Written by Striper Express Guide Service
A Dallas woman reeled in a new record-sized Lake Texoma striped bass this past week, hauling the massive fish out of Lake Texoma near the northern shore in Oklahoma waters.
The 27.29-pound, 38 3/4-inch striper has been certified as a Oklahoma-Lake Texoma striped bass record — 6 pounds more than the previous lake record striper catch.
Barbara Pope is a resident of Dallas and a life-long angler. She was fishing with guide Chris Carey of Striper Express Guide Service. She and her husband entertain their guests every season by fishing on Lake Texoma.
“But I come in December for the trophy fishing”, Barbara said. “This trip was an all-girl reunion.”
Barbara had invited two girlfriends from her sorority days at Oklahoma State University. They were drift fishing with artificial bait in water depths ranging from 15 to 40 feet deep. Barbara was casting on a main lake point with underwater structure about noon when the big female fish struck her lure.
“Chris showed us how to use the dead-sticking technique,” she said. “We had caught a couple of fish and were just drifting when the big fish hit.”
The fish began to strip line, and Carey tried to tighten the drag, but the drag was already locked as tight as it would go. That is when the group knew it was a big fish.
“Oh my gosh, it seemed a lifetime fighting the fish,” she said. “I was leaning back and the rod was bent so far it looked to break at any time. I knew this was a special fish by the excitement in Chris’s voice. Chris knew this was a big fish. When it surfaced everyone went crazy!”
While heavier striped bass have been caught in previous years at Lake Texoma, this fish represents the largest striped bass from the Oklahoma side of the lake since the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation started keeping records in 2008.
“It was a real treat,” Barbara said. “We have a cabin at Texoma, and we already have a spot picked out on the wall for my trophy.”
