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- 🐟 Angler Smashes State Record With Massive Catch
Record-breaking catches made headlines across West Virginia and Ohio this month as anglers landed massive fish that rewrote state records. From a giant redhorse sucker and hybrid crappie to a monster blue catfish, these standout catches drew attention from wildlife officials and fishing fans across the region:
Ohio Fisherman Reels In Record Breaking Monster Crappie. Middletown angler Jesse Miller set Ohio’s first state record for hybrid crappie after catching a 4.27-pound, 18.3-inch fish in the Great Miami River on April 1. Miller, 29, was testing fishing gear before work when he hooked the crappie using minnows from a local bait shop. At first, he thought the fish was a striped bass because it barely fought back. The Ohio Division of Wildlife confirmed the catch as a record in the state’s new hybrid crappie category. Biologists said hybrid crappies are a mix of black and white crappies. Miller plans to mount the fish beside crappie caught earlier before. Read More
71-Pound Monster Catfish Shatters West Virginia State Record. Michael Ramey landed a 71-pound blue catfish on the Ohio River near Ravenswood, setting a new West Virginia state record. Fishing a local tournament on May 9 with friends Tyler McCoy and Mark Taylor, Ramey hooked the fish in a deep 45-foot hole using cut white bass bait. The catch topped the previous 69.45-pound record from 2023. State biologists confirmed the fish measured 50.23 inches and officially recognized it as the state’s largest blue catfish ever caught. Read More
Fayette County Angler Smashes State Record With Massive Redhorse Sucker. Zachary “Zak” Roper set a new West Virginia state record for redhorse sucker after catching a 6.46-pound, 25.43-inch fish May 7 at Kanawha Falls using corn on 15-pound test line. The catch broke the previous record of 5.75 pounds and 24.57 inches set in April 2025 by Jason Floyd. WVDNR District 4 fisheries biologist Cory Hartman officially verified the record. Read More
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