It’s 1 am & you’ve just landed the State Record?

….it’s at least 75 pounds on your tested spring scale….

Now what?

From the MN DNR:

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•Weight the fish on a state-certified scale (found at most bait shops and butcher shops), witnessed by two observers.
* Take the fish to a DNR office for positive identificatin and a state record fish application.
• Complete the application asn send it along with a clear, full-lenght photo of your fish to the address listed on the form.

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1st question: Are you going to kill it to make the record books? (this could be a long discussion in it’self!)

2) Where is the closest state certified scale…that’s open at 1 am? (a 75 pound fish out of water..could loose 5 pounds of body fluids fairly quickly through blood loss/dehydration)

3) How are you going to get it there? (boat fishing and bank fishing have differant problems.)

4) What are you going to do with it until Monday morning when the DNR office opens up?

Did anyone hear the out come of the bass guy that transported the state record bass alive without a DNR permit?

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Did anyone hear the out come of the bass guy that transported the state record bass alive without a DNR permit

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What outcome are you looking for?
Was he fined? No
Is it now the State Record? Yes

Thanks Sloppy…a citation for transporting live fish was what I was looking for.

It’s nice to know that common sense does prevail…once in a while.

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•Weight the fish on a state-certified scale (found at most bait shops and butcher shops), witnessed by two observers.
* Take the fish to a DNR office for positive identificatin and a state record fish application.
• Complete the application asn send it along with a clear, full-lenght photo of your fish to the address listed on the form.

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Just a short comment on the state certified scale found in most bait shops: I think that statement is not true. There are certainly some bait shops that have state certified scales, but most that I know about do not have a certified scale. In my years in the business, I have never been asked by the state whether I even have a scale.
So, if you show up at a bait shop with your new record catch, don’t get upset if they do not have a certified scale!

Good Fishing,
Mike

You bring up and interesting point Brian.
I read in Critical Concepts: Catfish Fundamentals. That the
IGFA and FWFHF (world record trackers) will allow a world record in the books. If you have your personal scale certified with documentation, and the appropreate 2 witnesses. (dissinterested as the book put it. Not your dad and uncle)
I would hope the MN DNR would be as understanding, but it would be best to double check. Though I would think that MN would not override the decision of a world record fish if it was caught in our state, but there is a big difference in a state vs. world record.
I wonder what it would take to get our personal scales certified by the state? (If they would even do it). Personally I would doubt the butcher or bait shop as being state certified.
Something for me to look into in my part of town.
Hey Wait “What about Bob Moores traveling Scale Service???”
Something else to keep him from getting any sleep, Bob have you caught up yet on your ZZZZZ.
thanks
Larry

Here’s my take. If I was fortunate to land a beast like that, I would take plenty of pictures and she’d go right back in the water. I wouldn’t bother weighing if I new my scale wouldn’t handle it.

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If you have your personal scale certified with documentation, and the appropreate 2 witnesses. (dissinterested as the book put it. Not your dad and uncle)

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If this was feasible, I’d maybe do it. If I had the witnesses and the scale certified. Seems like too much work for my lazy butt. My main concern would be getting her back alive and watch her swim away.

For me, posting the pictures here and rubbing it in your faces would be enough! I don’t fish for other people or for validation. I fish for myself and the enjoyment of it.

I’d have my buddy get his old flatboat, leave it on the trailer, back it in like we were going to launch it, fill it with water, walla instant live well! Hey what are friends for?

It’s 1 am & I’ve just landed the State Record.

I am going to:

– Get awesome photos!
– Weight on 2 separate scales (spring & digital)
– Measurements
– Let it go!

I haven’t kept a flathead in my life, why should I make an exception for one fish?

I do agree with all of you on releasing a fish that size would be of utmost importance.
I do like Dtros idea, would probably put the least amount of stress on the fish, while bying the time to marshal the necessary resouces, to get an accurate wieght, if that was one of your primary objective. Otherwise Hanson has it covered good, 2 scales with measurements and pics.
thanks
Larry

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Personally I would doubt the butcher or bait shop as being state certified.

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A butcher shop better have a state certified scale. Every scale we had in the grocery store that would read out a price along with weight had to be certified so that we couldn’t have it show it as a pound of meat, but in reality was only 13 ounces. Its just like gas pumps have to be certified that when it says its pumped a gallon of gas, it has pumped exactly a gallon.

Now finding one that is open in the middle of the night…

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Now finding one that is open in the middle of the night…

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….that will let you place your 75 lbs flat on it…might be harder than catching the state record flat in the first place!

Couple years back, a guy down here caught a 80# cat, it ended up in the fountain pool in town to show it off, somebody snuk in in the middle of the night and released it back into the river, what a scandal in a small town!

Brian, I wonder how many people opened this thread expecting to read a story about someone who caught an 80# cat the night before! I know I did when I first saw it….but I am as gullible as they get.

Tell you what, I’d break out the fillet knife and shore lunch and have me a fish fry right there. Mmmm Mmmm!

Hi Larry, Well the last I saw of him he was resting comfortably with his head under the pillow

ALRIGHT!

A Moores Bait first post!

Now I can find out if there’s any bullheads in stock!

Welcome Meg and Bob!

Glad to see you’re watching
Just talked with the boss and he said they survived the night

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Tell you what, I’d break out the fillet knife and shore lunch and have me a fish fry right there. Mmmm Mmmm!

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Nice!

Save the brain for me, yummy!

I would get pictures galore and put her right back where she came from. I would love to have my name in the book. but getting the chance to fight it again or having the chance to get her when she is closer to 80 next season is worth more than my name in a book. Either way I would put her back.

In all reality, what difference does it make if you are in the record book or not.

Not to belittle the fish, cause they are awsome, but they do not garnish the same type of respect like a muskie, walleye, or bass record would. And other then a guy like Briank, who could use it as a marketing tool, the rest of us would only get the satisfaction of knowing you are in the book, wooeee, big deal.

Pics, Pics, Pics, and the best pic of the fish swimming away from the boat. The story is best anyways while sharing a few with friends.

Very good point Farmboy!

And it there’s photo’s and a couple witnesses to the weight…

…But don’t exclude me…in this scenerio…(although I bounce back and forth as to how I would handle it)…I preach Catch Photo and Release…then I keep a state record??

Would having a state title give me more business…than a BUNCH of photo’s and the weight witnessed???

I’m thinking that I have more of a reason to NOT kill it…than to claim a state record title…

I would however feel sorry for the rest of you guys that would have to constantly listen to the story being retold… and retold…

Fun to dream!

I think you almost get more business by releasing it. First of all, there’s always the chance it can be caught again. You also would have that aura that you catch so many big fish, that a record isn’t a big deal. Plus, you could get a lot of media attention even with photos and the fact that it was never weighed might even get you a little more mileage.

Now if you had it in a tank on display, you could get some marketing that way too, but I think you could play a photo and a story and parlet that into as much marketing too.

By the way, I just developed some photos of last Sunday and I can’t believe what I saw jumping out of the water to grab a bird behind Tony!



That might be the record right there!

Is that the notorious Golden Catfish on a feeding frenzy

that golden cat really thinks it is a “cat” It wont eat anything else but birds!!

Keep the fish. Keep it alive. They are hard to kill. I have a live box and I would find a way to put it somewhere where other folks could see it. That blue cat brought thousands of people to where ever it was in Texas. A fish that old has spread her genes around the river for years. I am sure you would get your picture in the paper and a membership in the Freshwater hall of fame. Ranger would probably make a special boat and name it after you and pay you a gazillion dollars.

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Ranger would probably make a special boat and name it after you

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Another good reason to give’r a kiss and let her go!

ill 2nd that one

I will also second that one!

Don’t Even tell me that you all are RANGER boat owners.
I think that Lund would be more apt to name a boat after the CATFISH and FISHERMAN

Larry-
Are you saying that Ranger owners are fisherman?
I thought they just bought them to stroke their ego?