RI state record J. Szabo
 

Does anyone have a picture or any information on J. Szabo's 70lb. BI caught RI state record Striped Bass?

Or Steven Franco 75lb 6oz CT State record? Caught in 92'.

I think Franco caught his on a pogie chunk, fishing from his boat in New Haven Harbor.

Chief,
If I remember correctly Szabo's was taken on an eel in the BI surf. The mount has hanging in a BI Water Street cafe recently - was still there the last time I looked. Can't remember the name of the cafe.
DZ

Don't know if I believe that one !

Actually it was on a bunker chunk:hihi:

I'm pretty sure it was in New Haven Harbor too (Long Warf). Isn't Franko's striper in Dees in New Haven? Fun bait store to go to on a Friday night to get eels....

It believe that it is the Mohegan Cafe.

I met Joe Szabo a bunch of years ago and asked him about it. He dropped in at the house of a friend I was at. He was with my friend's brother. This is the story he told me. Whether he was entirely straight about it I don't know but he seemed to be.

It was stormy, or at least the wind was howling and the surf was up. He and others drove from spot to spot looking for fish. They came to where he caught it (pm me for the spot I don't know if the spot police would be upset if I posted it) and the wind was at his back. He was using an eel and the wind took it way up and way out. But the fish hit very close, virtually at the beach. It didn't put up much of a fight and it was over quickly. He was dissapointed with that. He didn't weigh it until a long time after. Not realizing the potential, he left it on the lawn. If I remember correctly it might have been a whole day or something like that. At the prodding of some others he decided to take it to get weighed. He felt it would have weighed more had he weighed it as soon as he could have.

I don't recall if it was at night.

75lber was caught in a tin boat in the harbor on a head if i remember correctly

You're correct ProfessorM. I still have the original Fisherman Magazine article about that catch buried somewhere in my basement.

DZ

I too have the same article somewhere in my mess. That is the only reason i remembered it. p.

Actually, I think he'd correct both of us by saying it was on a menhaden chunk :rotf2: