The new West Virginia state record for Skipjack, a species of herring, now belongs to a man from the neighboring state of Ohio.
According to MyBuckhannon.com, Ethan Moss of Gallipolis, Ohio – a town that borders West Virginia – caught the record breaker on the mighty Ohio River near the tail waters of the RC Byrd dam.
The previous record for the species had been on the books since 2013. The new record broke the old in terms of both length and weight, measuring in at just over 20-inches-long and a touch over 3-pounds.
Skipjack are one of the most commonly used as bait fish for targeting other species and rarely pursued by anglers, but any time a record breaking fish is caught, it’s worth mentioning.
They are one of the most abundant fish in the Ohio and Mississippi River basins and popular food sources for many more popular sport fish like bass and catfish.
For a complete list of the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia’s fishing records, or for more information on finding a place to fish and purchasing your fishing license, please check in with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources.
