Whopper of a striped bass caught in Nova Scotia's Grand Lake

Check out what lurks near the bottom of Shubenacadie's Grand Lake.

Bill Laurettecaught this 43-inch (109-centimetre)striped bass therelast week. Jim Hnatiuk, owner ofHnatiuk'sHunting andFishing in Elmsdale, N.S., says he has only seen one or two largerstriped bass in the 10 years he's owned the shop.

The fish weighed in at more than 13 kilograms,and it's going to be mounted on Laurette's wall rather than heading toa dinner plate.

Hnatiuk said striped bass need to be at least 26.8 inches, by law, for fishermen to keep them, and 30 inches is usually considered a good size. He said divers in Grand Lake have spotted huge fish near the bottom, but they're rarely caught.

"If you've got 40 inches, you've got yourself a trophy," Hnatiuk said. "In Grand Lake, that's certainly a whopper."