New state record for redgill caught at Plum Orchard Lake

FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has confirmed another inaugural state record for a fish species that has been added to the Mountain State’s list of state records.

John Plott of Oak Hill, West Virginia, caught the first state record redgill on June 6 while fishing at Plum Orchard Lake in Fayette County. The fish set the first weight record at 1 lb-12 oz. It is also the first record for length, exactly 12 inches. Before last year, the record books simply recognized a bluegill record and did not further break down the specific species of bluegill.

MetroNews caught up with Plott while he was back at Plum Orchard Lake just days after the historic capture.

“When I attracted him, I thought, ‘Man, I’ve never seen a bluegill or sunfish as big as you!’ I knew he was something special,” Plott laughed in an interview with West Virginia Outdoors.

Listen to “John Plott – Record Redear Sunfish” on Spreaker.

The big fish was hiding at the edge of the many water lilies that lined the shores of the lake. Plott was fishing from the bank and attempted to reach the outer edge of these pads by walking alongside a downed tree that extended into the water. As he balanced on the log with his ultra-light pole, he was shocked when the big fish hit him.

“When he hit and he was running back and forth, I was thinking, oh my God. I had to play with the drag a little bit because it was running back and forth and I didn’t expect to catch such a big sunfish,” he explained. “He was going back and forth and man, it was fun. I said, ‘Dude, you’re a monster!’

When he finally took hold of the fish and took a beam walk to shore, he filled a bucket with water and set the fish down. Next, Plott plugged in a small aerator in hopes of saving it for a live release. Although he was unable to make contact with the DNR that day, he managed to keep the fish alive until the next day, where he was able to have it measured and officially certified. He was then able to return the sunfish to the waters of Plum Orchard.

“You know, it doesn’t happen every day to catch a record fish. It’s an honor,” he said.