Fisherman Breaks Minnesota Flathead Catch-and-Release Record

Mark Mosby of St. Anthony caught, measured, photographed and released a new Minnesota state record flathead catfish. The 52 ½-inch catch now holds a spot as the record in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (MN DNR) catch-and-release length category.

Mosby recorded the flathead August 2 on the St. Croix River near Stillwater. He caught the fish on 80-pound-braided line with a 40-pound monofilament leader. It had a large girth of 32 inches.

Mosby, who described himself as an occasional angler to the MN DNR officials, said his fishing partner, John Kaiser, made sure his gear was rigged and ready for a battle as they were targeting big flathead catfish.

“Kudos to my fishing partner, John, for his knot-tying ability,” said, record-holder Mosby. “The flathead put up a great 15-minute fight, right up until he got to the boat, and the knots held true.”

According to MN DNR, although weight is not required for the catch-and-release record, the fish was estimated to weigh between 70 to 80 pounds, based on length and girth. The current record for certified weight of a caught-and-kept flathead is 70 pounds.

Minnesota state records come in two forms: One for keeping the biggest fish in each species based on certified weight; and the other for the length of a caught and released muskellunge, lake sturgeon or flathead catfish.

You never know when you might hook a record, so Mike Kurre, the DNR’s mentoring program coordinator, recommends anglers become familiar with the record-fish guidelines and be ready to take the required photos and go through the correct procedures for submitting a record.

To see current records and guidelines for each type of state record, go to mndnr.gov/recordfish.

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