Possible State Catfish Record ???

  • wiswalleye49
    East Troy, WI
    Posts: 8
    November 10, 2012 at 4:37 am #1222851

    Caught on Pool 4 11/3/12 pm while jigging for walleye’s, St Croix Rage rod – 10 lb test – chartreuse twister jig ( no live bait) Fish was released, We estimate the weight to be in the range of 60-70lbs. No length measurement was taken as after a 25 min fight, the stress of 2 person hand landing into a boat. After the shock of the size of the fish our focus was a few quick pictures and return to river, later while driving home we discovered this fish could have been a MN state record. We will kick ourselves for our lifetime never knowing if this was 70 lbs or larger …. .



    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    November 10, 2012 at 5:02 am #1111108

    I’m thinking you three won’t be forgetting that one for a while huh?

    So how far over does a St Croix bend with a fish on like that!?

    johnnyg105
    Hugo, MN
    Posts: 221
    November 10, 2012 at 11:30 am #1111123

    Thats a gigantic catfish, nice job.

    Just eyeballing pic 3 you could try to estimate how long it is. If the guy is 6′ tall thats 72″ so of course the cat is not quite 70″. Not knowing how tall he is though makes it just a guess.

    aanderud
    Posts: 221
    November 10, 2012 at 11:45 pm #1111252

    Big fish, especially on light tackle. I think that fish is probably somewhere around 60 lbs. I would think a quick length measurement wouldn’t be too stressful, iffin you ever get the chance again. At least not any more so than the handling it appears to have had during the photo shoot. THese fish are pretty hardy, they can handle a length measurement. In fact, some of the recent state record blues have been brought back to the boat landing, measured on official scales, and then released (not in MN, but in other states like South Dakota, Nebraska, etc).

    And as for the 70 inch estimate…not even close. A 70 inch flathead would weigh upwards of 200 lbs, I’d guess. I haven’t done much analysis but I do know that the kansas state record blue cat (not TOO far off dimension-wise from a flathead) was just over 56 inches and it was 102 lbs and change.

    Whiskerkev
    Madison
    Posts: 3835
    November 11, 2012 at 7:33 pm #1111369

    Nice fish. I’d put at right around 50.

    flatheadwi
    La Crosse, WI
    Posts: 578
    November 15, 2012 at 6:06 am #1112247

    Quote:

    No way in hell that is even close to 70 pounds. You silly walleye guys.

    +1 It’s in the 40s. It’s also not happy to be held by the gills.

    RedRiverDeuce
    Moorhead
    Posts: 1
    December 13, 2012 at 9:22 pm #1120192

    Quote:

    Quote:

    No way in hell that is even close to 70 pounds. You silly walleye guys.

    +1 It’s in the 40s. It’s also not happy to be held by the gills.

    Amen, nice fish though!

    mike_leclaire
    Grand Rapids, MN
    Posts: 412
    December 14, 2012 at 12:56 am #1120275

    Nice Fish…Must have been a great fight and 10lb test….

    mossydan
    Cedar Rapids, Iowa
    Posts: 7727
    December 14, 2012 at 1:18 am #1120277

    Im also upper 30’s to low 40’s, nice fish too!

    nick-nutter
    Posts: 64
    December 16, 2012 at 5:28 pm #1120917

    Gill hold fail. Don’t be afraid of those big ol’ mouths!

    Nice fish though … I’d say in the 40’s. next time snag a length and girth!

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