West Virginia
Fishing record set by West Virginia angler who used 3-year-old daughter's $10 pink rod
A man in Wayne County, West Virginia, caught a state record channel catfish in the pond on his father’s farm in South Charleston using an unexpected rod.
John Tyler Rutherford reeled in a 43.51-inch-long, 46.70-pound channel catfish, according to a press release from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR).
Rutherford reportedly reeled in the big fish in July 21 by using his daughter’s fishing rod and worms as bait.
PENNSYLVANIA ANGLER CATCHES ‘BEAUTIFUL FISH’ RARELY SEEN IN LAKE ERIE
“I got my daughter a little $9.99 pink rod… she’s 3 and she can reel them in, but she can’t cast it out. So I cast it out for her and I was holding the rod and she was sitting on my lap,” he told West Virginia Outdoors.
John Tyler Rutherford’s channel catfish spanned 43.51 inches long and weighed 46.70 pounds. He caught the fish in a pond located in South Charleston, West Virginia. (WVDNR)
The common length for channel catfish is 22 inches with the longest maximum reported length being 52 inches, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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“West Virginia’s incredible fishing opportunities continue to amaze and attract anglers from near and far and this record-breaking achievement showcases the world-class fishing adventures our state has to offer,” Governor Jim Justice said in the WVDNR’s release.
Rutherford used his daughter’s $9.99 pink fishing rod to reel in the channel catfish. (WVDNR)
The last West Virginia record for the channel catfish was set in the year 2022 for length, and in 2023 for weight.
Rutherford’s catch topped them both.
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WVDNR Director Brett McMillion congratulated Rutherford for his outstanding catch.
West Virginia has set six new state fish records this year. (WVDNR)
“This remarkable achievement highlights the superior quality of West Virginia’s fisheries and the dedication of our team in maintaining and enhancing these aquatic resources,” McMillion said in the release.
The state also set new records for tiger trout, redbreast sunfish, bowfin, redear sunfish and black crappie caught this year.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the WVDNR and Rutherford for comment.
West Virginia
West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Lotto America on March 2, 2026
The results are in for the West Virginia Lottery’s draw games on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 2.
Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing
02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing
03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 3 numbers from March 2 drawing
7-4-8
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from March 2 drawing
1-1-9-6
Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 25 numbers from March 2 drawing
02-03-05-07-19-22
Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
- Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Another successful weekend for the West Virginia Mountaineers results in another slight bump up in the top 25 rankings. WVU took two of three from Kennesaw State on the road, allowing them to slide up to No. 23 in D1Baseball’s new batch of rankings.
D1Baseball’s Top 25 for Week 3
1. UCLA
2. LSU
3. Texas
4. Mississippi State
5. Georgia Tech
6. Arkansas
7. Auburn
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Southern Miss
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma
13. NC State
14. Clemson
15. Wake Forest
16. Coastal Carolina
17. TCU
18. Oregon State
19. Tennessee
20. Florida State
21. Kentucky
22. Texas A&M
23. West Virginia
24. Miami
25. UTSA
Missed opportunity
West Virginia had a 6-0 lead in game three of its series against Kennesaw State, looking well on their way to a clean three-game sweep of the Owls.
Unfortunately for Steve Sabins, the bullpen imploded following another strong five-inning outing from the big lefty Maxx Yehl. Bryson Thacker, Carson Estridge, and David Perez combined to give up four runs on five hits over the final three innings, allowing the Owls to steal Sunday’s game.
The loss frustrated West Virginia fans and rightfully so, but there’s no need to panic. The name of the game is to continue winning the series. You do that, you’ll find yourself in a position to make the NCAA Tournament and earn a high seed. Obviously, you don’t want to blow the opportunity of a sweep, especially when you’re up 6-0, but it’s not a loss that is going to ruin their resume. Losing the series, on the other hand, would have.
What’s next for the Mountaineers?
No single mid-week game this week for West Virginia. Instead, they’ll play a quick two-game series against Radford at home beginning Tuesday. They’ll get one day of rest before opening up a three-game series at home against Columbia, which will be the final series of non-conference play. WVU will have a single mid-week game against Maryland on Tuesday, March 10th, before beginning Big 12 action on the road against Baylor.
The full remaining schedule
Mar. 2-4 Radford
Mar. 6-8 Columbia
Mar 10 Maryland
Mar 13-15 at Baylor
Mar. 17 Penn State
Mar. 29-21 BYU
Mar. 24 at Marshall
Mar. 27-29 at Arizona State
Mar. 31 at Arizona
Apr. 3-5 UCF
Apr. 7 Marshall
Apr. 10-12 at Texas Tech
Apr. 15 at Penn State
Apr. 17-19 Houston
Apr. 21 Pitt
Apr. 24-26 at Cincinnati
Apr. 29 at Penn State
May 1-3 Kansas State
May 5 Marshall (Charleston, WV)
May 8-10 at Kansas
May 14-16 TCU
May 20-23 Big 12 Championship (Surprise, AZ)
West Virgnia built a six-run lead through five and half innings, but the Kennesaw State Owls (5-5) scored seven unanswered runs in three frames to knock off the Mountaineers (8-2) Sunday afternoon 7-6.
West Virginia captured an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after sophomore Matt Ineich hit a leadoff single before sophomore Gavin Kelly and senior Paul Schoenfeld were issued walks to load the bases with two outs on the board. Then, redshirt freshman Ryan Maggy line a two-RBI single to centerfield in his first career start.
The Mountaineers extended their lead in the second when Kelly hit a three went opposite field for a three-run home run, his first of the season, for a 5-0 advantage.
West Virginia starting southpaw pitcher Maxx Yehl threw five scoreless innings. The redshirt junior recorded four strikeouts on the day and limited the Owls to four hits.
Kelly added a run in the sixth, clearing the centerfield wall for his second home run of the afternoon and a 6-0 WVU lead.
Redshirt sophomore Bryson Thacker took the mound in the six. After a high and wide throw on a ground ball, a walk, and with two outs, junior Cooper Williams drooped an RBI single in right field to put the Owls on the board. Then, a pitch in the dirt rolled to the backstop to add another run, closing the gap to four, 6-2.
Carson Estridge was handed the ball in the seventh. The senior right-hander gave up a leadoff double before registering the next two outs, including a strikeout, before freshman McCollum line an RBI single just out of the reach of the glove of Kelly. Senior Jackson Chirello cut the deficit one, hammering the 3-1 pitch well over the right field wall and into the Waffle House parking lot for a two-run home run.
West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins turned to the clubhouse leader in saves David Perez to get the Mountaineers out of the inning. The freshman returned to the mound in the eighth. Senior Jamarie Brooks reached after hitting a sharp ground ball over to first that went between the legs of senior Ben Lumsden. Then, Williams blasted a two-run home run and a 7-6 Owls lead.
In the ninth, senior Matthew Graveline nearly tied the game with the swing of the bat, driving 0-2 pitch off the top of the left field wall for a one-out double to put the Mountaineers into scoring position. However, redshirt senior Harry Cain sat the last two Mountaineer hitters to collect his second win of the season as the Owls completed the comeback with the 7-6 decision.
West Virginia is back in action on Tuesday for the first of a two-game series against Radford. Game one and game two (Weds) are both scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the all the action will stream on ESPN+.
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