In the wee morning hours of June 6, Adam Truran of Fernley, Nevada, was pitching a silver Rapala across Lahontan Reservoir, hoping to tangle with a big walleye. Instead, he hooked into a striped bass hybrid so massive it took a 20-minute battle to bring in. The fish straightened his hooks, nearly broke him off, and ultimately earned him a Nevada state record bass spot in the books.
Truran’s “wiper” measured 36.5 inches in length, 33.3 inches in girth, and tipped the scales at 25 pounds, 9 ounces. It edged out the previous state record of 25 pounds, 6 ounces, held since 2007 by Dan Hannum: a fish that was also caught at Lahontan.
Hybrid striped bass, commonly called “wipers,” are created by crossing a female white bass with a male striper. These fish were first produced by hatcheries in the 1980s and quickly became a staple in warm-water fisheries across North America. In Nevada, wipers have been introduced into Lahontan Reservoir, as well as Wildhorse Reservoir, South Fork Reservoir, and several other managed fisheries.
They’re bred for fast growth, hard fighting, and their ability to thrive in warm, low-oxygen waters where pure-bred striped bass might struggle. Also, because the cross-bred fish are functionally sterile, there’s no worry about the hybrids overpopulating or draining a waterway’s resources.
Their broken horizontal striping and stocky body set them apart visually, and their behavior seals the deal. Catching one often leads to catching several. These are schooling fish that feed in blitzes, slashing through schools of baitfish in water-boiling feeding frenzies.
Few freshwater fish offer the complete package like a wiper. They fight like a striper jacked on a double shot of espresso, delivering brutal, drag-peeling runs and muscled surges that test even heavy tackle. And when the battle’s over, they shine on the table, too. Wipers are known for their clean, flaky meat and mild, sweet flavor, like a freshwater cousin to redfish. Whether grilled, blackened, or fried, they’re a favorite among anglers who catch to cook.
While Truran’s catch is a Nevada state record bass, it came in just shy of the IGFA all-tackle World Record hybrid striped bass: a 27-pound, 5-ounce fish caught by Jerald Shaum from Greers Ferry Lake, Arkansas, in 1997.
Depending on how the line-class records shake out, Truran’s fish might still qualify for IGFA recognition in a specific tackle category.
Wiper isn’t the only name these hard-fighting, great-tasting fish go by. Depending on where you fish, wipers might go by different names, including sunshine bass, Palmetto bass, whiterock bass, and Cherokee bass. But no matter where you catch them or what you call them, they’re known for the same two things: their fierce fight and first-class flavor.
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