Man Hooks World Record 124-Pound Catfish (catfish on display in Cabela's fish tank)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 5/24/05 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

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."

___

On the Net:

Illinois Department of Natural Resources: http://dnr.state.il.us

International Game Fish Association: www.igfa.org/

[NormsRevenge]

In a photo from Tim Pruitt and provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Tim Pruitt, of Alton, Ill., holds a 124-pound blue catfish early Sunday morning, May 22, 2005, that he hooked late Saturday on the Mississippi River near Alton. The fish is 58 inches long and 44 inches around. It took Pruitt more than a half-hour to drag the fish into his boat. It is the largest of its kind in state history, and is expected to be certified a world record by the International Game Fish Association. 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. (AP Photo/Handout photo provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources)

[JellyJam]

Wow, looks as big as that Gen. Sherman that Homer Simpson caught.

[ahayes]

What sixth-graders is this guy thinking of? I'm out of high school and college and this fish outweighs me by a pound or two!

[JewishRighter]

Hot dang that sucker is big!!!

[Wneighbor]

Now that is just way cool!!!

[xcamel]

Holy Catfish, Batman!!

[NormsRevenge]

catfish threads at FR

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?s=catfish&ok=Search&q=deep&m=any&o=score&SX=4293d71ab5fb599c313ee71ff8638e74d5562b62

:-}

[Armigerous]

mmmmmmmmmm I'll bring the hush puppies

[tet68]

Man, just imagine grabbling one that big!

Grabbling is where you reach under boat ramps until
you feel a catfish, then when he opens his mouth you
grab hold of his lower lip.

The next few minutes can be very exciting!

Have seen some big cats caught like that.

[since1868]

Booked for later.

[bannie]

I know the guy's happy; but that's one ugly fish.

[Wneighbor]

Thanks.

Nothing like a peaceful day out fishin'. Just incredible to come up with a fish that big.

[Oberon]

Dang...time to run over to Home Depot and buy that turkey fryer I've been meaning to buy...along with five--no, ten!--gallons of peanut oil, and a 25-pound sack of batter mix.

Oh, and did I mention the 'taters? Wonder how many plates of fish 'n' fries 'n' hush puppies that bad boy would make...

[SLB]

Man, just imagine grabbling one that big!

We call that noodling.

I saw this guy on Fox this evening. Sure is one big catfish.

[Liberty Valance]

I like FR threads with BIG FISH pictures...
http://ethi-usmappingmission.com/75206/46907.html?cc=0.7681420093641444&mode=image&img=2#gallery


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[patton]

Yes, but did he catch it with 10-lb test?

Or a tow truck? LOL.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Dang...he's been eatin' good.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

So, who can make the connection between "the dreaded white faced wasp" and another, perhaps the previous, record catfish at 105 lbm IIRC? Hint: It hangs at the entrance to the Dock Restaurant on the Tailrace Canal in Monks Corner, SC.

Is George doing alright?

[SLB]

Dang...he's been eatin' good.

Maybe had a fourth grader for lunch?

[Osage Orange]

Grabbling is where you reach under boat ramps until you feel a catfish, then when he opens his mouth you grab hold of his lower lip.

Har n sophphisticated okie land...we's say dat's noodling. Tain't no grabbling....