Bill Cochran

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The world-class blue catfish action in the tidal James River near Richmond generally peaks in March and April. That’s when these fish have spawning on their mind and the river is thick with anadromous baitfish. Fun and food is plentiful, so it is a good time to be a blue cat. It also is a dandy time to be a blue cat angler.

Fishing so far this winter has been so impressive that you have to wonder if March and April can top it. If it does, it is going to be spectacular. Several 60-pound plus catfish have been landed, and big numbers of fish in the 20- to 50-pound range are being wrestled from the water.

One day John Sherman drove to the river from his home in Fredericksburg and in about 6 hours he and his party landed 18 cats that totaled 453 pounds. A transplant from Pennsylvania , Sherman has been enjoying this sport and writing about it in Water & Woods Magazine the past couple of years.

Sherman has more on his mind than just big numbers of catfish. He is thinking state record. He even is wondering if the 100-pound barrier is about to be broken. No freshwater fish of any species weighing 100 pounds or more is recorded in Virginia .

The current blue catfish state record is a 92-pound, 4-ounce catch taken June 29, 2004 by William Zost, a North Carolina catfish expert.

Here’s the surprise. Zost’s catch wasn’t a James River fish. It came from Kerr Lake . Biologists determined that it was just 10-years old, which denotes phenomenal growth.

The biggest James River catch, according to the records of Bob Greenlee, a state fish biologist, is an 83-pounder landed December, 2004. Even though Kerr has the record, the James produces far more citation catches, some times as many as 1,000 per year.

What chance is there that the 100-pound barrier will be crashed? I put that question to three experts:  Sherman, an avid catfish angler; Capt. Mike Ostrander, a guide who operates James River Fishing School , www.jamesriverfishing.com; and Greenlee, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologist in charge of managing the fishery:

JOHN SHERMAN

“I feel the 92-pound record probably won’t stand much longer,” said Sherman, who has landed two fish this season over 60 pounds and a third one that weighed more than 70 pounds. The size and number of big cats is growing, according to his observations.

The major deterrent in catching a 100-pound cat, Sherman believes, is the fact that most anglers aren’t using beefy enough tackle to land a one that size.

“If you look over some of the records from other states, several have been caught on rather light line,” Sherman said. “However, when you talk about catching a 100-pound fish in the James you are in a whole new world. The strength of the current when the tides are moving is equal to that of the force of a flooded river when I used to live. Add in all the trees and rocks on the bottom and I’d be willing to say that 90 percent of the people fishing the river are gearing too light.

“I’ve even noticed in some interviews with guides that some are only using 20- and 30-pound test. You put a novice fisherman on the line with a huge catfish and only 20-pound test and he’s not going to get the fish into the boat no matter who is coaching him. I’ve seen fish break 50-pound line.”

CAPT. MIKE OSTRANDER

“I think there probably is a 100-pound fish in the river. I am sure there is a 90-pounder. I don’t think I’ve ever had a 100-pound fish on, but it shouldn’t be long.”

Ostrander believes the outstanding fishing should continue provided anglers practice catch and release and there are plenty of baitfish for the cats to eat. Right now, gizzard shad are abundant, he said. “As long as the river has a strong gizzard shad population, the blues will have food to grow.”

Fishing pressure is building. There probably are a dozen or so fishing guides entertaining clients from across the country. Some resident fishermen hire a guide one time to learn the fishing techniques, then they strike off on their own. “It doesn’t take long to get 100 new boats working the river,” Ostrander said.

There is so much pressure that Ostrander advises fishing on week days. “Don’t get me wrong. There aren’t boats in every fishing hole. There are fish all over the river and thousands of places to anchor and fish productively.”

BOB GREENLEE

The James River catfish are getting bigger and bigger, so Greenlee says a 100-pound catch is plausible. Studies show that the growth rates don’t decline as the catfish age in the James River. That hasn’t been the case in other tidal habitats, namely the Pamunkey and Rappahannock rivers, Greenlee said.

Blue cats first were introduced in the James in the mid-70s, and studies show that the population has continued to expand.

“In the late 1990s, a 50-pound blue cat was considered a big cat in the James,” said Greenlee. In recent years, it has not been uncommon for anglers to catch 60-pound fish. Now, over the past year, anglers have been catching 70-plus pound fish on occasion, and at least a couple 80-pound blue cats have been caught.”

The growth should remain brisk as long as there is ample food for these giant fish. The gizzard shad is the primary prey item for the cats, said Greenlee. He wonders if they are declining.

“It is interesting to note that experienced anglers are reporting increased difficulty caching gizzard shad for bait,” he said.