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    Putnam County angler catches W.Va. record freshwater drum

    A Putnam County angler caught a state record freshwater drum on April 24 in Mason County, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has confirmed.

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    John Gibson of Poca, West Virginia, caught the 27.88-pound, 35.59-inch freshwater drum on the Kanawha River, breaking the previous record for weight, which was 27 pounds held by Charles Mickel Lott since 1989.

    Bill Dawkins maintains the record for length with a 37-inch freshwater drum caught in the Little Kanawha River in 1954.

    The freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, is a fish endemic to North and Central America. The freshwater drum prefers clear water, such as that found in the lower Kanawha.

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    Anglers who believe they may have caught a state record fish should check the current records in the  at . Procedures for reporting a record catch also are included in the regulations.


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    David Sibray
    David Sibray
    Historian, real estate agent, and proponent of inventive economic development in West Virginia, David Sibray is the founder and publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine. For more information, he may be reached at 304-575-7390.

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