is all I can say, The guy is a better man than me. Great catch and release!


Brach releases 50-pounder from Sheri Berri
By Al Ristori
May 17, 2010, 7:27PM

Rick Brach of Bridgewater had caught only one tiny striper on a killie while fluking before he joined me this morning on Sheri Berri from Baker's Marina on the Bay in Highlands. Not only did he quickly beat that fish with a 20-pounder, but he ended up releasing a bass that's the dream of every dedicated striper fisherman. Brach's father, **** of Warren, was also reeling in a bass on the other bunker spoon rod when I told Rick to reel slowly until my mate, Capt. Hans Kaspersetz, could release the other fish. After that was done, Kaspersetz looked at Rick's fish just astern and said it was big. I expected to see perhaps a 30-pounder, but when Kaspersetz eased her over the side of the Regulator 26 it proved to be much larger than merely big.

After keeping the first bass boated for dinner, these catch-and-release anglers were releasing all others -- and this was no exception. Though only 47 inches to the fork of the tail (the length measurement needed for using the formula to determine weight), that bass apparently hadn't spawned and had a 30-inch girth. Using the formula (length times girth squared, divided by 800) the weight came to 52.875 pounds -- and she's still swimming out there. I've heard of only two other "fifties" taken in the area so far, and most striper anglers never catch one in a lifetime.