Two West Virginia record fish have been caught so far this January. Length records for grass carp and blue catfish were broken by two West Virginia anglers, the state Division of Natural Resources announced on Thursday.
Zachary Adkins, of Cabins, caught a 53.1-inch, 59-pound grass carp at Warden Lake in Hardy County on January 3.
Adkins used a large swimbait to catch the fish, which broke the previous length record of 50.75 inches. William Tucker still holds the state weight record with a 71.69-pound grass carp caught at Warden Lake in 2005.
Justin Conner, of Culloden, caught a 49.84-inch, 58.38-pound blue catfish on the Ohio River in Mason County on Jan. 11.
Conner used cut shad to catch the fish, which broke the previous length record of 47.75 inches. Mark Blauvelt continues to hold the weight record with a 59.74-pound blue catfish caught on the Ohio River in 2016.
Anglers who believe they may have caught a state record fish should check the current records listed in the fishing regulations, available at license agents and online at wvdnr.gov.
A record catch should be reported to the district fisheries biologist in the nearest DNR district office as soon as possible. Guidelines for reporting a record catch are listed in the fishing regulations.