# Possible New Record Catfish



## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

My buddy Zack just landed what might be the new NC state record blue catfish. The current record is 80 something pounds. Zacks fish weighs in at 92-94lbs. They are waiting on the certified scales now.

He wants the fish weighed and released safely . Ill post you guys on the updates


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

COOL!!!

Jim


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## MaxxT (May 9, 2015)

Good grief, that thing is HUGE!


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

WOW! Now thats a Big'un!
Gravid female?


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

What a pig!!!! DANG lucky buddy!!!


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Catfish are strong survivors. As long as he is in water, he should swim away and continue his journey.


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Reminds me of my ex-wife....


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Zakk is quite the fisherman...he consistently hauls in trophy fish.


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

hjorgan said:


> Reminds me of my ex-wife....


Your ex-wife is a fat assed big eyed whiskered cat?


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

*Well... yes!*



Chapman5011 said:


> Your ex-wife is a fat assed big eyed whiskered cat?


Seems like it anyway.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

The latest word is Zakk Royce got his blue catfish on certified scales and it was weighed and witnessed at 91 pounds!

That is two pounds heavier than the current North Carolina state record!

Best of all, the fish is still alive and about to be released


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Dang. Looks like she needs a laxative.

What body of water was he fishing?


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

would have been a goodun next year


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

FYI- Zakk just beat his own record. 

He just landed a 105lb blue and is seeking to get it weighed on official scales to get it certified. 

Talk about a story of a lifetime!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

skiff89_jr said:


> FYI- Zakk just beat his own record.
> 
> He just landed a 105lb blue and is seeking to get it weighed on official scales to get it certified.
> 
> ...


The new record is 105. Thats two state records in 24 hours. Both fish released alive and healthy. Thats how catfishing is done. Monster cats on Rod n reels


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Wish we had a fishery like that.

Beautiful Fishes.


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

You may have a fishery like that. Very few people fish with bait big enough to attract those monsters. A 90 lb cat will eat a 5 lb bait. I fish the Alabama river and am amazed at what swims in those waters.


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## 2RC's II (Feb 2, 2012)

OMG! Which is what my DILaw would say. Catfished most of my early years. That right there is a beast.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

hjorgan said:


> You may have a fishery like that. Very few people fish with bait big enough to attract those monsters. A 90 lb cat will eat a 5 lb bait. I fish the Alabama river and am amazed at what swims in those waters.



Trust me, Not many 100lbers swimming in the Tensaw/Mobile River. The best I've found with RodNreel was 51lbs.

But their may be a couple.


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

It's all about where your fishing and how much your doing it. North Alabama damn fishing you have a chance at this and bigger, down this way not much of a chance. There are some, but few and far between. I would know I've fishing the Alabama River harder through the years than most, and covered it from Prattville down to the delta.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

This kid runs a guide service and is on the water several times a week. He puts the time in for sure. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

jlw1972 said:


> Trust me, Not many 100lbers swimming in the Tensaw/Mobile River. The best I've found with RodNreel was 51lbs.
> 
> But their may be a couple.


I dont know about now but I know through the 60s up until the early 90s my Grand dad and great grand dad caught not just a few but dozens of Blues over 100lbs from the Mobile/Delta area. With untold amounts of 70-90lb blues and flatheads. His largest was 118lbs caught just at the Dixi Landing restaurant.

Commercial catfishing hit that area hard over the years, hard enough it put my grand dads into retirement. He will admit it to your face there arent as many big cats as there used to be because of their nets and lines.

The good news is with Alabamas new aggressive catfish laws to protect the big fish they are making a come back, big time. 

You wont catch these monsters on typical methods, these guys are using techniques that have been developed over the last 10 years by the growing professional catfish communities.

Early this year we decided to finish our flathead year out and focus primary on targeting MONSTER blues in 2016. We got some tricks:thumbsup:


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

CatHunter said:


> I dont know about now but I know through the 60s up until the early 90s my Grand dad and great grand dad caught not just a few but dozens of Blues over 100lbs from the Mobile/Delta area. With untold amounts of 70-90lb blues and flatheads. His largest was 118lbs caught just at the Dixi Landing restaurant.
> 
> Commercial catfishing hit that area hard over the years, hard enough it put my grand dads into retirement. He will admit it to your face there arent as many big cats as there used to be because of their nets and lines.
> 
> ...


If you put 600 hooks out a night you'll still catch one here and there. I've been after them since the late 70s myself. The main reason you don't see many 100lb blues caught isn't because of a decline it's because not many people run lines anymore and when they do they target yellow cats. If you think alabama law on the big cats is changing anything your fooling yourself. People will still throw a big blue back, but will keep all them yellows.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

CatCrusher said:


> If you put 600 hooks out a night you'll still catch one here and there. I've been after them since the late 70s myself. The main reason you don't see many 100lb blues caught isn't because of a decline it's because not many people run lines anymore and when they do they target yellow cats. If you think alabama law on the big cats is changing anything your fooling yourself. People will still throw a big blue back, but will keep all them yellows.


No doubt the weekend warriors will. But the guys bringing in the tonnage for the markets will be turning theirs backs. 

Its a win win for all. Most people are coming around to releasing their big cats on their own and eating the small ones.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

I think all the triple digit fish are just scared of me!


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## CatCrusher (Jan 18, 2009)

CatHunter said:


> No doubt the weekend warriors will. But the guys bringing in the tonnage for the markets will be turning theirs backs.
> 
> Its a win win for all. Most people are coming around to releasing their big cats on their own and eating the small ones.


No market wants a big cat. The weekend warriors as you call them are after the big yellows to eat. Commercial market wants a 2lb or smaller cat.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

CatCrusher said:


> No market wants a big cat. The weekend warriors as you call them are after the big yellows to eat. Commercial market wants a 2lb or smaller cat.


Ill agree 100%

Farm raised cats have eliminated the market demands for big fish and drove wild caught fish prices down. 

I love flathead fishing yet they average small 15-20lbs. Its easy catching 40 pound blue cats yet 40lb flatheads are so far and few its almost not worth the hunt for most.

So much effort goes into flathead fishing that it detours most guys from getting good at it. Blue cats are simple creatures. Next year we will be boating 70+ pound blues


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

I know monsters are in the Alabama Delta. I just recently started targeting the big blues over there and have already caught them near 70 pounds. I just have to tighten my game up and put in the time and money.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Here we go!


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

jlw1972 said:


> Here we go!


The blue cat race is on


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

He's long arming that first one


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

We have been getting tons of messages and questions about Zakks records. Here are the latest details


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