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2024-12-7 Fishing Report: Two new Personal Best Blue Catfish for Zac!

Writer's picture: Dan SzajtaDan Szajta

Zac drove up from Charlotte, NC and wanted to chase some big fish! We launched the boat in a chilly 18 degrees and set off to catch some bait. Bait was very tough but we eventually rounded up some gizzard shad to chop up. The sunrise was very relaxing to watch as we cruised the river.

We spent the first few hours of the morning anchored on a ledge and as the sun rose into the sky, the bite shifted from deep to shallow, with rods getting hit constantly all morning. The first fish to hit the deck was a healthy 18 lb blue catfish.

The second fish to commit was a 15 lb blue catfish.

We continued to sit on anchor with rods getting tapped, sometimes 3-4 at a time. Zac reeled in a number of eaters and we started to clean fish as we were catching them.

With so many eater fish to clean, we started a little assembly line, which turned out to be a cool photo opportunity.

We moved spots and caught 2 more small fish out of a giant pile of fish we were marking. With the sun high in the sky and the temperatures rising, we started to search shallower. We clipped on the AlphaBoardz and started to drag bait in 15-20 ft of water and found nothing but a giant pile of gar. We didn’t waste a lot of time dragging but had to check it out based on bird and bait activity we spotted across the river.

It was a great decision to move on quickly as our next anchor made the day. We had found that the fish were keying in on smaller baits and we marked a giant pile of small bait fish with many big marks feeding on them. We spotlocked the boat and tossed out 8 Hellcat rods from Catch the Fever. It didn’t take long before we saw a fish start to mouth a bait. It started to bend the rod over and Zac reeled on it expertly. Unfortunately, the fish did not hook up. We put on a new bait and tossed the rod right back out. It wasn’t long until the rod tip started to dance again before slowly starting to fold over. Zac reeled down again and the rod started to load up. The fish was fighting Zac all the way to the boat and we knew as soon as he got under the boat that this was going to be a big fish. He hadn’t come off the bottom yet and started to peel drag as Zac started to lift him to the boat. The fish ran towards the bank and took Zac across the entire rod rack. We had to clear rods as he moved across the back of the boat. The fish pulled drag a few more times before surfacing and we snuff a net under him. As we pulled the fish over the rail and onto the deck, the boat erupted in excitement as he seemed to grow the closer he got to us. We tossed the fish in a sling to weigh him and it was a 42 in and 45 lb blue catfish. A trophy fish by Virginia standards and Zac’s new largest catch of his life. 

We didn’t have a lot of time to celebrate as we saw another rod start to bend over out the back of the boat. Stan and I slid the fish out of the way as Zac jumped on the rod and started reeling. It was clear right away that it was another big fish. It was pulling drag, folding a heavy action hellcat rod to the backbone, and fighting like mad. A very similar fight to it’s buddy, these fish were in a pack and of the same class. This blue cat measured in at 43.25 inches and 41 lbs.

We had some fun trying to pile both fish on Zac’s lap to commemorate his epic double.


We had to work hard all day to find these fish but it was well worth it! The entire boat was all smiles the whole drive back to the ramp. We sent Zac on his way with a pile of fillets for the freezer and some memories that will last a lifetime. Help me welcome Zac as he’s the latest member of the trophy club.

Can’t wait for the next trip!



Gear We Trust:

Rods from Catch the Fever (Discount code GOOBER10 for 10% off)


Line from Slime Line (Discount code GOOBER10 for 10% off)  


Terminal Tackle from Mid Atlantic Catfish Co (Discount code Goober15 for 15% off)

Planer Boards from AlphaBoardz (Discount code GOOBER10 for 10% off)


Reels from Shimano https://amzn.to/49Xxyq7

Anchors from Never Lost Anchors (Discount code GOOBER5 for 5% off)

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