Charles Patchen (right) caught Florida state record flathead in 2016. (Photo courtesy of FWC)
Read more: http://www.gameandfishmag.com/state-record/teen-lands-new-state-record-florida-flathead/#ixzz4t3XnhIgi
September 18, 2017
By Game & Fish Online Staff
Game & Fish dived into the record books to find the catfish records for every state. How does your best blue, channel, flathead and white catfish catches compare?
We know Game & Fish fans love fishing for catfish — whether it's for trophies and state records, or eaters. Our voluminous catfish library of content is one of the biggest, best and most visited on the Internet.
So, we took a look at the state fishing records (based on weight and traditional methods) listed on official websites of wildlife agencies or other official sources to see where the big cats roam. The answer? Everywhere. Well, almost; Alaska doesn't have catfish listed among their state fishing records.
Posts about big catfish records are well-liked by readers.
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Our search included records for blue, channel, flathead and white catfish (sorry, no bullheads) — the four most common targeted species in the U.S. Catch-and-release, length and line class records were not considered.
Here are some interesting factoids we found:
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At least seven catfish records have been set so far this year (Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, New York, South Carolina and Wyoming).
The oldest record — a 55-pound channel catch in South Carolina, 1949 — is approaching 80 years old
Michigan's flathead record (70-0) was reportedly caught while ice fishing
The IGFA world records for the four species were caught in the U.S.
However, while the IGFA recognizes California as the home of the world white catfish record (19 pounds, 5 ounces; 2005), California's official state record (22-0, 1994) is heavier
Indiana and Kentucky share the same record for blue catfish (104-0)
Note: This list was compiled from data currently available. It you see a mistake or omission, let us know .
State-by-state catfish records in the U.S. 2017 records are bold-faced.
Alabama Catfish Records
Blue: 120-4, John Paul Nichols, Holt Reservoir, 3/9/2012
Channel: 40-0, Donald R. Cox, Inland Lake, 6/17/1967
Flathead: 80-0, Rick Conner, Alabama River, 6/22/1986
White: 10-5, Roy Britton, Chambers Co. Public Lake, 4/3/1981
Carson Pete's Arizona record channel catfish measured 39 1/2 inches and took about 20 minutes to land. (Arizona Game & Fish photo)
Arizona Catfish Records
Channel: 33-5.76, Carson Pete, Upper Mary Lake, 3/26/2017
Flathead: 76-8.64, Eddie Wilcoxson, Bartlett Lake, 4/13/2013
Arkansas Catfish Records
Blue: 116-12, Charles Ashley Jr., Mississippi River, 8/3/2001
Channel: 38-0, Joe Holleman, Lake Ouachita, 6/3/1989
Flathead: 80-0, Wesley White, Arkansas River, 10/28/1989
California Catfish Records
Blue: 113-5, Steve Oudomsouk, San Vicente Reservoir, 7/24/2008
Channel: 53-8, Randall Gilgert Jr., San Joaquin River, 9/22/2008
Flathead: 72-14, Billy Joe Potter, Colorado River, 4/22/2003
**White: 22-0, James Robinson, Land Park pond, 3/21/1994
Colorado Catfish Records
Blue: 24-7.7, Charlie Black, Pueblo Reservoir, 2016
Channel: 43-6, Jessica Walton, Aurora Reservoir, 2010
Flathead: 30-9.6, Michael Flock, Pueblo Reservoir, 2017
Connecticut Catfish Records
Channel: 29-6, Appleton Barrows, Mashapaug Lake, 2004
White: 12-12, John Shatas, Connecticut River, 1999
Delaware Catfish Record
Catfish (any species): 36-3.2 (blue), Jordan Chelton, Nanticoke River Creek, 6/20/2017
Charles Patchen caught the Florida state record flathead in 2016. (Photo courtesy of FWC)
Florida Catfish Records
Blue: 69.5 pounds, William Stewart III, Choctawhatchee River, 5/30/2015
Channel: 44.5, Joe Purvis, Lake Bluff, 5/19/1985
Flathead: 63.8, Charles Patchen, Chattahoochee River, 5/15/2016
White: 18.88, Jim Miller, Withlacoochee River, 9/21/1991
Georgia Catfish Records
Blue: 80-4, Earnest Timpson, Lake Walter F. George, 2/2/2010
Channel: 44-12, Bobby Smithwick, Altamaha River, 5/18/1972
Flathead: 83-0 (tie), Carl Sawyer, Altamaha River, 6/22/2006; Jim Dieveney, Altamaha River, 7/11/2010
White: 8-10, James Sanders, Savannah River, 6/10/1996
Hawaii Catfish Record
Channel: 43-13, Dayton Miyamura, Lake Wilson, 3/24/1974
Idaho Catfish Records
Channel: 31-0, Kenny Decker, Mann Lake, 8/25/2001
Flathead: 58-8, J. Newberry/K.McCormick, Brownlee Reservoir, 8/23/1994
Illinois Catfish Records
Blue: 124-0, Mississippi River, 5/21/2005
Channel: 45-4, Baldwin Lake, 2/7/1987
Flathead: 81-6.4, Sangchris Lake, 8/29/2015
Indiana Catfish Records
Blue: 104-0, Bruce Midkiff, Ohio River, 1999 (also Kentucky record)
Channel: 37-8, Randy Jones, Vanderburgh County, 1980
Flathead: 79-8, Glen Simpson, White River, 1966
White: 9.72, Melissa Grimes, Wabash County pond, 1985
Iowa Catfish Records
Blue: 101-0, Mike Rush, Missouri River, 6/8/2004
Channel: 38-2, Dustin Curtis, Missouri River, 6/11/2005
Flathead: 81-0, Joe Baze, Ellis Lake, 6/7/1958
Kansas Catfish Records
Blue: 102.8, Robert Stanley, Missouri River, 8/11/2012
Channel: 36.5, Rick Barnow, Mined Land, Cherokee Co., 6/3/2003
*Flathead: 123-0, Ken Paulie, Elk City Reservoir, 5/15/1998
Kentucky Catfish Records
Blue: 104-0, Bruce Midkiff, Ohio River, 1999 (also Indiana record)
Channel: 32-0, Kyle Estep, Ohio River, 5/26/2004
Flathead: 97-0, Esker Carroll, Green River, 6/6/1956
White: 5.27, Ethen Vest, Guist Creek Lane, 10/11/2016
Louisiana Catfish Records
Blue: 114-0, Lawson Boyte, Mississippi River, 3/2014
Channel: 30.31, Harold Clubb, Minor's Canal, 8/1977
Flathead: 95-0, Roland Lasseigne, Wax Lake, 7/2007
Maine Catfish Record
White: 6.69, Danny Shores, 7/7/2015
Jacob Vosburgh, 20, of Lexington Park, set a Maryland white catfish record in 2017. (Photo courtesy of Maryland DNR)
Maryland Catfish Records
Channel: 27.92, Steven Trent Abell, Upper Potomac River, 7/5/2004
White: 8.27, Jacob Vosburgh, Southern Potomac River, 6/1/2017
Massachusetts Catfish Records
Channel: 26-8, Dana Dodge, Ashfield Lake, 1989
White: 9-3, Michael Payne, Baddacook Pond, 1987
Michigan Catfish Records
Channel: 40-0, Houghton Lake, 1964
Flathead: 52-0, Barron Lake (ice fishing), 2014
Minnesota Catfish Records
Channel: 38-0, Mississippi River, 2/16/1975
Flathead: 70-0, St. Croix River, 1970
Mississippi Catfish Records
Blue: 95-0, Dakota Hinson, Mississippi River, 3/16/2009
Channel: 51-12, Tom Edwards, Lake Tom Bailey, 5/31/1997
Flathead: 77.7, Matt Bingham, Mississippi River, 4/21/2012
Missouri Catfish Records
Blue: 130-0, Greg Bernal, Missouri River, 7/20/2010
Channel: 34-10, Gerald Siebenmorgen, Lake Jacomo, 10/12/1976
Flathead: 77-8, Scott Brown, Montrose Lake, 4/28/2003
Montana Catfish Record
Channel: 34.8, Dan Davenport, Fort Peck Reservoir, 7/26/2013
Nebraska Catfish Records
Blue: 100-8, Raynold Promes, Missouri River, 11/29/1970
Channel (tie): 41-8, John Cunning, Merritt Reservoir, 7/26/1985; Heather Cunning, Merritt Reservoir, 8/11/1986.
Flathead: 80-0, William Swanson, Loup Power Canal, 4/16/1988
Nevada Catfish Records
Channel: 32-7, Scott Barrett, South Fork Reservoir, 6/27/2011
White (tie): 17-4, Corey Ryan, Lahontan Reservoir, 6/26/2008; Jose Mendoza, Humboldt River, 9/17/2005
New Hampshire Catfish Records
Channel: 12-4.8, Dave Kellam, Connecticut River, 9/20/2014
White: 5-11, Zachary Cross, Big Cub Pond, 8/4/1996
New Jersey Catfish Record s
Channel: 33-3, Howard Hudson, Lake Hopatcong, 1978
White: 14-4, Timothy Jasko, Dallenbach Pond, 2004
New Mexico Catfish Records
Blue: 54-1/4
Channel: 36-8
Flathead: 78-0
Eric Scordo used a nightcrawler to catch New York's record for channel catfish. (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation image)
New York Catfish Records
Channel: 35-3, Eric Scordo, Lake Ontario, 4/29/17
White: 10-5, Joe Silicato, New Croton Reservoir, 5/17/1998
North Carolina Catfish Records
Blue: 117-8, Landon Evans, Lake Gaston, 6/11/2016
Channel: 23-4, E.J. Bowden, City Lake in Rocky Mount, 9/1/1970
Flathead: 78-0, Brian Newberger, Cape Fear River, 9/17/2005
White: 13-0, Jerry Wayne Bentley, Lake James, 5/21/1990
North Dakota Catfish Records
Channel: 42-1, Tina Willis, Moon Lake, 7/25/2009
Ohio Catfish Records
Blue: 96-0, Chris Rolph, Ohio River, 6/11/2009
Channel: 37.65, Gus Gronowski, LaDue Reservoir, 8/15/1992
Flathead: 76.5, Richard Affolter, Clendening Lake, 7/28/1979
Oklahoma Catfish Records
Blue: 98-0, Billy Nabors, Texoma, 11/11/2004
Channel: 35-15, Gary Doak Jr., Taft Lake, 9/11/2005
Flathead: 78-8, Richard Williams, El Reno City Reservoir, 5/11/2010
Oregon Catfish Records
Channel: 36-8, Boone Haddock, McKay Reservoir, 1980
Flathead: 42-0, Joshua Kralicek, Snake River, 1994
White: 15-0, Wayne Welch, Tualatin River, 1989
Pennsylvania Catfish Records
Channel: 35-2.5, Austin Roth III, Lehigh Canal, 1991
Flathead: 48-6, James Shabrach, Blue Marsh Spillway, 2006
Rhode Island Catfish Record
White: 16-12, L. Angell, Tiogue Lake, 8/1994
South Carolina Catfish Records
Blue: 113.8, Paula Haney, Lake Moultrie, 2017
*Channel: 58-0, W.H. Whaley, Lake Moultrie, 1964
Flathead: 79-6, Danny Aderhold, Cooper River, 2014
White: 12-2.9, Charles Earp, Lake Murray, 2014
South Dakota Catfish Records
Blue: 99-4, Steve Lemmon, Big Sioux River, 7/21/2012
Channel: 55-0, Roy Groves, James River, 5/18/1949
Flathead: 63-8, David Holland, James River, 6/18/2006
Tennessee Catfish Records
Blue: 112-0, Robert Lewis, Lock C, Cumberland River, 6/7/1998
Channel: 41-0, Clint Walters Jr., Fall Creek Falls Lake, 7/30/1982
Flathead: 85-15, Larry Kaylor, Hiwassee River, 7/25/1993
Texas Catfish Records
Blue: 121.50, Cody Mullennix, Texoma, 1/16/2004
Channel: 36.5, Mrs. Joe Cockrell, Pedernales River, 3/7/1965
Flathead: 98.5, James Laster, Palestine, 12/2/1998
Utah Catfish Record
Channel: 32-8, LeRoy Mortenson, Utah Lake, 1978
Vermont Catfish Record
The Virginia state record blue catfish is also a world record. (Photo by Dallas Weston; courtesy Virginia DGIF)
Virginia Catfish Records
*Blue: 143-0, Nick Anderson, Buggs Island Lake, 6/18/2011
Channel: 32-0, Hugh Wyatt, Lake Chesdin, 4/28/1980
Flathead: 66-4, Mike Willems, Occoquan Reservoir, 5/6/1994
White: 7-6, Thomas Elkins, Western Branch Reservoir 3/24/1992
Washington Catfish Records
Blue: 17.75, Rangle Hawthorne, Columbia River, 7/9/1975
Channel: 36.2, Ross Kincaid, I-82 Pond #6, 9/6/1999
Flathead: 22.8, C.L. McCary, Snake River, 6/28/1981
White: 19.85, Donald Huffman, Walla Walla River, 4/17/2002
West Virginia Catfish Records
Blue: 59.74, Mark Blauvelt, Ohio River, 2016
Channel: 33.42, Michael Sears, Patterson Creek, 2005
Flathead: 70-0, L.L. McClung, Little Kanawha River, 1956
Wisconsin Catfish Records
Channel: 44-0, Larry Volenec, Wisconsin River, 1962
Flathead: 74-5, Stan Hagensick, Mississippi River, 3/30/2001
Wyoming's record channel cat was caught in 2017. (Photo by Brandon Chadwick)
Wyoming Catfish Records
Channel: 28.52, Christian Cosby, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, 6/24/2017
Flathead: 22.46, Dallas Stanton, North Platte River, 4/18/2004
*IGFA-recognized world record
**IGFA recognizes the world white catfish record (19 pounds, 5 ounces, 2005) as being caught in California, but the state's official record (22-0, 1994) is heavier
