Just how big are the muskies that swim in the
Little Kanawha River? I doubt we have a state record size fish. If we
do, it is by length and probably not weight. The state record musky for
length is 52.7 inches from 2003. The state record for weight is 49.75
pounds and caught in 1997. Both fish came from Stonecoal Lake, located
between Buckhannon and Weston.
A lake is more conducive to the easy life than a
river environment. We all know our weight goes up with the easy life.
Those state record fish from Stonewall lived a life with more stable
water conditions and a larger food supply. Stonecoal Lake muskies live
on a diet of minnows, small gamefish, and trout. Yes, these fish consume
the trout stocked by the Stonecoal Lake Fishing Club. My friend Rick
Dunlap from Rick’s Taxidermy in Buckhannon mounted the 49.75 pound fish
caught by Anna Marsh. In its stomach, he found a 16-inch rainbow trout.
The muskies of Calhoun County do not have any trout
to devour. I believe they live on a diet mainly of suckers, minnows,
panfish, and small bass. They have to face constant high muddy water
that hamper spawning success by covering up their eggs with the silt
that often keeps the Little Kanawha discolored. They face a fisherman
population that is very likely to keep any legal muskie caught. It’s
hard to reach 40 or 50 inches in length when you are harvested at 30
inches.
The Little Kanawha is blessed with several large
muskies. I have heard of numerous muskies that stretch the tape past 40
inches. My personal best from Calhoun County is 39 inches. I have not
heard of any fish that surpass 30 pounds, but I’m sure we have a few
heavyweights that make weight.
If you have any stories or photos of gigantic
muskies from Calhoun, I would be interested in them for a future
article. Contact me at
Coryboothe@verizon.net.
(Editor’s
Note: Cory is the son of Ronzel and Karen Boothe of Russett. He is a
1996 graduate of Calhoun County High School and is a teacher at Meadow
Bridge Elementary, Fayette County. He resides near Summersville.)