Hall Catches Record-Winning Fallfish
A Rockbridge County man has won the state record fallfish title for the second time.
Jerry Hall caught his first state record fallfish in 2021 on the Cowpasture River.
He said he had not planned on attempting to catch a record-winning fish then, but his 3-pound 5-ounce fallfish did just that.
The record is acknowledged through the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources under the Virginia Online Angler Recognition Program state record list.
In 2022, Hall’s record was beaten. He wanted to reclaim the title and went back to Cowpasture River. He caught a 4-pound fish but it lost a few ounces on the way to be officially weighed at the DWR regional office, causing him to lose the chance at recapturing the record.
On March 3 of this year, Hall decided to go to Jackson River with a plan to take back the record.
“Fallfish just fight hard. The first [state record] was accident, and the second one I was actually targeting,” Hall said.
Hall is nicknamed the “Push-Button Slayer” due to his consistent use of a Zebco push-button reel with a Joe’s Fly tied onto a 6-pound test.
After catching the fish, he went to the Verona DWR regional office to have the fish officially weighed. The fish weighed 3 pounds and 13.9 ounces and measured 19 7/8 inches, earning a new state record.
“I don’t know what words can describe it. It’s a good accomplishment,” Hall said.
