55-pound stripped bass sets N.Y. record

ALBANY, N.Y., June 16 (UPI) -- Ian Kiraly has a real fish story to tell now that he holds the New York state record for the largest striped bass.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis said in a statement this week that Kirlay reeled in a whopper weighing 55 pounds, 6 ounces while trolling on the Hudson River in Ulster County last month.

The record fish was 49 inches long and hailed as a sign that stripers are on the rebound in New York.

"They ... spawn in the Hudson and Delaware rivers," Grannis said. "Thanks to effective management, populations of striped bass have increased, drawing thousands of anglers to the Hudson each spring."

The agency noted that anglers who catch a record fish receive a plaque and a handsome lapel pin. No word on whether or not Kirlay will try to break the longstanding state record for northern pike, which was set back in 1940 with a 46-pounder.