The biggest blue catfish caught in Texas weighed 121.5 pounds and measured 58 inches, and was caught in Lake Texoma in Jan. 16, 2004. The record catfish weighed in at 130 lb. Location: Elk City Reservoir, Kansas, USA. You just dont see fish like that very often. These enormous fish are the largest purely freshwater fish in the world (Sturgeon are larger, but they inhabit both fresh and saltwater). Just how big is big enough when it comes to keeping crappie? Lake Palestine hosts largemouth bass tournaments but also has excellent fishing for white bass, hybrid striped bass and catfish. BLUE CATFISH C. D. Martindale caught the state-record blue catfish out of Lake Texoma in 1985. The preferred method of wading is to cruise the shoreline and cast parallel to the bank and out into the creek channel itself. Indiana Also a great hotspot and some of our favorite locations are Sylvan Lake, Webster Lake, and Worster Lake. When we say "good sized" we are talking about 100 pound catfish! Theyre fun to catchand even more fun to fight. The blog quickly gained a following, thanks to Brent's engaging writing style and extensive knowledge of the sport. This method requires a rod with plenty of backbone to yank the fish from the cover. Caught off of the south side of Lake Hamilton . World Record flathead catfish: 123 pounds. For comparison, the 1998 flood was over 200,000 cfs. Lake Texoma Texas, 121.5 Pounds, Cody Mullenix The blue catfish caught by Mullenix weighed in at 121.5 lbs, which was not only a Texas state record but also a world record. The hog was bagged after what could be a catch of a lifetime for. Burleigh said the cats will often suspend in 15 feet of water over humps in 30 feet of water and may suspend as deep as 35 feet in areas that are 50 feet deep. They hit live baits almost exclusively, preferring perch, suckers and carp to nasty, stinky prepared baits. Anglers catch gar weighing as much as 150 pounds on limblines in South and East Texas, so take all necessary precautions. What separates this enormous achievement from other world records is about 900 pounds of fish. Johnny D. Anderson caught the blue catfish, weighing 63.5 pounds and. The best catfishing in Texas takes place in the northern and eastern portions of the state. Lake Texoma Texas, 121.5 Pounds, Cody Mullenix The blue catfish caught by Mullenix weighed in at 121.5 lbs, which was not only a Texas state record but also a world record. The record bass was caught on January 2nd, 1992 by Barry St. Clair. Anglers have success with chicken livers, dough baits, worms, crawfish, minnows, shrimp and even kool-aid soaked punch baits! The rivers temperature can vary from temperate in the shallows to near-freezing in open water. With Blue Catfish, the anal fin has a straight edge and 3036 rays. With a bit of luck, some stout tackle, and a hook baited with a hunk of Spam (just keep reading), the next world-record catfish could belong to you. Highly overlooked trophy blue cat areas are the brackish water marshes and bay systems along the Texas Coast, especially those on the lower ends of the Neches and Sabine River drainages, as well as the Trinity Bay system. This unique species of catfish is a South American native. Experiment with different options the smellier the better for these. While it is true that Texas waters harbor plenty of heavy cats, truly big specimens are less than common anywhere. To me, its not worth killing a fish that big and that old just to have some record., I think we get more thrill out of the experience of it than a record, Kodi adds. Published Jul 23, 2021 2:00 PM EDT. Home to Channel, Flathead, and Blue Catfish, Lake Corpus Christi offers a little bit of everything. Try using cut shad on sandbars adjacent to the many boulder fields. How big is the largest catfish on record? Caught by a villager from Thailand, the record-setting catfish was 9 feet long. That is why I use the so-called super lines that are extremely strong. A North Texas man and his father reeled in three huge catfish on Lake Grapevine last week. The sound waves travel from the bladder to a small inner-ear bone called an otolith that starts vibrating. The state record, an 18.18-pound largemouth bass caught at Lake Fork, has stood since 1992. "The important thing when flipping for cats is to have a rod that's got enough backbone to lift them out of heavy cover, and line that won't stretch. Not far from Lake Lewisville is the 6,684 acre Grapevine Lake. Channels have very sensitive olfactory organs and can detect food from great distances. My one thought was dont screw it up this time. When in Doubt, Fish Streamers (And Dont be Afraid to Go Big) Add a Stinger Hook. After earning a degree in biology, he spent several years working as a fishing guide, leading trips and teaching others how to catch everything from trout to salmon. Noodler Levi Bennett nabs this emormous 106-pound flathead from an East Texas lake. According to the Guinness Book of Records, a nine-foot-long individual caught in northern Thailand in 2005 weighted an astounding 646 pounds, making it the largest exclusively freshwater fish ever recorded. The record for the largest Goonch ever caught belongs to Jakub Vgner, the host of National Geographic's "Fish Warrior." Vgner's Goonch was 165 pounds 5 ounces (75 kilograms) and over 5 feet (1.57 meters) long. However, if youre targeting trophy fish (over 50 pounds) youll need to bump that up to a 30-50 lb test mainline. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Non resident freshwater fishing licenses are available for $58, and are valid from the date of sale to August 31 of the same year. In Texas, its easy to get confused between Blue and Channel Catfish, so its important to know how to tell the difference between them. If your boat is equipped with a trolling motor, you might simply set it on low and slowly troll through the same spots to catch fish. ">'); What is the largest crappie ever caught in Texas? October 10, 2022 September 14, 2022 by Brent Pollock. On January 22 Splash celebrated her first year of residence at TFFC with a birthday bash. A safari jeep full of tourists were observing two fighting rhinos when the animals suddenly turned their attention on the jeep and charged. Search for the biggest fish in the International Game Fish Association's database of biggest fish for each species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission certified the state record flathead catfish weighing 69.9 pounds, measuring 48.5 inches long, 38.25 inches in circumference. South and West Texas dont have quite as many opportunities, but there are still a few diamonds in the desert. Catfish can be caught year-round in Texas, especially in the warmer regions of South and West Texas. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The current world record is 143 pounds. Theres more of a pep in our step, more energy to start new adventures and, who knows, maybe even change the world. Besides actively feeding on live shad, blues will scavenge shad killed by sudden temperature changes. Typically, the largest fish are caught by trotliners, some of whom have landed specimens in . Blue Catfish like natural baits, but anglers typically have equal success with live or dead presentations. This fish unofficially weighed 106 pounds, which would have been big enough to be the new Texas state record had it been weighed on an official scale. The Mekong giant catfish is the official freshwater heavyweight champion of the world. What might be the biggest catfish ever caught by hand was likely also the state record flathead catfish in Texas. He had been told time and time again that record was unbreakable. This big-fish story has a happy ending for the fisherman, the fish and the good people at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas, where Splash found her new home. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This species is known to live at least 15 years. Catfishing in Texas is very popular with anglers finding good sized channel catfish, flatheads and blue cats. His previous personal record for a hand caught catfish was 74 pounds. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The state of Texas has 10 species of freshwater Catfish, making it a great year-round location to target the beloved whisker fish. In recent years, waters like Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick lakes on the Tennessee River have become world renowned for producing huge blue cats, including several exceeding 100 pounds. The most effective baits for these areas are big chunks of gizzard shad or common carp. The fish pictured below are not the . His catch weighed in at 131 pounds and was also caught in the Gulf of Mexico. How do you catch big brown trout at night? Grabbing the fishs bottom lip with his left hand and the gill plate with his right, he emerged with his biggest catch evera 58-inch-long flathead that topped 100 pounds. Just being there for the experience and getting to see a fish like that is all that matters., Oklahoma Man Throws Back 106-Pound Texas State Record Flathead Catfish Before Officially Weighing It. 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