Honestly, most fishing trips start with high hopes and end with a few "the one that got away" stories. But for Jerry Porter, a May morning at East Lynn Lake turned into something else entirely. We’re talking about a fish so big it didn't just bend the rod—it rewrote the state record books for West Virginia.
On May 7, 2025, Porter, a resident of Harts, was out with his buddies Ron and Rodney Shelton. They weren't looking for history. They were just looking for dinner. The group was fishing off a 17-foot Bass Tracker—nothing fancy, just a solid boat for hitting the brush piles.
The action was already hot. They were pulling in fish left and right. Then, Porter hooked something that felt... different.
The Moment Jerry Porter Catches Record-Breaking Black Crappie in West Virginia
You know that feeling when a fish hits and you realize immediately you aren't dealing with a "dink"? Porter felt it. He was using a 1/16-ounce pink jig tipped with a minnow on 6-pound test line. That’s light gear. When the slab hit, Porter admits he flat-out panicked.
"I guess when he came to the top and I saw him I got a little excited," Porter told local reporters. He yelled for the net.
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Breaking Down the Numbers
When the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) officially weighed the beast, the scale stopped at 3.6 pounds. It measured 17.7 inches in length.
To put that in perspective:
- Previous Record: 3.15 pounds (held by Dwight Priestley since 2024).
- The Difference: Porter bested the old weight record by nearly half a pound.
- The Catch: While Porter took the weight record, Priestley actually still holds the length record by a tiny fraction of an inch (17.76 inches).
It’s a weird quirk of state records. One guy has the heaviest, another has the longest. But in the world of "slabs," weight is usually what people talk about at the bait shop.
Why East Lynn Lake is the Place to Be
East Lynn Lake in Wayne County is a 1,005-acre reservoir managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It’s been a sleeper spot for a while, but it’s definitely not a secret anymore.
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Porter says the lake is "jammed" with smaller 7- to 9-inch crappie. That’s actually a bit of a problem. When a lake is overpopulated with small fish, they all compete for the same food, which usually stunts their growth. However, Porter’s catch proves that if you find the right cover—like the fallen oak tree in five feet of water where he caught this record—there are some absolute giants hiding in the mix.
The Tactics That Worked
Porter wasn't using high-tech forward-facing sonar or expensive lures. He went old school.
- Minnow-tipped jigs: The pink 1/16-ounce jig is a classic for a reason.
- Targeting Wood: He found a specific fallen tree where the fish were bedding.
- Persistence: His group reportedly caught around 300 fish that day. You have to weed through the small ones to find the record-breaker.
The New Era of West Virginia Fishing Records
It’s worth noting that the WVDNR only recently started separating black and white crappie into their own record categories. For decades, it was just one big "crappie" bucket.
Because of this change in 2024, the record for black crappie has been falling constantly. Porter’s catch was actually the fourth time the record had been set since the category was created.
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The state is seeing a massive surge in record-breaking catches lately. In April 2025 alone, records fell for the redhorse sucker and the redear sunfish. It’s a great time to be an angler in the Mountain State, basically.
What This Means for Local Anglers
If you’re planning to head out to East Lynn or any of the big WV reservoirs, don't just mimic the gear; mimic the strategy. Porter’s success came from knowing the water. He’d caught 17-inchers there before. He knew the spots.
Practical takeaways for your next trip:
- Scale down your line: Porter was using 6-pound test. If you go too heavy, these smart old fish will see the line and pass.
- Keep your catch: Porter actually advocates for keeping the smaller fish (within legal limits) to help thin out the population. This allows the remaining fish to grow larger.
- Wait for the spawn: Early May is prime time. The water hits that mid-60s temperature range, and the big females move into the shallows to bed.
Jerry Porter is getting the fish mounted, and honestly, why wouldn't he? It’s not every day you go out for a fun afternoon with friends and come home a state record holder.
If you want to track the current standings or see if your latest catch qualifies for a Trophy Fish Citation, you should check page 32 of the West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary. The WVDNR updates these records frequently, and with the way things are going in 2026, this record might not even last the summer.
Next Steps for Anglers:
- Download the official WVDNR Fishing Regulations PDF to check the minimum weights for Trophy Fish Citations.
- Target East Lynn Lake specifically near fallen timber in the 5- to 10-foot depth range during the spring transition.
- If you think you've caught a record, keep the fish alive in a well or aerated container and contact a WVDNR biologist immediately; weight records must be verified on certified scales.