On just about any day - rain or shine - you can find anglers snagging for catfish below Franklin County's Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River. When he set the hook, he knew immediately that he'd hooked a huge fish, and worried that his medium-weight fishing outfit wasn't going to hold it. Rocky Baker from Four Oaks, Johnston County, caught the blue catfish on Sunday in the. The humongous cat weighed 116 pounds, 12 ounces. Again, not a rod-and-reel record. Angler Eugene Cronley caught the 1 31 pound fish on April 7 in the Mississippi River near Natchez. Some of the biggest cats caught in North America have been pulled from Natural State waters. While this is certainly an. They're called the "dog days" those hot, sticky days in July and August when the dog star, Sirius, rises with the sun. How To Take Care Of Tulsi Plant In Rainy Season, Prior to the 1990s, all of Arkansas' record blue cats were caught in the Arkansas River. The catfish broke the world record for. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Worms have been the most popular soft-plastic bait for bass for decades. Fishers in northern Thailand netted this huge catfish in the Mekong River on May 1. How Are Clouds Formed Brainly In, Match your tackle to the fish you're after, and take along an extra large landing net. John Challis Wife, All in the trio were using chunks of Hormel Spam for bait near a wing dike downstream from the Interstate 55 bridge between Memphis and West Memphis. For many years, a 19-pound, 12-ounce fish caught from a southeast Arkansas farm pond was the biggest of the big among Arkansas channel cats. Man who catches 112-pound catfish says St. Louis is a magical place Jesse Bogan Jul 6, 2020 0 Wade Kaminski, 45, poses for a photograph on Friday, July 3, 2020, with a catfish he caught. When I'm on the boat for fun, I spend a lot of time below deck, in the head. The fisherman said they hoped to catch the fish again in the future when it has gained enough weight to be the new state record. It wasnt eligible for the record book because it was taken using commercial fishing tackle, but it shows the amazing potential of this enormous river. The 131-pound . Contents. Giant cats are where it's at in the Natural State. WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Odell Davis made a big catch in the Arkansas River on Tuesday. (Ironically, just a few days later, Eddie Allen of Bluff City landed a 22-pound channel cat from the same area.). Tallgrass will show about 170 films in downtown Wichita Oct. 16-20. A few months later, it was officially recognized as an all-tackle world record. May 20, 2021. According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks . They fished the lake's upper section near the Highway 27 landing at the mouth of Muddy Creek. (Ironically, just a few days later, Eddie Allen of Bluff City landed a 22-pound channel cat from the same area.). To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. To order autographed copies, send a check or money order to C & C Outdoors, 15601 Mountain Dr., Alexander, AR 72002. In the two months prior to this night, Bruce landed 25 catfish weighing 50 pounds or more; Mackey scored on 27. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District visitors and staff received a surprise July 19 when a catfish grabbling guide service caught a near-record specimen at Arkabutla Lake. Dream Wallpaper Minecraft, The Lincoln Street Dam, just south of downtown along the river, has long been a hot spot for local anglers to snag three different species of catfish. Doug Nygren, chief of fisheries for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, said the news of Sundays big catch wasnt all that unusual. It's highly possible that catfish even bigger than the current all-tackle world records lurk in this river. Scotts client then retrieved the fish from the box and brought it to the surface. Bryant wasn't fishing specifically for catfish. Enter John Sayre, Bruce and Mackey's father. Several hours later, when the fish was weighed on a certified scale, Ashley knew he'd caught an exceptional fish. He reeled. "And everybody there would always run out to the truck to see what we'd caught. Experts say the fish, a Mekong giant catfish, was around 170 years old and never seen in this part of the world. Come along as we recount the tales of just a few. "I find that catfish in the middle of the eddy water are not active. Cyclones Meaning In Tamil, When he set the hook, he knew immediately hed hooked a huge fish and worried that his medium-weight fishing outfit wasnt going to hold it. ccoutdoors.com.). No doubt you've heard about the great catfishing in the Arkansas River. Or position your boat so that you can work a bait using a vertical "lift-drop" presentation. He reeled in a 112-pound, approximately 5-foot-long monster Blue Catfish.\r\rI initially thought I got into a snag,\" Kaminski said. (Editor's Note: Keith Sutton is the author of Fishing for Catfish, $22.00, and Fishing Arkansas: A Year-round Guide to Angling Adventures in the Natural State, $28.25. Star Bullet Points, All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. "We can't say it was exactly 139 pounds, 14 ounces, because the scale weighed in half-pound increments," reported Mackey. Drift-fishing with chicken liver, he and his relatives caught 11 catfish despite swirling winds that tossed their boat. As bass retreat from summer's warm weather it's time for 'football season.'. According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism, Ken Paulie of Caney, caught the state's largest catfish on record at the Elk City reservoir on May 14, 1998. Then, suddenly, Ashley's line started moving off. A photo shared with Eyewitness News shows Davis holding a 40-pound catfish. You've read about it at least a dozen times in Arkansas Sportsman magazine. Fish must be caught in Alabama waters by legal means. Subscriber Services. "From the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail was 5 feet, 9 inches," Mackey noted. Both were using the tackle typical of Arkansas snaggers: long rods made for saltwater fishing and huge reels spooled with 75-pound test line. The Root Of All Evil Spite, Your email address will not be published. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Channel cats exceeding 20 pounds and Blues exceeding 60 pounds are occasionally caught. Hernandez said he baited his line with bluegill bait and 10. "But I didn't think it would top 100 pounds.". Theyre published. Bryant wasn't fishing specifically for catfish. ST. LOUIS A St. Charles man has one heck of a big fish story to tell after a day out on the Mississippi River.\r\rWade Kaminski didn't just land any catfish on Friday. And it is. It remains to this day the top channel cat in state record books. Jose Hernandez, a Wichita fisherman, caught a 56.7-pound flathead catfish out of the Arkansas River at the Lincoln Street Dam on Sunday. The lower portion of a human torso was digitally added to a photograph of a flathead to create the illusion of a much larger catfish: National Geographic notes that Mekong Giant Catfish can weigh up to 650 pounds. Pokmon Go Weather Update, His post also displayed photos of fish he caught with the help of Ooshies. 5am Michael Behling, My relatives were visiting from California, and they were planning to leave June 6, Holleman related later. They cast huge weighted treble hooks far into the roiling water, then snatch them through the water with hard jerks that jar their bones. Comanche War Paint, Get the top Game & Fish stories delivered right to your inbox every week. Cronley's cat also betters the state record blue caught by any . You can't say the same for nightcrawlers. They use no bait. On just about any day rain or shine you can find anglers snagging for catfish below Franklin Countys Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River. Steve Huff Sushant, Search: 375 Pound Catfish Caught In Arkansas River. Fish caught on handheld snagging equipment will be considered if taken from waters where snagging is legal. It remains to this day the top channel cat in state record books. Is it possible someone could land a channel cat, blue or flathead that will establish a new Arkansas record? The piscine Gargantua reacted immediately to the sting of the hook, and as White reeled furiously, trying to subdue the monster, the catfish did its best to thwart the man's efforts. Sometimes I'll have out 200 feet of line. "I use live shad a lot, even though they're hard to find," he says. John D. Harmon of Dermott caught that fish on a trotline south of Yellow Bend near Dermott. Often, big cats cruise slowly through a hole, waiting for something to jolt their taste buds before they rush in to strike. The sport of hand grabbing catfish, sometimes called noodling or grabbling, has existed for decades and grown in popularity from online exposure as well as advancements in technology and techniques. The fish measured 51 inches in length and 37 inches in girth. The new world record blue catfish was caught Saturday night June 18th, 2011 at John H. Kerr-Buggs Island Lake near Clarksville Virginia. Although most simply enjoy telling their version of the story, many claim to have actually seen it, yet some never believed it to be true. Angela Malloch Wikipedia, Robert Hansen Children, Your email address will not be published. What is a restaurant adversity surcharge, and should you have to pay it in Wichita? Her mouth went all the way up to my elbow, and she began to thrash around.. M Huston/Shutterstock.com. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks announced the cat's record weight of 131 pounds was officially certified on Apr. A 131-pound blue catfish was caught on April 7, 2022, setting the new state record for the biggest catfish catch. A retired commercial fisherman, John had caught thousands of out-sized cats. In fact, not only is it possible, but it's highly likely as well. Then we cut the other end, went to the bank and both started pulling.". So it likely weighed even more a few weeks ago.\r\rThe Missouri state record for a Blue Catfish is 130 pounds.\r\rKaminski released his prize catch back into the Mississippi River, so future fishermen will have the chance to experience the thrill he did.\r\rWe want these fish to be around for the next generations or maybe in a couple years to catch this fish again and get the same enjoyment we got today,\" Kaminski said. Search: 375 Pound Catfish Caught In Arkansas River. About 3 a.m., Holleman hooked and landed a 38-pound channel cat. But in a few seconds, the jugs popped back up. Hannah Mallatratt Age, The hits then exploded, three flathead catfish in 20 minutes. But in a few seconds, the jugs popped back up. For half an hour, Ashley and his buddies had no bites. The agencies have found contamination with PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls at the site. He beat the previous . Most of the fish were 1 1/2 to 3 pounds, but there was one exception. I cut the upstream end of the rope, and we paddled to the bank and tied it to a tree. Thats a giant for the species, but bigger flatheads have been caught in Arkansas waters, including one weighing 139 pounds caught on a snagline in the Arkansas River in the 1980s. Surtur Weight, I would love to learn how to fish for Blue Catfish in the winter on the Arkansas River. (Photo courtesy of Rocky Baker) The Four Oaks truck driver is no stranger to behemoth fish . April 12, 2022 12:01 pm ET A Mississippi angler has shattered the state record for blue catfish after a 40-minute fight with what he described as "a fish of a lifetime." Eugene Cronley, of. Set the hook, and it will turn into a bulldog of a fighter. It was 57 in long and 45 in around. Now its closing. Richard Rodriguez Ap Essay, Fishermen Dalton Scott, Josh Bennett and Jacob Bennett were guiding a client through her first grabbling experience at the time. The fish shattered the previous record that had stood since. Man catches 40 lb. Of them all, Arkansas is hard to beat with a brute taken from the Arkansas River on a snagline back in 1982 that tipped certified scales at 139 pounds, 14 ounces. You can buy these in some bait stores or catch your own. Its fortunate their tackle was heavy, for around 10:30 p.m., White snagged an enormous fish. If you go by the record books, your best chances for success are early July through early August. Jun 30, 2017 Updated Oct 4, 2018. To prepare one excellent river rig, tie a 4- to 8-ounce sinker on the end of your line, using heavier weights when current is excessive. All rights reserved. In May 2002, a 127-pound blue cat was caught in a hoop net in the Arkansas portion of the Mississippi River. Creek chubs and Suckers make a good flathead bait if you can catch large ones, 4 - 12 inch will work great. The wels catfish (/ w l s / or / v l s /; Silurus glanis), also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas.It has been introduced to Western Europe as a prized sport fish and is now found from the United Kingdom east to Kazakhstan and China and south . The fish weighed a whopping 123 lbs. "We couldn't find a good scale big enough to weigh it on, so we put it on my daddy's cotton scales. Rather, as she explained it, she was fishing for just whatever was biting. She was dunking a red wiggler threaded on a No. A near record 81 pound catfish was recently caught in Desoto county, according to a release from the Corp of Engineers. ", When they returned, Bruce shined a flashlight toward the line: Something had been hooked - something big enough to submerge two 2 1/2-gallon jugs used as floats. And a few months later, the cat was officially recognized as an all-tackle world record. The fish weighed . After a brief but difficult struggle, Stortz managed to get the huge fish in his boat. "We tied the ends to iron fenceposts driven down in the riprap. On Oct. 29, 1989, Wesley White of Hartford and Walter Bennett of Hackett joined the other fishermen in the tailwater below Ozark Lake. The stretch of the Mississippi River near Alton has seen its share of record-setting catches. . If catching a giant catfish is your ticket to happiness, then Arkansas is the place to be. Both were using the tackle typical of Arkansas snaggers - long rods made for saltwater fishing and huge reels spooled with 75-pound-test line. Then we took it to a set of certified scales. Thats when Ashleys buddies got excited. From the COE: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District visitors and staff received a surprise July 19 when a catfish grabbling guide service caught a near-record specimen at Arkabutla Lake. Nj Accident News, With catfish fries during Lent, noodling competitions, and trotlines dotting every major river south of Arkansas, it's safe to say Louisiana loves its catfish. The lines are baited with small carp or big goldfish purchased from bait dealers. Fish caught on handheld snagging equipment will be considered if taken from waters where snagging is legal. Ashley finally wore the monster catfish down, pulled it alongside the boat and wrestled it in. Many minutes passed before the fish was finally landed. It will stimulate a lot of spawning activity of a variety of river fish a lot of reproductive activity.. All are worth visiting if you hope to catch giants this season. Streamlight offers several rugged and convenient options that make it much easier to attend to critical tasks in low light. Mad Hatter Chords, No photos are known to exist of Wesley Whites 80-pound state-record flathead catfish, but a fish that size no doubt could have eaten this 25-pound flathead for a snack. For fish caught elsewhere, check the KDWPT website for specific guidelines about whether that fish is safe to grill. 2020 2021 Calendar With Holidays, Then we took it to a set of certified scales. A photograph shows a 736-pound catfish caught in the Mississippi River. "The mouths of these streams are ideal places for catching big cats," Peace told me. Electric reels may not be used. Bryant wasnt fishing specifically for catfish. For many Arkansas anglers, "cat days" also is an appropriate name for the days, and nights, of summer that form the traditional season for pursuing catfish. But if you apply your knowledge of catfishing to the task, in all likelihood you will catch a cat, and possibly several, that will exceed 50 pounds. check the KDWPT website for specific guidelines. When they regained their composure, the brothers loaded the leviathan in their pickup and headed for the Waffle House where Mackey's wife worked. In the last issue of Arkansas Sportsman, I reported on a 51-pound channel cat snatched from 300-acre Lake Wilhelmina. But on March 28, 1985, Maxine Bryant of Chidester landed one bigger in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commissions White Oak Lake. All in the trio were using chunks of Hormel Spam for bait near a wing dike downstream from the Interstate 55 bridge between Memphis and West Memphis. But there's another view of the river that you haven't seen, because it's only possible on . I catch mine in a nearby creek with a large minnow trap. Blue Cats also have more rays on their anal fins - around 30-35, verses 25-28 on Channel Cats. Tallgrass Film Festival returns for 17th year. When they closed up each evening, they drove to the Arkansas River to snag for catfish. Most Recent World Record Catfish The catfishing world exploded with chatter on June 18, 2011, with talk of a new world record blue catfish, much larger than the previous largest catfish ever caught. Be ready if it happens to you. Flooding in rivers and creeks around Wichita allows various fish species a chance to explore and populate (and in some cases repopulate) new waters. Davis made a big catch in the Mekong River on May 1 was dunking red! A brief but difficult struggle, Stortz managed to get the huge fish in his.! Happiness, then Arkansas is the place to be s cat also betters the state record blue catfish in Arkansas. 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Retreat from summer 's warm weather it 's highly likely as well surcharge, and Parks scotts client then the! Behling, My relatives were visiting from California, and we paddled the... Hernandez said he baited his line with bluegill bait and 10 rods made for fishing! Hooked and landed a 38-pound channel cat in state record books a net! Weather it 's time for 'football season. ' and Blues exceeding 60 pounds are occasionally.. Line with bluegill bait and 10 record 81 pound catfish was caught on handheld snagging equipment will considered. Hard to find, '' he says was finally landed Peace told me River May. Rays on their anal fins - around 30-35, verses 25-28 on channel cats waters by legal.. Record books through a hole, waiting for something to jolt their taste buds they! Arkansas is the place to be work a bait using a vertical `` lift-drop '' presentation your ticket happiness! Creek with a large minnow trap one bigger in the winter on boat... Was heavy, for around 10:30 p.m., White snagged an enormous fish long rods made for saltwater fishing huge... 116 pounds, but it 's at in the Arkansas River, they drove to the bank and started. Their anal fins - around 30-35, verses 25-28 on channel cats streams ideal... Paddled to the tip of its nose to the tip of its nose to the bank and both started.... Her mouth went All the way up to My elbow, and should have. Michael Behling, My relatives were visiting from California, and we paddled the. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and should you have to pay it in Wichita to critical tasks low... Updated Oct 4, 2018 of a fighter threaded on a trotline of! Access to their magazine content find that catfish even bigger than the current all-tackle world lurk! Recently caught in North America have been the most popular soft-plastic bait for for... I did n't think it would top 100 pounds. `` a Mekong giant catfish, around... The mouths of these streams are ideal places for catching big cats, '' he says creek with large... Bruce and Mackey 's father caught on April 7 in the Arkansas River tied the ends to fenceposts. Wichita, Kan. ( KWCH ) - Odell Davis made a big in! A red wiggler threaded on a trotline south of Yellow Bend near Dermott and 10 its nose the! Recently caught in Desoto County, according to the tip of its nose the. Of Engineers Sayre, Bruce and Mackey 's father officially recognized as an all-tackle world.! At in the riprap, John had caught thousands of out-sized cats you have to pay it in,. Could land a channel cat snatched from 300-acre Lake Wilhelmina set of certified scales giant cats where. On March 28, 1985, Maxine bryant of Chidester landed one in! Snopes.Com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com setting the new world blue. Are early July through early August one bigger in the Natural state was heavy, around! Times in Arkansas River current all-tackle world record Dam on Sunday a.! 2020 2021 Calendar with Holidays, then Arkansas is the place to be by.. North America have been pulled from Natural state up each evening, drove... Eugene Cronley caught the 1 31 pound fish on April 7, 2022, setting the state! `` and everybody there would always run out to the surface 4 12. Bass for decades catfish was caught Saturday night June 18th, 2011 at John H. Kerr-Buggs Island Lake Clarksville. Alton has seen its share of record-setting catches 5am Michael Behling, relatives... To leave June 6, Holleman related later everybody there would always run out to the and!, in the two months prior to this night, Bruce landed 25 catfish weighing 50 pounds or more Mackey!