Record-breaking black crappie fish caught in West Virginia

CBS News

13-05-2025

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man in West Virginia caught a record-breaking black crappie fish..
Jerry Porte caught a record-breaking black crappie in West Virginia.
Credit: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
A black crappie weighing nearly 4 pounds was caught in West Virginia, breaking the state's weight record, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said on Monday.
Jerry Porter — of Harts, West Virginia — made the record-setting weight catch of 3.6 pounds and 17.7 inches at East Lynn Lake in Wayne County, officials said.
Porter broke the previous record of 3.15 pounds and 17.76 inches set in 2024 by Dwight Priestley of Alum Creek, West Virginia, at Woodrum Lake in Jackson County. Priestley's record for length still stands.
Porter used a minnow-tipped jig on a 6-pound test line, and biologist Jake Whalen confirmed the catch.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said it has confirmed three state record catches this year, including a nearly 25-pound redhorse sucker fish.
Fishing in West Virginia
Anglers 15 years and older in West Virginia must have a fishing license.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is in charge of keeping track of records for the largest fish of each game species by length and weight caught in state waters
What is a black crappie?
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, black crappie fish are often mistaken with white crappie fish.
To differentiate between the two, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said black crappie fish have seven to eight spines in their dorsal fin, while white crappie fish have six. Black crappie fish also have "irregularly arranged speckles and blotches in their color pattern," officials said.
The common size of black crappie is 10.8 inches.