it comes down to it.

All that being said, I am most confident that the McReynolds feesh has seen its last days at the top, and I am very encouraged that the New World Record will be landed from the prolific and magnificent waters of the NShore of Boston. Most of you North Shore surfrats know of where I speak :uhuh: :drool: :drool: :uhuh:!!!

Damn its gonna be a LOOOOOONG winter, AND the Pats just keep on doin their THANG :jump: !!

I think the reason McReynolds story changes so much, (if at all), is because everytime you read about it the story is being told by another writer, or someone who has new information. While Albert may not be going downriver with both oars in the water I don't think he is lying. The fish would have weighed more if he was able to put it on a scale in a timely fashion.
He spoke at a monthly M.S.B.A. meeting a few years ago and brought his wife and son along. At times he was difficult to listen too. I am not sure why. It always bothers me when I listen to people trying to take something away from a person who has nothing. And the McReynolds family has nothing from my perspective. If Albert McReynolds didn't catch this fish his life would have been completely empty of anything worthwhile from most peoples standards. I have always felt that if anyone else caught that fish, anyone, who had all his teeth, wasn't dressed in tattered clothing, whose wife didn't have a "fat ass", he would have been treated much differently. Nobody else was there except him and his buddy, but so many people are so sure he didn't catch that fish.

Every winter someone dredges up something else, a new theory based on supposition, conjecture, and unfounded rumors, about him and "the fish".

I fish with Bob Rochetta 5 - 6 times a year and have for the last 7 years.

I have met Mr. McRenolds and when he was questioned about reports that the place where he claimed to catch the fish had waves rolling over it every 8 -10 seconds, admited that he was not on the jetty but "close".

Capt Bob is the man as far as I am concerned; Al McRenolds is the Rosie Ruiz* of the IGFA recordbooks.

*Rosie Ruiz Vivas (born 1953, Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban American runner who on April 21, 1980 ostensibly came in as the first place female competitor in the 84th Boston Marathon with a record time of 2:31:56.[1] However, race officials determined that she had not completed the entire 26.2-mile course, but had registered for the race and later jumped in from the crowd and sprinted to the finish.[2]

There was suspicion from the beginning: no one had seen her running earlier in the race, she did not appear in videotape footage, and some members of the crowd reported witnessing her run into the race in the last mile.[3] In addition, her time of 2:31:56 was an unusual improvement, more than 25 minutes ahead of her reported time in the New York City Marathon six months earlier. When asked by a reporter why she didn't seem fatigued after the grueling race, she said, "I got up with a lot of energy this morning."[4] Soon, race officials learned that Ruiz had possibly cheated in the New York marathon in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Freelance photographer Susan Morrow reported meeting her on the subway during the New York race and accompanying her from the subway to the race. She lost touch with Ruiz after that, but came forward when the news of Ruiz's dubious Boston win broke. According to Morrow, she met Ruiz on the subway and together they walked a distance to the finishing area, where Ruiz identified herself as an injured runner. She was escorted to a first aid station and volunteers marked her down as having completed the marathon, thus qualifying her for the Boston Marathon.

Eventually, race officials decided to strip Ruiz of her Boston Marathon title and named Jacqueline Gareau of Montreal, Canada the women's winner, with a time of 2:34:28.[5] New York Marathon director Fred Lebow had rescinded Ruiz's 1979 finish earlier that week, determining that Ruiz had not completed her first marathon, either. As of 2007, Ruiz has not officially finished a sanctioned marathon.

Yo Yo check it out....some good stories here. :kewl:

I like the catalog story..... I like Stetzko`s bass for shore and reality.

Either put up the proof that it wasn't a legit catch, or pour yourself a hot steaming cup of STFU.


If only these words were the FINAL words on the subject.

I have a copy of the original Fisherman magazine article somewhere. A few things to consider: his first story is probably the most accurate because it was fresh in his mind – of course he may have tried to keep things discreet – after all he is a “striper fisherman” and with that label comes the ability to stretch the truth at times (we should all understand that). The reason I’m saying this is I’ve had the opportunity to do extensive research on my book project about surfcasting for stripers – in my research I interviewed many different fishermen about the same two week time period which had happened some 15 years ago – I then had to compare everyone’s story. There were different recollections of exact dates, times, who was there, etc. When all was said and done I went with the stories of those who “physically” documented their notes in log books and journals. I’m saying this because time has a way of creating a fog which affects memories - especially as you get older. Who knows what has happened to this guy since he caught that fish and how his memory may have been affected. If his story has changed it just might be he can’t remember. For example - How would you feel if you chastised a love one and then realized they had Alzheimer’s? Not saying he has Alzheimer’s but there are all sorts of possibilities. Give him a break.

Its easy to figure out...just call up the IGFA and ask them what the world record striper is and who caught it...they'll tell you...its in the books

If your fishing the rocks with your buddy and you hook into your 50, fight it for 30 minutes and then your buddy comes over and grabs it for you or holds your rod while you grab it....does that mean it doesn't count? You got help...you didn't technically catch it yourself.

Why is it that every great catch has to be questioned and disbelieved? Why can't everybody just shake a man's hand and say "Great Catch", maybe even buy the guy a beer.

I caught one of Rochetta's rods this year down in the Sluiceway. Still had the reel on it too. We got it back to him but the reel was junk.Some strange stuff on the ocean floor.....besides big bass.

If your fishing the rocks with your buddy and you hook into your 50, fight it for 30 minutes and then your buddy comes over and grabs it for you or holds your rod while you grab it....does that mean it doesn't count? You got help...you didn't technically catch it yourself.



Of course it counts, if someone else comnes down and lands it for you. Someone else is allowed to touch the leader to land a fish under IGFA rules.

Look at it this way--for all of Rochetta's bitching--what are the odds that he gaffed the fish himself with one hand while holding the rod in the other? ;)

No gaffing in NY

Of course it counts, if someone else comnes down and lands it for you. Someone else is allowed to touch the leader to land a fish under IGFA rules.

Thats my point exactly. just because someone helped him it shouldn't take anything away from the accomplishment.

Wow,,, so many opinions,,,,

First of all whenever someone snotty asks "Do you know who I am" My answer is ALWAYS NO..... Most the time it is from someone with that person that asks " Do you know who he/she is" while the person is standing there,,,, and still the answer is NO,,,, and personally that is a $hitty first impression and I really don't give a crap who someone THINKS they are,,,, and I am sure all of us have met someone who thinks they are important at some point in our lives and most of us probably did not give a crap either.......

Now for the fish,,,, Somewhere along the line all the guys talked about caught nice fish,,,, Fish of a life time,,,, No matter what the circumstances they should be recognized...."Yes the fish"...:D.. no matter who caught it,,,,

I only hope that I get to be worthy enough to catch such a noble fish,,,, I also hope that in time someone will break the record,,,, and there will be no more questions or disbeliefs...

Question: If you charter a boat and Captain and you reel in a whopper of a fish, maybe even a record, is it really your ctach or the Captains?

Consider this while forming your opinion.

It's his boat.
It's his rod, reel, line and lure.
He put the boat on the spot, his mate let out the rod and lure to the prescribed length.
The rod sat in the holder until the fish hit.
You reeled it in.

Yours or really his?:huh:

Question: If you charter a boat and Captain and you reel in a whopper of a fish, maybe even a record, is it really your ctach or the Captains?

Consider this while forming your opinion.

It's his boat.
It's his rod, reel, line and lure.
He put the boat on the spot, his mate let out the rod and lure to the prescribed length.
The rod sat in the holder until the fish hit.
You reeled it in.

Yours or really his?:huh:

Well, I can tell you what I do.

1. BYO rod and reel and rigs.
2. Hold your rig at all times.
3. You fight the fish.

It's your fish, but if it was a line-class record, you'd be pretty rude and selfish not to give the skipper some credit too.

No gaffing in NY


I'll bet it was legal there in 1981 ;)

My fish stories always change a little bit with time.

The biggest striper ever caught was done sometime in the far past and it was tossed in with a whole pile of others.Don't know if it was a rod and reel fish , a boat net caught fish , etc. It was never submitted for "World record" status.

We call the "world record holder" the one who has his name in the IGFA book. So , did Al catch the biggest striper ever? probably not. Is he the "world record holder"? If you go by IGFA , he is and that's the end of the story.

I hate politics, especialy when it comes to fishing.....it's kind of like tainting a sports record for alleged drug use, with out positive proof, of any "monkey buisness" it is what it is......IMHO, it's time to let it go.... I believe that in the next two or three years it will be broken again.. so none of it will matter.... each fish was grand in it's own fashion... let's enjoy it for what it is, two great catches of two extraordinary fish....
and Numby, that was a RIOT!

I hope I never catch an eighty pounder with only my brother or my friend with me. I am going to make sure I have my attornies, best boy, gaffer, two cameramen/women, and lastly God as a witness, or else I will just throw it back in the surf.

Better men than Al Mcreynolds have folded from the pressure of falsely claiming something to be his and wasn't.

And I wish Stezko's fish was the IGFA record holder, because he is a local boy.

Question: If you charter a boat and Captain and you reel in a whopper of a fish, maybe even a record, is it really your ctach or the Captains?

Consider this while forming your opinion.

It's his boat.
It's his rod, reel, line and lure.
He put the boat on the spot, his mate let out the rod and lure to the prescribed length.
The rod sat in the holder until the fish hit.
You reeled it in.

Yours or really his?:huh:
Kind of a catch 22 here.It doesn't really matter about the gear, whenever you fish on someones boat and your on their spot I think you realize the fish was safe without the captains help putting you on the fish.Safe to say we have all been turned on to spots and caught someone else's fish. But you still CAUGHT the fish,regardless of the circumstances.

Another question. You are a charter captain;your sport is onto the floor so you dislodge the rig. Floor ends up being a big bass so you reel in the fish. Said fish gets weighed in for a season long tournament by the cap. Is it really the cap's fish?

I hope I never catch an eighty pounder with only my brother or my friend with me. I am going to make sure I have my attornies, best boy, gaffer, two cameramen/women, and lastly God as a witness, or else I will just throw it back in the surf.

Better men than Al Mcreynolds have folded from the pressure of falsely claiming something to be his and wasn't.

And I wish Stezko's fish was the IGFA record holder, because he is a local boy.

That is some funny stuff Swimmer :grins:.

Very interesting....................the range of opinions on this "Record" seem to run the gambit.
I do recognize the McReynolds striper as the current IGFA top fish, however it does seem tainted and that is why the questionable status is so prevalent in a good portion of the respondent posts. As I stated earlier, had he swum her in unassisted ~to a man~ he would be hailed as the undisputed World Record Holder and be held in high esteem by us all.

I also believe that a Record of such high regard will be restored to its greatness within the next season or two, and hopefully she'll be landed within the shores of New England. Seems to be the Land of the Champeenships, lately..............why not the Land of the LAHHHHHGEST Large :uhuh: :uhuh:??

Question: If you charter a boat and Captain and you reel in a whopper of a fish, maybe even a record, is it really your ctach or the Captains?
:as:
Consider this while forming your opinion.

It's his boat.
It's his rod, reel, line and lure.
He put the boat on the spot, his mate let out the rod and lure to the prescribed length.:doh:
The rod sat in the holder until the fish hit. :doh: :doh:
You reeled it in.

Yours or really his?:huh:

The main variable in your premise that would allow one to claim this catch lies within the first two highlights. You charter the boat, you are paying the good Capt for his services and his knowledge, expertise, gear, and all the hands on deck. Not my idea of sport fishing and to me it is more like buying a feesh than learning a spot and putting in the moons and 1,000's of casts from the rocks. Still yet, the Capt has set his price and unless he is any good at providing his service, he won't be a Capt for very long. So I would say that it is the client's fish, bought and paid for.

It's kinda like the owner of a Restaraunt seeking the services of a Chef. He knows what type of cuisine he wants to serve (target Trophy stripers), he knows where he wants to serve or locate his cafe (along NE Striper Coast), and he knows how to cook (fishes alot) and how to eat (fishes a little) and will claim the menu and the glory everytime. His restaraunt, his equipment; the chef's knowledge, expertise, knives, and staff required to provide the food service (Captaining of a charter) that he is being paid quite handsomely for. The restrateur's food or the Chef's? Without the restrateur there is no Chef, or at least none at that time and at that place. Isn't a charter much the same?

Within the second highlight it is important to note that some folk are less involved than others. I don't think that Hemingway, or Teddy Baseball, or Charlie Cinto had to have their hands held.......................and surely they've boated their share of trophies. Basically, if it's yer butt in the seat and your mitts on the crank of the reel when that World Record hits the fiberglass, then that's your feesh ~imho.

This is good stuff, gentlemen and it's a great way to pass the wintry mixes........................
While the Patriots continue their March into the Greatest Dynasty of All Time, we're livin' the Dream, boyz, livin' the sportsman's Dream of a lifetime!!! And I don't see things changing anytime soon, especially with the Cheltics doin' their thang to boot :cheers::cheers:!!!

What was this thread about :devil2:

Plugging with a black over silver Rebel he hooked THE fish and fought it for one hour and forty minutes before it was beaten and he and Pat could pull it clear of the rocks.

1. From the time that a fish strikes or takes a bait or lure, the angler must hook, fight, and land or boat the fish without the aid of any other person, except as provided in these regulations

Attack the IGFA not the angler.

Those are the rules as stated today...what were the rules as stated in 1982 when the fish was caught? IGFA only started maintaining the records as of 1978 so the rules and regs could have been different back then.

In most sports the rules and regs are ever evolving so there may not have been anything in the rules back then that spoke to somebody helping you land the fish.


Plugging with a black over silver Rebel he hooked THE fish and fought it for one hour and forty minutes before it was beaten and he and Pat could pull it clear of the rocks.

1. From the time that a fish strikes or takes a bait or lure, the angler must hook, fight, and land or boat the fish without the aid of any other person, except as provided in these regulations

Attack the IGFA not the angler.

Frankly who gives a %$%$%$%$? They are both great fish. One is recognized as the record, one isn't. Unless proof exists, Reynolds is the record holder; unless he was using steroids in the rebel and hgh to lube his Penn reel; then he gets an * next to his name.

I thought this statement would end the discussion because it is so right. Fishing from a boat is nothing but assisted fishing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against boat fisherman holding records just based on weight. But when you look at what people say Albert did, it is nothing compared to what a boat does for you. It cast for you, helps you around lobster pots when you have a fish on, keeps you out of the surf, and allows you to use 50# line. Now if Alberts buddy had swum out with the plug to get it in the right spot and than put Albert on his back once the fish was hooked and swam out past the surf. Then I might question if Albert had an unfair assist. Lets get real here.

Albert's only real problem was a bunch of pain in the butt New Jersey guys who didn't think he was a good enough person to have caught the record fish. Heaven forbid that someone might compare them to Albert or even worse, say Albert is better than them. Before you jump on me for picking on NJ guys, I grew up in fishing in NJ in the 60s and still fish there with friends. Great guys but man can they be petty.

Rochetta caught his using 50# line from a boat.

Either put up the proof that it wasn't a legit catch, or pour yourself a hot steaming cup of STFU.

Dawg,you like to talk $^%# about boat fishing,yet,here,you claim Rochetta's fish is better?
I fish bass from shore primarily.However,I catch my best fish from boats.It's a lot more convenient,than skishing THE RACE.

Although we've had our differances,I feel obligated to answer for boatmen.If you think a boat will up your odds of large,you are correct.If you think buying a boat is going to make you a killer,you're dead wrong!We have a GPS,and a Fishfinder,however,if you don't know what you're doing,it doesn't matter,you're going home fishless!
Being able to see a school of bass under the boat,is nothing,if you can't make 'em eat,and if you think you can drop an unweighted slug-go,to fish,47 feet below you in a 19 knot rip,you're wrong again.
I'm not trying to bait you,here,I'm trying to help you.I think,in the spirit of Christmas,we should call a truce.Merry X-mas Dawg.

Thanks Bob,

Truce accepted and right back at ya with a HOHOHO and a Merry Christmas to you and your family :claps: :claps:!

I have no problem with boat fishing as I've landed my share of grouper, tarpon, shark, barracuda, king macks, and red snapper from the fibreglass. I've only stated in the past that with regards to morone saxatilis, I believe that surfcasting and "boatcasting" are two completely different styles of fishing for our beloved prey.

And while we all agree that a striper is a stiper is a striper, whether she be boat or surf caught, my personal preference is to hop the rocks, wade the flats, seek the foam from terra firma because I believe that it adds a more desirable degree of difficulty and levels the playing field, somewhat, between the hunter and the hunted..........................

No right or wrong here, just different. I would be thrilled out of my deck shoes to boat a Trophy Striper from Area A, but in my "limited moons" opinion it would be far more rewarding and a greater achievement to land her from the rocks. Especially, my first fiddy :btu:!!

Did the good Captain have a first mate assist him in landing the boat caught fish? If so, this whole argument is moot. Both anglers had assistance. And by the way this argument was settled already on these very forums in 2004, don't you remember FWW?

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/showthread.php?t=17214