Massive 95-pound flathead catfish caught in Oklahoma
A man reeled in a massive 95-pound flathead catfish in southern Oklahoma, breaking a local record, the state's wildlife officials said Tuesday.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said in a social media post that Bradly Courtright caught the fish in Pine Creek Reservoir on a trotline, a fishing tool commonly used to catch catfishes. The department said it's the largest flathead ever caught in the lake.
"This fish is almost 20 pounds larger than the rod and reel record but 11 pounds short of the unrestricted division record - which was caught on a trotline in 1977 in Wister Reservoir," the department said.
The post was filled with congratulatory comments, and some social media users wondered about the status of the giant fish. The department replied to curious commenters, telling them the flathead was caught legally with a fishing license, and it was eaten.
Courtright's catch comes as another angler fished a "monster" catchfish of his own in England. A 34-year-old man from East London caught an 143-pound catfish nicknamed Scar and it is believed to be the largest fish ever caught by a rod in freshwater in the U.K. However, unlike Courtright's fish, this one was released back into the water.
In April, a teenager in Ohio caught a record-breaking 101-pound blue catfish and set a state record.