I would have to see this from a different angle as it looks as if the photo was manipulated to make the fish look much bigger than it is. I’ve learned lots of tricks to fool the camera.
I’ve seen a few fish brought out of Tenkiller lake in Oklahoma that were about the same weight and no where near that apparent size. It took three men to hold one up years ago and it was not near as tall as the men holding it.
A real fish of this reported size(280 lb) would not even fill a 55 gallon drum.
Photoshopped or clever camera angle.
A 280 pound fish is going to be about the size of a 280 pound man, although it is claimed to be eight feet long.
But, I hear tell of Cats the size of volkswagons at Tenkiller and scuba divers have seen monsters that size near the damn at Keystone. Though one wonders what you can see in all the muddy water and also not get sucked into the works of the damn of itself....
Had a friend noodle a 60 pounder and he thought he was gonna die but, for having a rope around his waist and we pulled him and the fish to shore.
I’ll say one thing, he was a tough, good ol boy and his arm looked horrible.
Couldn’t have been happier though and bragged how he didn’t let go.
I told him the fish didn’t let go but, his ego wasn’t having none of that...
I've never known a catfish to take an artificial lure. Chicken guts, livers, stink bait, you bet. But a spinning lure...???
That's my thought too....You got to figure that guy is around 200 lbs. himself and that fish is easily 4 or 5 times bigger.......
Lake of the Ozarks cats bigger than this one live just below the dam.