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CHARLESTON — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced that Matt Born of Reedsville has caught a new state record chain pickerel.
Born landed the 27.95-inch, 5.65-pound fish on April 21 using a homemade spinner on a 4-pound test line while fishing at a private pond in Preston County.
Born broke his own length record from 2019, when he caught a 27.87-inch chain pickerel from Upper Deckers Lake in Preston County. Steven Demma still holds the weight record with a 6.19-pound chain pickerel caught in 2001 at Tuckahoe Lake.
The new state record was confirmed by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources District 1 fisheries biologists Dustin Smith and E.M. Dean.
Information about state record fish categories is available at wvdnr.gov/fishing/state-records and on page 24 of the West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary.
Anglers 15 and older must have a West Virginia fishing license, which can be purchased at WVfish.com. Anglers are reminded that a trout stamp is required when fishing for trout.
