Missouri fisherman sets record for giant striped bass

TANEY COUNTY, MO (KTRK) -- Lawrence Dillman set a new Missouri state record for a "pole and line" catch after he hooked a striped bass weighing 65 lbs. His fish broke the previous record by nearly five pounds.

Dillman hooked the giant striped bass on Bull Shoals Lake near the Arkansas border, according to a press release from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

"Once the fish was on the line, I knew I had a decent one, but I didn't at all think it was a striped bass," Dillman said. "I fought the giant for over 45 minutes until I got him to shallow water. I then bear-hugged the fish and got it out of the water onto the bank."

The bass weighed in at 65 pounds, 2 ounces. It was also more than 49 inches in length with a girth of 36 inches.

Dillman, who says he fishes every day, says this is a catch of a lifetime.

"I've caught bigger fish in the ocean, but this fish is the biggest fresh-water fish I have ever caught," Dillman said.