[Dble Haul]

Not caught on a fly, but a great story of interest nevertheless....
-------------------

Man Hooks World Record 124-Pound Catfish

ALTON, Ill. - It sounds like the sort of tale Mark Twain might have cooked up: A man fishing in the Mississippi River hauls in a blue catfish roughly the size of a sixth-grader. But this is no fish story. Early Sunday, Tim Pruitt caught a 124-pound blue catfish.

To get a sense of just how big that is, the state record holder was a mere 85 pounds and the world record holder tipped the scales at 121 pounds, 8 ounces.

Now, Pruitt, whose fish has already been weighed in the presence of a conservation police officer and measured by a biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is expected to submit documentation to the International Game Fish Association so that it can be certified a world record holder.

Once that is done, the catch should be approved as the world's largest blue catfish, replacing the current champion that was caught Jan. 16, 2004, in Lake Texoma, Texas, said Becky Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the association.

Pruitt's fish, measuring 58 inches long and 44 inches around, was swimming below the Melvin Price Lock and Dam on the Mississippi River at Alton on Saturday night when it grabbed Pruitt's line. The two struggled for more than half an hour, and at one point the fish dragged the boat carrying Pruitt, his wife and a friend before Pruitt could reel it in.

The fish has been kept alive and will be on display in a tank at the Cabela's Outfitter store in Kansas City, Kan., according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Pruitt, 33, of Godfrey, told the (Peoria) Journal Star's outdoors columnist that he considered releasing the fish in the river but decided to donate it to Cabela's "because I thought it might be neat to give people a chance to see a fish that massive."

[steeldrifter]

I heard about that yesterday and have been tryin to find a pic of it since then I want to see that sucker

[DFix]

"The fish has been kept alive and will be on display in a tank at the Cabela's Outfitter store in Kansas City, Kan., according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources."

Pruitt, 33, of Godfrey, told the (Peoria) Journal Star's outdoors columnist that he considered releasing the fish in the river but decided to donate it to Cabela's "because I thought it might be neat to give people a chance to see a fish that massive."

( In case this needs explanation.) The fish could have been taped, weighed, verified for records purposes and let go to grow bigger instead of becoming an aquarium guppie . IMO. YMMV

[SmallieHunter]

Alright this story is starting to get a little rediculous...check out this link: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=..._id=25271&rfi=6

[Dble Haul]

Dave, no translation needed. I thought the very same thing. Now it will be part of an aquatic freakshow, right next to the bearded steelhead and the two-headed bass.

That catfish hasn't missed many meals, has it?

[steeldrifter]

WOW, what a monster!


the first article I read about it yeaterday said it was on "temp loan" to cabelas for 2 weeks then it would be released. Dosent say anything about that now, not that keeping it in a tank for 2 weeks is any better though

[Dble Haul]

[steeldrifter]

I think it could be true as well, I've fought salmon that took me a good 100yrds or more downstream, and that was while wading and the fish only weighed around 25-30lb

[SmallieHunter]

I have caught countless catfish over the years, in fact there was several years that was all we did was fish for them out of boats on the Ohio River. They have never struck me as the kind of fish that would go on a big long run, they are more apt to go deep and try to stay there. If it only took him 30 minutes to get it in that fish would have to been moving at quite the steady pace to make it that far.

[fish]

man my first thought is that sixth graders are getting mighty big these days. We need to do something about child nutrition.

[SK Justin]

I've read that it happens to guys sometimes where they hook into a huge one that just runs, and won't stop so they are forced to chase it down river or be stripped of line.

[duckydoty]

I live real close to there and fish there quite often. seen many 60-80 pounders pulled out. The river is very stong there and moves very fast. In a 40 minute fight I could see them being dragged quite a few miles down stream with the current. I can also imagine there are bigger ones down there, just impossable to pull them out. I have had 100lb test broke many times after some monster hits and freight train runs
Duckydoty

[Jayhawk Jeff]

I've gotta get over to Cabela's and check this beast out. It's only a 30 min. drive

[duckydoty]

A local forum in Missouri is reporting the big cat died in transport to Cabellas
Duckydoty

[Dble Haul]