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West Virginia Angler Sets New State Record with 3.6-Pound Black Crappie
What started as a typical spring fishing trip turned into a record-breaking day for Jerry Porter. On May 6, a 50-year-old Lincoln County angler from Harts caught a massive 3.6-pound black crappie at East Lynn Lake, which has officially become West Virginia’s new state weight record.
Porter was fishing with friends Ron and Rodney Shelton on the 1,000-acre Wayne County lake when he hooked the fish around 9 a.m. The trio had found crappie actively spawning near a fallen oak tree.
“The crappies were bedding and hit everything we cast to them,” Porter explained. “Every cast we hooked a fish. Then I stuck one that was different: bigger than all the others, and I panicked.”
Porter used a 1/16-ounce pink jig tipped with a minnow on a 7-foot spinning rod with 6-pound test line. When he felt the unusual weight, he called for help, and a buddy netted the fish.
The exceptional fishing continued all day, with the group catching an estimated 300 crappie before heading in at 4 p.m. They released most of their catch but kept Porter’s potential record holder in the live well.
At the boat launch, fellow angler Jamie Mullins examined Porter’s impressive crappie and suggested it might be a state record, encouraging Porter to contact the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. With DNR offices closed for the day, Porter took the fish home and kept it alive in water overnight.
The following morning, Porter made the trip to town, where DNR Assistant District Fisheries Biologist Jake Whalen officially weighed and measured the crappie. The fish tipped the scales at exactly 3.6 pounds and measured 17.7 inches in length, securing its place in West Virginia fishing history.
Jerry Porter displays his 3.6-pound, 17.7-inch black crappie that broke West Virginia’s state weight record at East Lynn Lake on May 6.
Porter’s catch surpassed the previous state weight record of 3.15 pounds, set just last year by Dwight Priestly at Woodrum Lake in Jackson County. Interestingly, Priestly’s fish measured 17.76 inches long and continues to hold the state length record for black crappie by a mere fraction of an inch.
This record represents the third fishing milestone achieved in West Virginia during 2025. Earlier in April, anglers set records for both redhorse sucker and redear sunfish on the same day, highlighting the exceptional fishing opportunities available throughout the Mountain State.
Porter, an experienced angler familiar with East Lynn Lake, noted that this wasn’t his first encounter with oversized crappie from these waters. He estimates catching at least four other crappie exceeding 17 inches from the lake over his years of fishing there.
Porter’s record-breaking 3.6-pound black crappie fell for a 1/16-ounce pink jig tipped with a minnow on 6-pound test line.
“The lake is jammed with 7- to 9-inch crappie, and we need to keep more of them to keep from overpopulating the lake,” Porter observed. “There are some big ones, but they have to compete for food with all the little fellows.”
The veteran angler plans to preserve his record-breaking catch through taxidermy, ensuring this memorable fish will serve as a lasting reminder of an extraordinary day on the water. His success also demonstrates that sometimes the biggest fish come during the most action-packed fishing trips, when conditions align perfectly for both angler and fish.
Porter’s achievement adds another chapter to West Virginia’s rich fishing heritage, proving that the state’s waters continue to produce trophy-class fish for those willing to put in the time on the water.
The post West Virginia Angler Sets New State Record with 3.6-Pound Black Crappie appeared first on OutdoorHub.
Continue reading...
West Virginia Angler Sets New State Record with 3.6-Pound Black Crappie
What started as a typical spring fishing trip turned into a record-breaking day for Jerry Porter. On May 6, a 50-year-old Lincoln County angler from Harts caught a massive 3.6-pound black crappie at East Lynn Lake, which has officially become West Virginia’s new state weight record.
Porter was fishing with friends Ron and Rodney Shelton on the 1,000-acre Wayne County lake when he hooked the fish around 9 a.m. The trio had found crappie actively spawning near a fallen oak tree.
“The crappies were bedding and hit everything we cast to them,” Porter explained. “Every cast we hooked a fish. Then I stuck one that was different: bigger than all the others, and I panicked.”
Porter used a 1/16-ounce pink jig tipped with a minnow on a 7-foot spinning rod with 6-pound test line. When he felt the unusual weight, he called for help, and a buddy netted the fish.
The exceptional fishing continued all day, with the group catching an estimated 300 crappie before heading in at 4 p.m. They released most of their catch but kept Porter’s potential record holder in the live well.
At the boat launch, fellow angler Jamie Mullins examined Porter’s impressive crappie and suggested it might be a state record, encouraging Porter to contact the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. With DNR offices closed for the day, Porter took the fish home and kept it alive in water overnight.
The following morning, Porter made the trip to town, where DNR Assistant District Fisheries Biologist Jake Whalen officially weighed and measured the crappie. The fish tipped the scales at exactly 3.6 pounds and measured 17.7 inches in length, securing its place in West Virginia fishing history.
Jerry Porter displays his 3.6-pound, 17.7-inch black crappie that broke West Virginia’s state weight record at East Lynn Lake on May 6.
Porter’s catch surpassed the previous state weight record of 3.15 pounds, set just last year by Dwight Priestly at Woodrum Lake in Jackson County. Interestingly, Priestly’s fish measured 17.76 inches long and continues to hold the state length record for black crappie by a mere fraction of an inch.
This record represents the third fishing milestone achieved in West Virginia during 2025. Earlier in April, anglers set records for both redhorse sucker and redear sunfish on the same day, highlighting the exceptional fishing opportunities available throughout the Mountain State.
Porter, an experienced angler familiar with East Lynn Lake, noted that this wasn’t his first encounter with oversized crappie from these waters. He estimates catching at least four other crappie exceeding 17 inches from the lake over his years of fishing there.
Porter’s record-breaking 3.6-pound black crappie fell for a 1/16-ounce pink jig tipped with a minnow on 6-pound test line.
“The lake is jammed with 7- to 9-inch crappie, and we need to keep more of them to keep from overpopulating the lake,” Porter observed. “There are some big ones, but they have to compete for food with all the little fellows.”
The veteran angler plans to preserve his record-breaking catch through taxidermy, ensuring this memorable fish will serve as a lasting reminder of an extraordinary day on the water. His success also demonstrates that sometimes the biggest fish come during the most action-packed fishing trips, when conditions align perfectly for both angler and fish.
Porter’s achievement adds another chapter to West Virginia’s rich fishing heritage, proving that the state’s waters continue to produce trophy-class fish for those willing to put in the time on the water.
The post West Virginia Angler Sets New State Record with 3.6-Pound Black Crappie appeared first on OutdoorHub.
Continue reading...