These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Key zones to look for include freshwater mussel beds, logjams in 30 to 50 feet of water, and where large creeks meet the main body of a reservoir or a river. Caught using Demon Dragons: www.demondragons.com Verified by the Texas Trophy Catfish. Published Jul 23, 2021 2:00 PM EDT. The lake offers no shortage of channel and flathead catfish either. Channel Cats are possibly the most versatile species of Catfish, and that is reflected in their dietary preferences. What might be the biggest catfish ever caught by hand was likely also the state record flathead catfish in Texas. This fish unofficially weighed 106 pounds, which would have been big enough to be the new Texas state record had it been weighed on an official scale. Not since 2014, the final year of South Texas last major drought, has the flow along our rivers and streams been this low. I was in amazement. Don't be afraid to wade the shorelines of these areas to locate catfish. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. He knew this fish was way bigger than that. The decided not to put the fish under more duress by throwing it in the boat and looking for an official scale, and instead got it back into the water quickly. In this article Im going to cover some of the top destinations for Catfish fishing in Texas, the best time of year to go, and what kind of bait and tackle youll need to be successful. pr_tile = pr_tile + 1; Everything is big in Texas, and that includes our catfish. You need a durable and heavy pound test line to fight Catfish around the logs, rocks, and structure they often call home. Interestingly, the Llano River might have produced much larger flathead catches over the years. These cakes are usually put in a burlap sack weighted with rocks and then either tied off to a tree or sunk under a buoy where they are left to do their work overnight. After being caught, Thai villagers tried to keep it alive but despite great efforts, it sadly passed away. And if you want a more passive way to fish for Catfish, Texas does allow trotlines and bush hooks. A fish nearly as long as the man who reeled it in is now the largest flathead catfish ever caught in the state of Florida. It also measured more than 5-feet long. But fishs stomachs are , Use large-sized baits such as dead bluegill, live chubs, water dogs, crayfish and frogs when seeking larger catfish. Wed love to hear from you in the comments below! A mindset. His previous personal record for a hand caught catfish was 74 pounds. And trust me, with a state record Blue Catfish weighing in at 112.5 pounds, Texas knows how to grow BIG Cats! Maybe the fairytale-like River Walk and gorgeous skyline? Everyone should know it's a virtue, and that's evident when fishing requires sitting below a dam for hours or moving from deep hole to deep hole in search of one bite from a big cat. Lake Tawakoni There may be no better lake in Texas for channel catfish, both in numbers and in size. He uses 14/0 circle hooks on all his lines. Are there blue catfish in Texas? Catfish . The scale went to 94, then 95, and when it hit 97 I just about dropped it, I was so stinking excited, Bennett recalls. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. From Texas to Tennessee, Appalachia to Bakersfield, Whiskey Riff is THE unapologetic voice of the country music fan. Keep an eye out for water levels in this area, as they can rise quickly. A catfish can hear a dropped tackle box or feet walking across a boat bottom with extreme accuracy. Species: Lau-Lau or Piraiba. How big is the largest catfish on record? The angler was using a Jackson rod and an Abu Garcia 6500 GR spooled with 16-pound Varivas line. Athens, TX - However, if youre targeting trophy fish (over 50 pounds) youll need to bump that up to a 30-50 lb test mainline. The most widespread of all North American catfish species, the world record channel catfish is in many ways the most surprising of all. The best depth for catching catfish is between 15 and 20 feet deep in lakes. He just bumped my foot. (Rod & Line) Bullhead Catfish average 13 pounds in Texas, and can be caught on a variety of baits. 4 when Carpenter hooked and landed what may be the biggest white crappie ever reeled in at Lake Fork and the heaviest crappie of any kind caught in Texas since 2003. great white sharkAccording to IGFA records, the Read More What'S The Biggest Fish Ever Caught In Texas? Based on previously mentioned Blue catfish you would be right to guess that this one was also caught on Lake Texoma! Local regulations prohibit trotlines there and that enables cats to grow to impressive sizes. The catfish weighed in at 736 lbs. These enormous fish are the largest purely freshwater fish in the world (Sturgeon are larger, but they inhabit both fresh and saltwater). The state-record blue catfish was caught in Lake Texoma, tipping the scales at 121.5 pounds. Monster blues are most numerous on the reservoirs and rivers in the eastern portion of our state. Any tips or tricks youd like to share? Whats the biggest catfish ever caught in Texas? How do you get rid of Cuban frogs in Florida? I usually catch some big ones, but not that many at once," he said. But folks just love giant cats. This species is known to live at least 15 years. Alabama tops the list of must-visit states for many big-cat aficionados. Get back in there.. During the colder months, focus on deeper areas inside the Nueces River channel. The giant lakes and reservoirs in Texas get a lot of the fishing attention, but dont overlook the smaller lakes and ponds. Big channels are hard to come by, but this method can increase your odds.". Nothing grabs our attention quite like a mean, toothy monster muskie, and few gamefish can match the pound-for-pound frenzy of catching a slab crappie. Look to marshy drainages for the most consistent catfish action on outgoing or falling tides. Ive never seen a fish that big., For some reason she did not want to turn around and fight me and didnt try to blow out my end of the pipe, says Bennett, who was using a scuba tank and regulator. Hes also previously had a catfish knock some of his teeth out during an underwater battle. And that would be a hard point to counter, judging from the size of the catfish that anglers so often pull from Texas reservoirs and rivers. What's the biggest fish ever caught in Tennessee? One way to tell the difference between white and black crappies is by their size & body shape. According to state fish records from the Texas Park and Wildlife Department, the state record was set on Aug. 8, 1963, by Ricky Preddy. FLATHEADS Flatheads win the ugly award among Texas catfish. Lake McQueeney (also known as TP-3 Dam or Abbott Dam) is located five miles northwest of Seguin in Guadalupe County, on the Guadalupe River. Big Flathead Catfish call this river system home, including a 40.5 pounder caught in April 2022 by Chase Owen Kime. Jump on Google Earth and explore your local waterways then give them a try! World Record flathead catfish: 123 pounds. The Mekong giant catfish is the official freshwater heavyweight champion of the world. The 26,000-gallon aquarium there provides the perfect venue for Splash shows, and she has been drawing crowds. Go to Appearance > Customize > Subscribe Pop-up to set this up. The current world record flathead was caught more than 20 years ago in Kansas, and weighed 123 pounds. Fergusons monster crappie replaced the previous record of 5 pound which was set back in 2006. He had been told time and time again that record was unbreakable. The BIGGEST CATFISH In The World Trend Max 2.04M subscribers Subscribe 234K views 4 years ago Meet the largest catfish in the world. The fish is just an absolute unit when it comes to white catfish, which are one of the smaller of all catfish species. Weight: 341 Pounds. Sign up to receive exclusive discounts from Whiskey Riff Shop and breaking news. document.write(' Customize > Subscribe Pop-up to set this up more passive way to tell the between. The most surprising of all catfish species providing information and photos for this page to figuring cormorants... Must-Visit states for many big-cat aficionados a length of 57 inches and a girth of inches. 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