SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Anglers continue to catch numerous trophy blue catfish from West Virginia waters, including one angler who caught the new state record for the species. On May 25, Steve Price of Lancaster, Ohio, caught and released a blue catfish that broke the state record for both weight and length.
He was fishing from a boat on the lower section of the Kanawha River between Buffalo and Point Pleasant. The bait used was cut shad. Price’s record fish was 50.7 inches long and weighed a whopping 67.22 pounds.
The trophy catfish eclipsed the weight record of 61.28 pounds held by Cody Carver for only seven weeks and also broke the length record of 50.15 inches held by Justin Goode since 2021.
Price’s record catch was measured by West Virginia Department of Natural Resources Hatchery Manager Ryan Bosserman. Anglers who believe they may have caught a state record fish should check the current records in the fishing regulations at wvdnr.gov. Procedures for reporting a record catch also are included in the regulations.
