Some fish just can’t stay out of the spotlight! “Spotty,” is a blue catfish that has apparently made it his mission to rewrite West Virginia’s record books every few years. Catfish guide Justin Conner and his fiancée, Tabitha, were wrapping up a bait run on the Kanawha River last month when they decided to cast a few lines. Twenty minutes later, they hooked two massive cats on the line. Tabitha landed hers (a modest 30-pounder), but Justin’s was the real celebrity—66.3 pounds of deja vu! It turns out, he had caught this same catfish before, and so had another record-setting angler in 2023! Same scars. Same black spot. Same overbite. Same stubborn streak. lol. Now Spotty is a three-time state record holder—two for length, one for weight—and proof that catch-and-release really works! If you want the full story, you can read it at Outdoor Life here.
Photo courtesy Justin Conner via Outdoor Life
