71-Pound MONSTER Catfish Shatters State Record in West Virginia River Catch

A wave of record-breaking catches is making headlines across the country. From an Arkansas teen landing a massive skipjack herring to anglers in Georgia and West Virginia setting new benchmarks, these standout fish are turning everyday outings into state record moments. Here’s a look at the latest catches earning spots in the record books:

This Arkansas Teen Just Broke a State Fishing Record. A 17-year-old Arkansas angler earned a spot in the Arkansas State Record Fish listing after catching a record skipjack herring in April. Jeared Barnett caught the 18¼-inch, 2-pound, 14-ounce fish below Lock and Dam 12 on the Arkansas River near Ozark. After getting bored fishing for catfish, he switched to a crappie rod with a curly tail grub on a one-sixteenth-ounce jig head, a setup he often uses for white bass in spring. Barnett said he recognized the fish immediately and knew it was unusually large. He believes he may have caught an even bigger skipjack before but did not measure it at the time. Read More

Angler Lands Redear Sunfish and Breaks Lake Tugalo Record! Clarkesville native Phil Black set a new Lake Tugalo record for redear sunfish. The fish weighed 2 pounds, 3.26 ounces and measured 13.98 inches, according to GA DNR Burton Hatchery scales. Black caught the fish using a worm and spinning rod while fishing on Lake Tugalo. Read More

71-Pound MONSTER Catfish Shatters State Record in West Virginia River Catch. West Virginia officials confirmed three new state fishing records, led by a 71-pound blue catfish caught May 9 on the Ohio River in Jackson County. Michael Ramey of Poca landed the 50.23-inch fish using cut bait, breaking the previous 69.45-pound record set in 2023. Zachary Roper also set a new redhorse sucker record with a 6.46-pound catch at Kanawha Falls. Donnie Workman added a tiger trout record after catching a 13.32-pound fish at Summit Lake. Officials encourage anglers to report potential record catches for verification. Read More

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