Info on MN State Record Channel Cat in 1975

This is a post I originally did in February 2004 on the MN state record channel catfish. For you downtown Mpls catfisherman, the record channel was caught in N.E. Mpls in February 1975. Who knows, maybe on the April Fools get together somebody may haul in a new state record – nobody would believe it especially if it was caught on April 1st. Here is my original post from 2004:

The information on this record is kind of sketchy. The only thing I found in the file was a Field & Stream Sixty-Fifth Annual Fishing Contest Certificate of Award. The certificate states, “This is to certify that Terrence Fussy, Minneapolis, Minnesota on the date inscribed below did hook and successfully land a Channel Catfish which has been weighed and measured, and a true record thereof duly entered in the official register of the Field & Stream Annual Fishing Contest. The information shown on the certificate is: Date – February 16, 1975; Weight – 38 pounds; Length – 3 feet 8 inches; Class – Unrestricted Line Test. There is a handwritten note on the certificate that says: Miss River, northern Mpls, Feb 14, 75.
I did not find any pictures to verify the catch. There was a handwritten note card dated 8/13/91 with a handwritten message: Anonymous caller claims catch was at Hudson, WI on the St Croix River in 1975.

I’m sitting here on 4 February looking out the window on a bitterly cold day trying to envision catching a 38# channel cat on 14 February 1975 on the Mississippi River in N.E. Mpls. I did a National Weather Service search for the weather on 14 Feb 75. There was no precipitation that day, the high temp was 23 and the low temp was 9. I would think the river in N.E. Mpls would be open at that temperature. It just seems like such an unlikely time to make a record catch. I would have liked to see the fish.

Terry Fussy is a friend of mine. The way he told it was, 2 high school kids, him and another friend were goofing around fishing carp from shore under the Lowry Ave bridge near their home when he caught the big cat. Caught it in a kernel of corn. He said the best part of catching it was the looks they got from passing motorists while they were carrying it home! They didn’t realize it was a record. He has since moved to Cross Lake,MN. If you PM me I will be able to find his phone #. I’m amazed no-one has ever caught a bigger one!

Steve .. that is just a really hard one to call.

I know that stretch of the river very well, I also know its capabilities to produce giant channel cats. I know of 2 other channel cats that would rival that record, one was caught just downstream of the area mentioned by an old guy that used to fish on a pier many days a week with a giant salt water rod and a huge bait. I seen the fish, and he carried the photo in the future and loved to show it off. The fish was eaten. I dont think he is alive anymore, I havent seen him for years.

The other channel was caught within a couple miles of the Minnesota river/Mississippi river confluence by Dan who was the owner of Minnehaha bait and tackle. The fish picture was displayed for a long time. The shop is out of business now. That was a huge female full of eggs and he released the fish and never hung it on a scale. It was huge an had an honest estimate of 40# from a reliable individual that is an avid catfisherman, and is in the habit of weighing them.

The only thing that bothers me about the record channel is the lack of a fish to identify the specie. I have caught plenty of channels on corn fishing for carp in the past so the bait is not unreasonable. I dont doubt a huge catfish was caught that day. I have been catching channels this year for a period of time in 33 degree water.. the same as it would have been that day where he was at. Something that smells good hanging in its face might be enough to trigger a bite of opportunity.

My only question is.. was it a channel cat? Its not impossible it was a blue. Many will argue that it is unlikely becuase the lack of recorded catches.. but its unlikely to catch a 40 pound channel at any time too. Blues feed more actively than any cat in the cold water.

On the same note.. I couldnt tell the difference between the looks of some blues and large channel cats until the recent past. The only way to tell if the fish are in a darker color phase is to identify the fin. If you dont know about the fin and its a big black catfish in Minnesota thats not a flathead.. your going to call it a channel unless you know better. The fish I witnessed caught, and the fish Dan caught could have been blues for all I know. I have to contact Dan to see the pictures again.

Either way.. I dont doubt a big cat was caught that day. I also dont doubt that particular stretch of river CAN produce the next record channel. That stretch of river only see’s a few fishermen drowning crawlers, and a chicken liver on an off day. A have got 20’s out of there and I dont fish that far up much… nobody does… only a few kids fishing culverts or bridges drowning crawlers and corn.