This area also has plenty of channel catfish and blue catfish with the Delta including many tributaries, bayous, and creeks where catfish love to live. It sure was chilly on Lake Guntersville, Alabama, on Monday. Just a month before he made his record redtail catfish catch, Fernandes caught another redtail that was 113 pounds 8 ounces (51.5 kilograms). Don't knowingly lie about anyone Fishing Techniques Fall Creek Falls Lake Clint Walters, Jr. July 30, 1982 Class A Blue Catfish 118 lbs. WHNT News 19 viewer Larry Stephens sent in photos of his wife April fishing on the lake. It was Dale Hill and his friend Tommy. His luck changed last week when he brought in a big blue catfish that went well over 100 pounds. Freshwater drum. The position of the Hallucigenia's head puzzled scientists for several years. Were just calling it 101.. Instead, we did best on blade baits on creek ledges and jerkbaits over shallow grass. I'm a Wildlife Conservation Author and Journalist, raising awareness about conservation by teaching others about the amazing animals we share the planet with. Andrew Osmer caught this 89-pound catfish in Lake Guntersville on March 17, 2017. There must have been hundreds of people who heard about it and stopped to see that fish, he said. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Thats just what I think, he said. Several anglers have caught catfish in Guntersville Lake in excess of 80 pounds. Days 1 \u0026 2 were a little slow as we figured things out, but days 3 \u0026 4 were pretty awesome!Please subscribe to GirlGoneFishing for more fishing videos! Id caught some that went 65, but Id never broke 70 pounds, said the self-employed contractor from Munford near Anniston. Use the 'Report' link on From the Tennessee River in the north to the Alabama and Coosa Rivers near Montgomery, there is some fine catfishing in the state of Alabama. Lake Monsters: The 10 Biggest Trophy Fish Ever Caught in Alabama, Blue Catfish vs Channel Catfish: 5 Main Differences, The 10 Best Fish to Catch in Alabama this Summer, Catfish Quiz - Only The Top 1% Can Ace our Animal Quizzes, Discover The Largest Flathead Catfish Ever Caught in Louisiana, Blue Catfish vs Channel Catfish: 5 Key Differences, It Takes Two Men to Pull This River Monster Free, Discover The Largest Channel Catfish Ever Caught in Louisiana, Discover The Largest Blue Catfish Ever Caught in Missouri, Discover The Largest Flathead Catfish Ever Caught in Alabama. So, what do they do with the fish afterwards? The friend encouraged him and so did his brother. Mike Watts had been on a quest for years to catch a giant catfish. At first we struggled to figure the fish out, since we went in expecting the traditional pre-spawn bite of red lipless and squarebill crankbaits. His mouth was so large you could have put a basketball in it, said Richards. However, they didnt have it officially weighed. Not just where people fish but where they swim as well!. GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. Whats the biggest fish youve ever caught? Threats of harming another Youll always remember that moment, finally pulling it in the boat. Good food., Guntersville Hotels with Air Conditioning, Guntersville Hotels with Laundry Facilities, Hotels near Lake Guntersville State Park Cabins by RRM, Hotels near Guntersville Museum & Cultural Center, Hotels near Homer B. 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No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism One set said 106 before it broke, Mike said. This lake is known for good numbers as well as quality fish. The record for the largest Goonch ever caught belongs to Jakub Vgner, the host of National Geographic's "Fish Warrior." Vgner's Goonch was 165 pounds 5 ounces (75 kilograms) and over 5 feet (1.57 meters) long. Paulie was using a light tackle while he was crappie fishing and the flathead was a lucky catch. Fishing for Flathead Catfish today folks! Lake Guntersville State Park Pinecrest Dining Room. Officials from Thailand's Inland Fishery Department wanted to use the female Mekong giant catfish for a breeding program, but she ended up dying. Hed come up and fished a week a little earlier, but it was still warm then. Class A Channel Catfish 41 lbs. Smaller fish will just swim by, but the catfish will go for it.. Flathead catfish are typically larger than the channel, white, and bullhead catfish. The worlds largest redtail catfish was captured in 2010 by Gilberto Fernandes in Brazils Amazon River. Lake Guntersville does have good numbers of catfish available too. When I am not writing I love going to my kids' soccer games, watching movies, taking on DIY projects and running with our giant Labradoodle "Tango". We fished Lake Guntersville from March 17-20. Nevertheless, anglers across Alabama frequently land trophy blues and . Their most recent catch was the night of Friday, March 17 St. Patricks Day. Nick is back in class, and the. or anything. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. If Stephen's estimate were correct, it would rival the current record for the largest flathead catfish caught in the state of Alabama. Therefore, they can use their fins as a defense mechanism. The lake is roughly 75 miles long and comes in at nearly 70,000 acres, making it the largest lake in the state. There are still some monsters out there! Richards added. According to a news report, Fernandes has over 100 IGFA world fishing records. Larry Stephens recently caught a massive 55 inch Flathead Catfish on one of the causeways over Lake Guntersville. The Marshall County Cross Country Meet 2022. However, they are smaller than blue catfish. Thanks! While Masullo de Aguiar's Piraiba is the largest officially on record, in general, Piraiba can weigh over 450 pounds (204 kilograms). . Barkley Reservoir Micka Burkhart September 24, 2022 Class A Brown Bullhead Catfish 3 lbs., 15 oz. This giant South American catfish was also over 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. Id caught some fish earlier that morning when it was cloudy, he said. The record for the largest Goonch ever caught belongs to Jakub Vgner, the host of National Geographic's Fish Warrior. Vgner's Goonch was 165 pounds 5 ounces (75 kilograms) and over 5 feet (1.57 meters) long. The former world record blue catfish came from Wheeler and I suspect the new record is swimming in there now. Entertainment Some locals were watching me fight the fish and they came over to help, Mike said. Andrew Osmer, Ryan Richards and Timmy Richey were fishing late that night when Osmer hooked a huge catfish. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, WHNT News 19 Sales Team Broadcast and Digital, 10 effective rodent repellent solutions to keep mice, Water filter faucets and pitchers for healthy hydration, Give your kitchen a makeover on a budget with these, Animal therapy group teams up with brewery for fundraiser, Holocaust survivors, descendants team on social media, What to watch for in the Dominion vs. Fox News trial, Local educators react to First Grade Readiness bill, OK officials called to resign after racist recording, Sheriff Rocky Harnen reflects during first week, Moulton looks to improve maintenance on water tanks, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Wed love to see it. (Photo: Ryan Richards) Richards. Depending on how big it was, you were probably exhausted! I graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris with a degree in Elementary Education and I am a former teacher. Catfish will be found in the tailrace area of Nickajack Dam and in the deep water just above Guntersville Dam. Stephens was fishing on Sunday with a medium-weight spinning rod and reel with 12 lb test line when he caught a whopper around 3 p.m. It created quite a traffic jam as I turned around to see as many as nine cars parked with people with their phones out making pictures and videos.. Redtail catfish are not picky eaters and in the wild tend to eat fish and crustaceans. Class had just been dismissed at Collins Elementary School in Scottsboro. We'd love to hear eyewitness Larry Stephens recently caught a massive 55 inch Flathead Catfish on one of the causeways over Lake Guntersville. Share with Us. One weighed 127 pounds and another was between 130 and 135 pounds. RE: catfishing guntersville The first 5 or 6 miles below Guntersville Dam on Wheeler Lake has some great catfishing. Application must be submitted on official application form . Andrew Buck and Daniel Rice are part of the fishing group too. He was by himself in the boat and fought the fish an hour and a half drifting down the river as he battled it. We use live bluegill as bait. Stretching from the Nickajack Dam all the way to the Guntersville Dam, this manmade impoundment has some of the best fishing in the Cotton State, and receives national recognition, too. As of the time of this writing the records are accurate. Fish must be identified by a Fisheries Section biologist or other certified fisheries biologist. Weighing must be witnessed by two people. Now is the time to mouse-proof where you live. The second largest lake in Alabama, Wheeler spreads across 67,100 acres near Decatur and already produced two former state record blue cats each weighing more than 100 pounds. Purchase Licenses 4. Fernandes redtail catfish was 123 pounds 7 ounces (56 kilograms) and 4.62 feet (1.408 meters) long. In fact, the Piraiba is the largest of the catfish species found in the Amazon. Please click the Submit Your Photo button below to add it straight to this gallery. American $$ - $$$ Menu In addition to the large Goonch, Vgner has caught several other large freshwater fish, including and 286.6 pound (130 kilogram) Arapaima and an 242.5 pound (110 kilogram) Wels catfish. Paulies flathead catfish was frozen for many years before it was presented to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism in 2016 for further examination. Nick is feeling good, and we assume the catfish is, too, after quite an adventure. He catches some good ones in the spring - April through June - but always felt if he ever got a true monster it would be in the fall. His flathead measured 61 inches long which is 5 feet 1 inch. Youd expect a big cat like that to be caught at dawn or dusk or even night. The guys, along with friends Andrew Buck and Daniel Rice, have caught several big catfish in recent years. Overall, catfish are some of the most abundant species of fish in the world. And they took hundreds of pictures. If you are targeting flatheads, you will want to stay closer to the inland area of the brackish tidal system since flatheads tend to stay away from water that is too salty. Within five hours of posting, the photos had over 750 likes, 950 shares, and 150 comments. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Youll always remember that moment, finally pulling it in the boat. This California slab is the most recently caught record crappie on our list. In addition to weighing nearly 650 pounds, this Mekong giant catfish was 9 feet (2.7 meters) long. With the help of his grandpa, Larry Stephens, they were able to get it up on the dock where they took a picture with the flathead next to Nickthey were about the same size! person will not be tolerated. Millers Ferry Lake runs about 105 miles along the river to the Claiborne Dam in Monroe County. The largest flathead catfish ever caught in Alabama was 80 pounds! Guntersville Tourism . In 2005, a behemoth Mekong giant catfish, weighing in at a scale-tipping 646 pounds (293 kilograms) was caught in a remote village in Thailand near the Mekong River. It was still an absolute ton of fun to land the fish and then watch it swim away, Said Stephens. I knew there were some 100 pounders there.. We finally tied the 2 boats together and it took all 3 of us to get it in the boat.. Paulies record was set back on May 19, 1998. Fishing regulations at . They wont give away their fishing hole, though. Daily News Updates Wed love to see it. Although Ferrari's catch is impressive, unfortunately he was just shy of the world record for a Wels catfish catch, which weighed 297 pounds 9 ounces (134.97 kilograms). Stephens was fishing on Sunday with a medium-weight spinning rod and reel. Nearly all of these catfish are listed as the world record for their species in the International Game Fish Associations (IGFA) World Records Database. Application form must be notarized. By Greg McCain Long known as one of the premier bass-fishing destinations, Lake Guntersville, a sprawling Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir in northwest Alabama, absolutely exudes fish-catching potential, covering 69,000 acres as the largest impoundment in the state. It was five feet long and weighed 89 pounds. Therefore, read on to find out about the largest flathead catfish ever caught in Alabama! All of the catfish on this list are over 100 pounds (45.36 kilograms). 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