Thursday, June 04, 2009
Biggest cat catches
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: I enjoyed the report on the 102-pound blue catfish in which you said is the first freshwater catch to exceed 100 pounds. What are the next largest catches for other species?
A.C.
A.C.: Nothing really is close to Tim Wilson’s 102-pounds, 4-ounce James River blue catfish. Here are the fish that rank behind it:
- 66- pounds, 4-ounce flathead catfish landed by Mike Willems from Occoquan Reservoir May, 1994.
- 53-pound, 7-ounce landlocked striped bass caught March, 2000 at Leesville Lake by James Davis.
- 49-pound, 4-ounce carp landed by Jeffery Graham from Lake Prince, June 1986.
- 45-pound, 8-ounce muskie from the New River caught June, 2007 by Shannon Hill.
BILL
BILL: I would like to know if there are any pay-trout facilities in Virginia that have a campground/cabins attached to them? I believe my wife found one last year on the Internet. The place that I am speaking about was off I-81.
G.P.
G.P.: I believe you may be describing Cedar Springs, which is the state’s oldest and biggest pay-trout fishing are located off I-81 near Rural Retreat. It has a lodge and is operated by Jim and Carlene Hilton, 276-686-4505.
BILL
