Big Upper Mississippi Striped Bass

I haven't posted much over the last few weeks mostly due to a lack of things to post about. I have done a fair amount of fly tying, did some fishing and did some art but until today it all just kind of seemed bland.  This morning, with a massive weather system raising the river 2 1/2 feet in 24 hrs and dropping the temps down to a chilly 43 degrees, I met my brother-inlaw on the banks of the mighty Mississippi river just north of the Moline, IL.    We launched the boat with little expectation of catching anything due to the weather but still were eager for the morning on the water.
In the first five minute he had hooked into this hawg and took us on a ride below the lock and dam.  For seven minutes we speculated that he had either hooked into a big channel cat or Mississippi flathead.  What we didn't suspect was that he had hooked into the biggest Mississippi striped bass I had ever seen.  I have fished that stretch of river nearly my entire life and nothing I had ever seen had even come close to the size of that bass.  It was a fantastic catch and I got the video and pics to prove it.
In the end we took the pics, looked around unsuccessfully for a scale, and then let the beast go for another angler to catch.  We never even discussed keeping it and it wasn't till later that I thought what a great trophy that would have made, but me and my brother-inlaw are much alike when we fish.  He still might look down on my fly fishing since he is strictly a spin guy but we two are never late to the water, we beat the sun to the dock, and we simply fish for fun.  The trophies and creel limits are an afterthought and only the pics and memories are what mater. Well done bro.