Angler caught record skipjack in the Ohio River in April

Ethan Moss holds his record skipjack catch
Ethan Moss holds his record skipjack catch.
News Release

|

|

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An Ohio angler caught a West Virginia state record skipjack on April 29 from the Ohio River.

Ethan Moss of Gallipolis caught the 20.15-inch, 3.1-pound skipjack in the RC Byrd Tailwaters south of Point Pleasant, breaking the previous record for both length (19.21 inches) and weight (2.64 pounds) held by Zachary Hankins since 2013.

Skipjacks are not a game fish but are a popular bait fish for catching catfish. Because of similar features, some anglers refer to them as freshwater tarpon, which is a saltwater game fish.

Anglers who believe they may have caught a state record fish should check the current records in the fishing regulations at wvdnr.gov. Procedures for reporting a record catch also are included in the regulations.

Local Businesses

Recent Stories

My Buckhannon ·

Linda W. Winspear

Linda W. Winspear of Buckhannon, WV, passed away on March 8, 2026, at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, WV. She was a registrar at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Duane Carpenter ·

Upshur County Sports Calendar

Plan your week with the Upshur County Sports Calendar for March 23–29, featuring baseball, softball, tennis, lacrosse, and track & field. Find game times and matchups for Buckhannon-Upshur, Philip Barbour, and West Virginia Wesleyan all week long.

Duane Carpenter ·

Lacrosse Bucs crush Wheeing Park for first win, 15-3

Buckhannon-Upshur powered to its first win of the season with a 15-3 rout of Wheeling Park, using balanced scoring from seven players despite a near 30-minute delay. Braylon Oldaker, Easton Rice and Tobias Marple netted three goals each as the Bucs improved to 1-1.