Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 29, 1992 TAG: 9203310042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Cochran
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He was making a final drift when a monstrous fish struck the large gizzard shad bait of Joe Harris, a North Carolina angler who was Franceschini's client for the day.
Harris reeled in a 42-pound, 6-ounce striped bass that smashed the state record.
No one, including a very happy Franceschini, figured it would rank No. 1 in the Virginia record book for long. A year at the most. Smith Mountain had the reputation of producing a record on an annual basis.
But nearly four years later, the Harris fish remains the champion, and ranks as the 19th heaviest state fresh water striper recorded in the United States, according to In-Fisherman Magazine.
Can the record be broken? Will it be broken?
"It is past due," Franceschini said last week. "It is unusual that it hasn't happened. I feel like this year it will fall."
Franceschini is certain of one thing. He'd like his boat to be the one that wrestles a record from the depths.
The past two seasons, the only fish to edge beyond the 40-pound mark have been Leesville Lake stripers. But that doesn't discourage Franceschini, who believes the next record is finning about in Smith Mountain Lake.
"I think it probably will be caught on the Roanoke River again, on the main river of an outside point," he said. "I am almost sure it will be caught on live bait. Probably a large gizzard shad, once again."
The next month, or so, will be the prime time to take a record. The females are carrying a heavy cargo of eggs, which can boost their weight by several pounds.
But so far, spring fishing hasn't been that great, Franceschini said.
"I can't say that I have tagged anything that I honestly believed was over 40 pounds," he said. "This has been a slow starting spring. I hope we can contribute that to the weather. If not, I am real concerned."
by CNB