He’s waded the New River since he was knee-high to a catfish.
Some of his fishing buddies even call him “catfish,” and he’s fished nearly every inch of the river near his home at Hinton.
“I’ve been wading the river since I was a kid,” says 70-year-old Summers County native Roger Williams.
“I’ve never seen any need to quit.”
Williams wades the shallows and shoals of the New River near the spillway of the Bluestone Dam, where he casts his 10-pound test line baited with a soft-shell crawfish, a chub, or a hellgrammite (a larva of a Dobson fly).
Williams doesn’t use a boat, though, when he goes in search of the various scaleless fishes with whisker like feelers near the mouth.
“I’d rather wade. It’s more enjoyable. I like to fish in the river, and if I want to move around, I don’t have to pull up the anchor and paddle. I can just walk.”
Williams’ strategy has paid off over the years. He’s caught tons of the ugly gamefish on the New River. He’s mainly interested in catfish, but he sometimes hooks a crappie or a bass by mistake.
Most of his catch are returned to the river. The angler only keeps about 200 catfish a year. “I divide them up with my friends. Catfish are good eating before the weather gets hot.”
Williams has fished the New River near the spillway for the past 50 years. He’s caught catfish of all sizes. One catfish he pulled in about 15 years ago weighed 35 pounds.
“All fishermen are liars, I’ve been told,” Williams says with a grin. “But it did weigh 35 pounds.”
That’s not so big where catfish are concerned, according to Williams, who notes that his pals Sam Richmond, Leonard Smith, and Jeff Cooper all have hooked some “whoppers” in their day.
“I wouldn’t want to say, but it’s possible there’s 45-pound catfish in the New River,” Williams says.
“It’s a challenge to see just how big a catfish you can catch. The fish get older and bigger. There’s some in there that are so big that you probably couldn’t land them in with a fishing pole.”
The New River isn’t the only area stream where catfish (and their cousins, the mudcat and the flathead) are abundant and growing.
According to the Division of Natural Resources, there’s some good size catfish in Plum Orchard, Stephens, Moncove, Little Beaver, Kee Reservoir (in Mercer County), Sherwood, R.D. Bailey, and Bluestone lakes.
Mark Scott, assistant chief DNR fisheries director in Charleston, says the main growing period for channel catfish is when water temperatures remain above 70 degrees.
Scott explains, “Adult channel catfish spend the daylight hours in deeper areas of our large rivers, often near logs or other covers, and move into more shallow water at night to feed, while the younger fish inhabit the shallow areas throughout the day.”
Channel catfish, Scott says, require a rather dark secluded place to spawn, usually choosing a hole in the bank or between rocks or logs.
“They may not reproduce in clear ponds or lakes unless some kind of artificial nesting device is provided,” the biologist says.
The channel catfish in the New River and Bluestone Lake have remained relatively constant in the past 30-40 years, DNR officials say.
“There’s a lot being caught, but there’s adequate reproduction to take their place,” Scott says.
“In addition to channel catfish, there are others in the catfish family that are important to this area,” the veteran biologist says, adding “The largest catfish caught in West Virginia is called the flathead catfish. Local people also call this fish a ‘mudcat’ or a ‘shovel-nosed’ catfish.”
Scott continues, “The state record for ‘flathead’ catfish is 52 inches long and weighed 70 pounds. It was caught in 1956 in the Little Kanawha River.”
Excellent flathead populations are found in Bluestone Reservoir, Hawks Nest Reservoir, the upper portion of Kanawha River (the Kanawha Falls area near Gauley Bridge), and the lower Gauley River, fisheries biologists say.
The flatheads are taken by both rod and reel and trotlines.
Flatheads are primarily a big water species, and are generally more abundant in larger rivers and smaller streams.
“Fish comprise a large part of diet of flatheads that are over 10 inches long,” Reed explains. “They also prefer intermediate size bluegills (3 to 5 inches long).”
Though they are a great deal of fun to catch, the bullhead catfish is much smaller than its cousins, the flathead, and the channel catfish.
“Normally, bullheads are less than 18 inches in length,” Scott says. “The state record bullhead, caught in 1977, was 22 3/4 inches long and weighed 6 pounds. That gives you a pretty good idea of their size.”
The bullhead prefers turbid waters (slightly muddy) and muddy bottoms and is highly tolerant of many kinds of domestic and industrial pollution.
“Their flesh is tasty,” Scott explains. “The bullhead will bite throughout the day and night, and provide more recreation than other species, since they are easier to catch.”
Since the channel catfish does not usually reproduce in small impoundments, annual late fall stockings of fingerlings are made at most lakes. Channel cats provide fine sport and are often principal game fish sought during the summer months.
Being omnivorous (feeding on living and dead material), this fish is readily caught on passive baits such as corn, liver, nightcrawlers, worms, shrimp, and dough balls, as well as other live baits (minnows) and artificial lures.
Part of the sport of fishing for catfish, according to Williams, is to see just how big a fish he can land with his 10-pound test line.
“I never use a net,” the angler says with a laugh. “If a fish gets off, well then he just gets off. It’s all part of the fun.”
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Top o’ the morning!