Randy Thurston of Bethel captured this 50 1/4-inch striped bass during a trip with guide Larry Blanchette of Breakwood Fishing Adventures in Ogunquit earlier this month. Submitted

BETHEL — Randy Thurston was in his early 20s when he started fishing for striped bass. Earlier this month he landed the sport’s holy grail – a leviathan measuring more than 50 inches and weighing roughly 45 pounds.

“I’ve fished for these fish just about every way possible,” Thurston posted on Facebook, “from flies and lures to every type of bait imaginable. After thousands of hours and thousands of dollars I started getting pretty good at it. That being said it took me I think 7+ years to catch a 40+ inch striper. After literally thousands of fish later I’ve caught the one I’ve been looking for!”

Since then, the story “has gone somewhat viral,” appearing in Newsweek on August 18.

“Striped bass is definitely my most sought after species,” Thurston said, “due to their availability and potential size. They are also probably the most attainable from shore or boat as they inhabit freshwater rivers in the spring to almost all tidal conditions throughout the summer. You can catch them from early May to October with some consistency. There is a cult following for striped bass from Nova Scotia to the Carolinas.”

He says that his favorite species to catch, though, is the false albacore found from Massachusetts south.

“Albie don’t get very large compared to the stripers,” Thurston said, maxing out around15 pounds, but he says “it’s like hooking a missile from the beach. They have explosive hits on the waters surface and will pull all the line off your reel before submitting.”

He has also caught a giant bluefin Tuna weighing over 500 pounds, which he said was also “a great adrenaline rush!” But to catch them, he adds, you often have to go many miles offshore and have expensive gear.

Living around Bethel, where Thurston is the local Code Enforcement Officer, he says he has to “settle for largemouth bass and trout,” being so far from the coast. This year, though, he made a choice “to hit the salt as much as possible and was having a great season even before my personal best showed up!”

He is quick to share the credit for his catch with captain Larry Blanchette.

“He put me on this fish on a day he had an opening in his full guide schedule,” Thurston said. “He could have stayed home and rested or spent with his family. He is as good a guy as he is fisherman and that’s a tall order! Thank you Breakwood Fishing Adventures for helping me achieve this longtime goal! We measured it every which way to make sure it hit that mark!”

Thurston adds that the fish was “handled with much care, a perfect hook set right in the lip. The fish revived in the water and swam off strong!”

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