Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 8, 1990 TAG: 9004090020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B15 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Ricky Baker knows. He landed a 39-pound, 10-ounce fish at Smith Mountain Lake last week.
"I've probably caught 150 stripers, but I've always wanted that wall-hanger and I finally got him," he said.
The Roanoker was casting live shad to 30 feet of water on a point when the 42 1/2-inch fish took his bait. "Then it was time to hold on," he said.
The battle lasted 40 minutes, and at one time most of the 20-pound line had been ripped from Baker's reel.
"I followed him with the trolling motor. He finally came up and I got him in that big, old net of mine and it started ripping. Me and another boy [Lonnie Spradlin] had to lean over the boat and grab him by the body and pull him up into the boat."
Baker was knocking on the door of the state record, a 42-pound, 6-ounce mark set at Smith Mountain May 3, 1988.
By far, most of the 30-pound plus stripers come from Smith Mountain, but the largest of the season is a 41 1/2-pounder from Leesville by Jerry Betterton of Gretna.
Baker's fish ranks second.
by CNB