Record catfish
When 64-year-old James Mitchell hooked a fish on the Choctawactchee River this week, he knew it was a whopper. After all, it had hit a bluegill as big as his hand and put a serious bend in his stout six-foot rod loaded with 50-pound test line.
But Mitchell, who is disabled, didn't give an inch. When he finally got the beast along side his boat, he need the help of his son and grandson to help him pull it over the side.
The 53-inch long blue catfish weighed 64 pounds 8 ounces, more than three pounds heavier than the previous record cat caught in Little Escambia Creek north of Pensacola.
Mitchell, who likes to catch his own bait with a fly rod or cane pole, said his secret is,, "the bigger the bream the better."
While blue catfish are found as far south of the Suwannee River, they are not native to Florida. The were originally found in the rivers and tributaries of the Midwest and Mississippi River and how they go to Florida, nobody knows.
Mitchell's fish is a new state record.
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that sucks, took how long to get that huge and some old fart kills him.... isnt it enough burning up the ss and medicare.....whats next
Posted by: stacey fl native | August 09, 2008 at 07:50 AM
Stacey is obviously not a fisher-person..
You probably think it hurts the fish when it gets hooked.. Go hug something big and furry ... Nice catch Mr. Mitchell
Posted by: Tim | August 09, 2008 at 09:05 PM