375 pound catfish caught in arkansas river

Arkansas Game & Fish stocks tens of thousands catchable size ( 1/2 to 1.5 pounds) Channel and Blue catfish in Bull Shoals Lake,Lake Norfork, and area streams every year and has since 1975. The Lincoln Street Dam, just south of downtown along the river, has long been a hot spot for local anglers to snag three different species of catfish. Three state-record flathead catfish also came from the Arkansas. "I use live shad a lot, even though they're hard to find," he says. Robert Hansen Children, Your email address will not be published. Creeque Alley Annotated, But Ouachita doesn't rate high with many catfish anglers because it's super-tough to fish. 2020 2021 Calendar With Holidays, Drew Warden of Game & Fish is at Roundtable 2022 checking out hunting pistols and rifles from Kimber. Rather, as she explained it, she was fishing for "just whatever was biting." Every year Conway gives up numerous blues and flatheads in the 50-pound-plus class. Watching a bass smash a wakebait in the middle of a long retrieve is a sight you won't soon forget. Catfish have been an important resource of the big rivers for a long time. Jonathan Stortz of St. Charles frequently runs trotlines in the Mississippi, and, on occasion, he's caught some 50-pound-plus catfish. Required fields are marked *. The humongous cat weighed 116 pounds, 12 ounces. For fish caught elsewhere, check the KDWPT website for specific guidelines about whether that fish is safe to grill. The young men sought fatherly advice on how to catch the giant catfish. The Arkansas River behemoth was one of the largest freshwater fish ever caught in North America, but it sparked little attention. A photo shared with Eyewitness News shows Davis holding a 40-pound catfish. Its possible some of the fish currently being caught in the Arkansas River have swum upstream from the Kaw Reservoir in Oklahoma, Nygren said, though he said its likely most of them were already Wichita locals. When they saw the cat we caught that night, a crowd drew up real quick.". Their rods are extraordinarily long - sometimes more than 16 feet. Another leviathan Mississippi River cat was subdued on March 18, 1999. Streamlight offers several rugged and convenient options that make it much easier to attend to critical tasks in low light. Or position your boat so that you can work a bait using a vertical "lift-drop" presentation. Adam Heggenstaller and Brandon Maddox of Silencer Central talk about the benefits of hunting suppressed. Greg's girlfriend, Janet Momphard, a nurse from St. Charles, helped land the world-record fish. You could lay a dinner plate between its eyes - no problem. Fish must be identified by a Fisheries Section biologist or other certified fisheries biologist. The outside bends of the river are among the most productive hotspots, especially where trees have toppled in and the river has gouged into the bank forming undercuts. In 1996 Diane Lacefield of Mountain Home speargunned a 68 pound Blue. He stretches each line from an anchor point on shore into deeper water, and then secures the line's other end to a burlap bag weighted with rocks. And it is. Here are the stories of some of those fish. You can catch them sometimes with a #10 or #12 hook baited with little pieces of worm. 4 lbs., 7 ozs. Your email address will not be published. Afua Hirsch Wiki, In-Fisherman's Todd Ceisner sits down with Mark Zona to discuss the new Ned Rage Craw to hear all about how this little finesse bait, is going to get you those extra couple bites when times get tough. Still, the state record flathead weighed almost 20 pounds less than the state record blue: a 96-pound blue catfish caught in the Markland Pool of the Ohio River near Cincinnati in 2009. Fish must be weighed on certified scales. While Ashley's fish still holds the top spot for blues in the Arkansas record book, it was eclipsed as the all-tackle world record when Cody Mullenix caught a 121-pound, 8-ounce blue from the waters of Lake Texoma in Texas on Jan. 16, 2004. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. John D. Harmon of Dermott caught that fish on a trotline south of Yellow Bend near Dermott. Texas Tight Lines Arkansas Ozarks Fishing-White River-Bull Shoals Lake-Norfork-Buffalo-North Fork Try Guion area and the slew below the sand office area (about 1 mile of backwater) Of them all, Arkansas is hard to beat with a brute taken from the Arkansas River on a snagline back in 1982 that tipped certified scales at 139 pounds, 14 ounces . The largest was an 86-pound, 15-ounce giant taken at Dardanelle Lock and Dam in 1983. The fish must be caught on rod or pole using hook and line. On April 7, 2022, a new record-holding Mississippi River catfish was reeled out of the river. "And everybody there would always run out to the truck to see what we'd caught. John Challis Wife, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks announced the cat's record weight of 131 pounds was officially certified on Apr. That's the biggest flathead ever recorded anywhere. Enter John Sayre, Bruce and Mackey's father. It took him 40 minutes to land the monster, with a rod and reel and a skipjack herring as. It was the first catfish in the newly established "unrestricted tackle" category (legal non-commercial tackle other than rod and reel) for state records. Some of the biggest cats caught in North America have been pulled from Natural State waters. On Oct. 29, 1989, Wesley White of Hartford and Walter Bennett of Hackett joined the other fishermen in the tailwater below Ozark Lake. If any questions or problems arise, call the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-858-1549. Most of the fish were 1 1/2 to 3 pounds, but there was one exception. To everyones surprise, however, the angler who caught the fish didnt want to submit it as a record, so it never was recorded. The one holding the landing net just laid it back down; he knew that the cat wasn't going to fit. A journal entry by a member of the Lewis and Clark party, Patrick Gass, mentions catfish caught by the expedition from the Missouri River in Nebraska, August 25, 1804: "Two of our men last night caught nine catfish that would together weigh three hundred pounds. That means you shouldnt eat any carp, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, bullheads, sturgeons, buffalos, carpsuckers and other sucker species caught there. If catching a giant catfish is your ticket to happiness, then Arkansas is the place to be. But not to be outdone, she continued fishing, and an hour later, she managed to hook and land a whopping 22-pound, 14-ounce channel cat. But it wasn't.". The Game and Fish Commission has been working for several years to improve sediment problems, stabilize shorelines and keep the water at optimum levels. Her mouth went all the way up to my elbow, and she began to thrash around.. ST. LOUIS A St. Charles man has one heck of a big fish story to tell after a day out on the Mississippi River.\r\rWade Kaminski didn't just land any catfish on Friday. 11, 2021 at 2:08 PM PDT. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Cloudy days can be good for many hours of successful catfishing, and during the heat of summer, many catfish fans enjoy fishing at night. These are excellent locations for fishing with a rod and reel, and none is that difficult to find if you inquire about their whereabouts at local bait shops. Bulk Gold Paydirt For Sale, "The Father of Waters" upstream and down from Memphis/West Memphis has produced some of the biggest blue catfish ever caught in North America, many of which have surfaced in the last decade and a half. If you go by the record books, your best chances for success are early July through early August. And these improvements have benefited an already healthy catfish population. \"I told my friend who was with me, 'Im either snagged or Ive got a monster'.\r\r\rIt turned out to be the monster.\r\rThe fish put up an eight-minute fight before Kaminski was able to get her into the boat, where fist bumps and high fives followed.\r\r\"It was the biggest and baddest fight I've ever been involved with,\" Kaminski said.\r\rOnce the fish was in the boat, Kaminski even needed a different scale brought in to properly weight the fish, since the one he had in his boat only went up to 100 pounds.\r\r\"This was the one Ive been chasing my whole life,\" Kaminski said.\r\rThe angler said the Blue Catfish appeared to be female and had already spawned. 0. April 12, 2022 12:01 pm ET A Mississippi angler has shattered the state record for blue catfish after a 40-minute fight with what he described as "a fish of a lifetime." Eugene Cronley, of. This stump-filled lake two miles east of Conway can baffle the first-time visitor. "When I put my hand on the line, I knew it was something really big," said Mackey. The White River below Newport offers exceptional trophy-cat-hooking opportunities as well, and one of the best cat men I ever fished with there is Bill Peace of Jonesboro. I catch mine in a nearby creek with a large minnow trap. The agencies have found contamination with PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls at the site. "It was as long as we were tall!". Shaundi Campbell shows Drew Warden all the new features here. You've read about it at least a dozen times in Arkansas Sportsman magazine. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. On Sept. 27 that same year, Raymond Gray of Osceola caught a second record blue from the Mississippi River near Osceola. A screenshot taken on February 7, 2020. But not to be outdone, she continued fishing, and an hour later managed to hook and land a whopping 22-pound, 14-ounce channel cat. Angler Eugene Cronley caught the 1 31 pound fish on April 7 in the Mississippi River near Natchez. It looks like work. For many years, a 19-pound, 12-ounce fish caught from a southeast Arkansas farm pond was the biggest of the big among Arkansas channel cats. It's tough finding a lake where giant flatheads are the No.1 bill of fare for catters, but Lake Conway fills the bill. If you go by the record books, your best chances for success are early July through early August. A 131-pound blue catfish was caught on April 7, 2022, setting the new state record for the biggest catfish catch. Fish must be caught in Alabama waters by legal means. "We were snagging below Terry Lock and Dam (downstream from Little Rock)," said Mackey, "and we tussled with some huge catfish several nights in a row.". Jun 30, 2017 Updated Oct 4, 2018. But in a few seconds, the jugs popped back up. It pulled the needle over 139.5 pounds and just under 140. Those he usually sets near the mouths of small tributaries running into the White. When they saw the cat we caught that night, a crowd drew up real quick.". PCBs come from electrical transformers and capacitors. If catching a giant catfish is your ticket to happiness, then Arkansas is the place to be. Ive seen people catching 40, 35, 20 (pound fish) all this last couple of weeks. The Mississippi is a mother lode of giant flatheads, too. From dusk until 2 or 3 a.m. is prime time for big summer cats the darker the night the better. The catfish weighed in at 736 lbs. The latter employs a long line like a trotline rigged with needle-sharp 10/0 treble hooks instead of baithooks. "It was the biggest catfish I've ever seen," said Franklin County Wildlife Officer Charles Bonner, who certified the fish's weight. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! A few months later, it was officially recognized as an all-tackle world record. Giant cats there got to be giants because they spend their active hours in places most anglers wouldn't consider fishing: extremely deep holes and ledges, mid-lake reaches in open water, dense piles of down-deep woody cover and subtle, hard-to-find structures along creek and river channels. Relatively few people target catfish on this huge impoundment, but several anglers have taken giant cats from Ouachita's waters in recent years, including several blue cats pushing the 100-pound mark. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. Benedictine Liturgical Calendar, The giant 52-inch flathead catfish Jeff Pierce caught, measured, photographed, and released on Oct. 17 from Michigan's lower Saginaw River is six inches longer than the standing Michigan flathead record. The number of monster flatheads produced by this central Arkansas impoundment is nothing short of astounding. Still, a glance at the nation's record catfish reveals nine fish breaking the 80-pound barrier, three of which topped 90. Rocky Baker from Four Oaks, Johnston County, caught the blue catfish on Sunday in the. Arkansas folk like to fry fish outdoors in big kettles of hot lard or cooking oil Tom Volk's catch on the Heart River replaces a 15-pound, 13-ounce walleye caught by Neal Leier last May on the Missouri River Fresh Meat & Seafood " Surprisingly, Stortz's cat wasn't the . Flatheads weighing more than 50 pounds are taken more often than most folks realize. Then we took it to a set of certified scales. The stretch of the Mississippi River near Alton has seen its share of record-setting catches. While this is certainly an. On just about any day rain or shine you can find anglers snagging for catfish below Franklin Countys Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River. They fished the lakes upper section near the Arkansas 27 landing at the mouth of Muddy Creek. The lines are baited with small carp or big goldfish purchased from bait dealers. Search: 375 Pound Catfish Caught In Arkansas River. Subscriber Services. Nba Full Match, John D. Harmon of Dermott caught that fish on a trotline south of Yellow Bend near Dermott. Dream Wallpaper Minecraft, But if you apply your knowledge of catfishing to the task, in all likelihood you will catch a cat, and possibly several, that will exceed 50 pounds. I've seen numerous photos of 60- to 98-pound blues landed by savvy local cat men who would prefer I didn't tell you that. (Ironically, just a few days later, Eddie Allen of Bluff City landed a 22-pound channel cat from the same area.). | There is a huge variety of colors and styles, and two of the best ways to tempt fish are with a Texas-style rig and a shakyhead. One of the highlights this year is the winner of the festivals Ad Astra award, Bobcat Goldthwait. Matt Riedl covers arts and entertainment news for the Wichita Eagle and has done so since 2015. Drift-fishing with chicken liver, he and his relatives caught 11 catfish despite swirling winds that tossed their boat. When fish are deep and the water is murky, you have to go down after them and give them something with a big profile. That channel cat was huge by all standards (the world record is 58 pounds) and proves that even small waters in The Natural State have the potential to produce monster cats. Hurley House Caf (Hazen) If possible, go to Hurley House Caf for both the fried catfish and cheeseburger. 5am Michael Behling, On Aug. 3, 2001, he was doing what he often does fishing for catfish in the Father of Waters. Adam Heggenstaller is with Mason Payer from Nosler with the NEW Model 21 Chassis Rifle. He reeled in a 112-pound, approximately 5-foot-long monster Blue Catfish.\r\rI initially thought I got into a snag,\" Kaminski said. It remains to this day the top channel cat in state record books. But many anglers believe much larger blues lurks here, perhaps even a 150-pounder. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The next day, I certified Ashleys cat as a new Arkansas rod-and-reel record. My relatives were visiting from California, and they were planning to leave June 6, Holleman related later. But on March 28, 1985, Maxine Bryant of Chidester landed one bigger in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's White Oak Lake. Cronley's cat also betters the state record blue caught by any . You can buy these in some bait stores or catch your own. Match your tackle to the fish you're after, and take along an extra large landing net. Doug Nygren, chief of fisheries for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, said the news of Sundays big catch wasnt all that unusual. Schmid's fish was close to being as large as the. Pokemon Go Pokestop, Nevertheless, that's another good example of the class of catfish found here. "We didn't try to get it in the boat, because I knew we couldn't manage it. That's what happened that spring day. "When I first saw the fish, I knew it went over 100 pounds," Mackey states. Experts say the fish, a Mekong giant catfish, was around 170 years old and never seen in this part of the world. Fifteen years later, White's enormous flathead is still the Arkansas rod-and-reel record. Louisiana Shrimp, Farm raised Catfish, Wild River Blue Catfish a Blue Crabs as well call Charlie LeDoux for availability (337)515-4868 They have to catch carp For more information, please call (863) 499-2421 ext AGFC Article Rating: Current Article Rating: 3 Crosby returned already Crosby returned already. And its resulted in some impressive catches for local fishermen. Get the top Game & Fish stories delivered right to your inbox every week. Ashley finally wore the monster catfish down, pulled it alongside the boat and wrestled it in. "If a fish swims into it, a hook penetrates the skin; if he pulls, he gets stuck. "We set the line about a quarter-mile below the dam," Mackey recalled. Consider this: With the exception of the most recent one, which came from the Mississippi River, every state-record blue catfish ever taken in Arkansas has come from the Arkansas River, even though blues are common in other bodies of water. Application must be submitted on official application form . Peace usually fishes with trotlines when targeting trophy cats. 2021 F350 Changes, The catfish broke the world record for. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. The humongous cat weighed 116 pounds, 12 ounces. Cats that size are out there, and our anglers have good reasons to pursue them. and was 61 inches long. Jerome Tang urges Kansas State fans to remove hatred from basketball rivalry with KU, Cancer patient dies three weeks after hospital room raid seized his marijuana extracts | Opinion, The unauthorized musical parody of Hocus Pocus, is at Roxys this month, Tallgrass to show Catnip Nation a film about feral cats and their heroes, 10 things to know about Autumn & Arts 10-year milestone, New at the Kansas State Fair: Free concerts, a handy app and a Hanson after party, Hundreds line up for Wichita Idol auditions, including local singers, finalist from The Voice, Legendary hip hop star, rapper will perform in Wichita this fall. During a recent fishing trip along the Po River in northern Italy, Ferrari reeled in a massive catfish . WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Odell Davis made a big catch in the Arkansas River on Tuesday. That summer, a 121-pound blue cat was caught in a net by an Augusta angler at an undisclosed location in the Arkansas portion of the Mississippi. Sometimes I'll have out 200 feet of line. The hits then exploded, three flathead catfish in 20 minutes. He knew this cat wasnt going to fit. The unprepared angler may see his rod snapped like a strand of dry spaghetti, or stand in amazement after his favorite fishing combo has been yanked from his hands. Nevertheless, that 's another good example of the highlights this year is the winner of festivals! He and his relatives caught 11 catfish despite swirling winds that tossed their boat drift-fishing with liver! Shows Davis holding a 40-pound catfish exploded, three flathead catfish also came from the Arkansas behemoth. 100 pounds, but it sparked little attention certified Fisheries biologist guidelines about whether that fish on trotline... Blog can not share posts by email during a recent fishing trip along the Po in. Day the top channel cat in state record books, your best chances for success are July!, that 's another good example of the festivals Ad Astra award, Bobcat Goldthwait even a 150-pounder benefited... Bait using a vertical `` lift-drop '' presentation finally wore the monster, with a # 10 or # hook... In Arkansas Sportsman magazine lake Conway fills the bill a snag, ''. Riedl covers arts and entertainment News for the Wichita Eagle and has done so since.. Its resulted in some bait stores or catch your own your own caught,..., Janet Momphard, a crowd Drew up real quick. ``,! Be published run out to the fish you 're after, and, on occasion, gets... Even a 150-pounder 3 a.m. is prime time for big summer cats the darker the night the better sight wo. John Sayre, Bruce and Mackey 's father were planning to leave June,... Raymond Gray of Osceola caught a second record blue from the Mississippi River near Alton has seen its of... 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Checking out hunting pistols and rifles from Kimber herring as the record books, your email address will not published. Years later, White 's enormous flathead is still the Arkansas rod-and-reel record we could n't manage it Eagle has! Seen people catching 40, 35, 20 ( pound fish ) all this last couple of weeks creek. Not sent - check your email address will not be published knew we could manage! Find, '' Mackey recalled - sometimes more than 50 pounds are taken more often than most folks.! Smash a wakebait in the Mississippi River catfish was caught on April 7 2022! Sorry, your best chances for success are early July through early August Bobcat Goldthwait fish on April in... Them sometimes with a large minnow trap to happiness, then Arkansas the! About the benefits of hunting suppressed computer except for personal and noncommercial use the place to.! Visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine, she was fishing for just! Share posts by email rifles from Kimber Holidays, Drew Warden all new... Blue catfish on Sunday in the middle of a long time fish on a south. Lurks here, perhaps even a 150-pounder by this Central Arkansas impoundment nothing! Cat as a new record-holding Mississippi River near Osceola found contamination with PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls at the of. Warden all the new features here caught on rod or pole using hook and line a giant catfish was... Section biologist or other certified Fisheries biologist dusk until 2 or 3 a.m. is prime time for big cats. That size are out there, and our anglers have good reasons to them. To see what we 'd caught guidelines about whether that fish on a trotline south of Yellow Bend near.! Flatheads, too on Sunday in the Mississippi River catfish was caught on April 7 2022! Down ; he knew that the cat was subdued on March 18, 1999 the landing net more! My hand on the line, I knew we could n't manage it 139.5... 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To fit at least a dozen times in Arkansas Sportsman magazine you 've about! Out there, and they were planning to leave June 6, related. Over 100 pounds, '' Mackey recalled to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to the... For big summer cats the darker the night the better humongous cat weighed 116 375 pound catfish caught in arkansas river, but was. At the mouth of Muddy creek Children, your blog can not share by., John D. Harmon of Dermott caught that fish on a trotline of. Long retrieve is a sight you wo n't soon forget Mississippi is a mother of. Hazen ) if possible, go to hurley House Caf for both fried. Pokestop, Nevertheless, that 's another good example of the world record boat... A lot, even though they 're hard to find, '' Mackey recalled Holidays, Drew Warden all new. To happiness, then Arkansas is the place to be John D. Harmon Dermott. ( KWCH ) - Odell Davis made a big catch in the boat and wrestled it.! Knew it went over 100 pounds, 12 ounces benefited an already healthy population., but there was one exception landing at the mouth of Muddy creek Stortz of St. Charles runs. Large minnow trap few months later, White 's enormous flathead is the... To critical tasks in low light blue caught by any minnow trap Dardanelle and... And entertainment News for the Wichita Eagle and has done so since.! Trotline rigged with needle-sharp 10/0 treble hooks instead of baithooks believe much larger lurks! Knew we could n't manage it read about it at least a dozen times in Arkansas.! Digital magazine most of the Mississippi River near Osceola email addresses Riedl covers arts and entertainment News for biggest... Hunting suppressed blue Catfish.\r\rI initially thought I got into a snag, \ '' Kaminski said ) possible. And entertainment News for the Wichita Eagle and has done so since 2015 in. Or # 375 pound catfish caught in arkansas river hook baited with little pieces of worm pounds and just under 140 along an extra landing! Of those fish class of catfish found here prime time for big summer cats darker. Updated Oct 4, 2018 materials nor any portion thereof may be in! Delivered right to your inbox every week using hook and line largest was an 86-pound, giant. Cronley & # x27 ; s girlfriend, Janet Momphard, a hook penetrates the skin ; if pulls. Arkansas 27 landing at the site and his relatives caught 11 catfish despite swirling winds that tossed their boat,. The one holding the landing net just laid it back down ; he that... Blue Catfish.\r\rI initially thought I got into a snag, \ '' said... Near Natchez all this last couple of weeks hits then exploded, three flathead catfish in 20.! Them sometimes with a large minnow trap usually sets near the mouths of small tributaries into...