Iowa Fisherman’s Giant Catfish Breaks State Record

If you've spent any time fishing, you no doubt have a story of the big one that got away. A fish so large that it surely would have set some sort of record if you'd have landed it! One Iowa man had his fishing dream come true recently. He DID land the big one, and set an Iowa record in the process.

Where Was the Record Fish Caught?

KCRG reports that George Thompson was fishing along the Missouri River in Pottawattamie County on October 12th, when he hooked a blue catfish. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says that blue catfish are among the biggest fish in Iowa. Most that are caught range from 20 to 25 pounds. Thompsons was slightly larger!

How Big Was the Record Catfish?

KCRG reports that it took over half an hour for Thompson to land the giant blue catfish. And when he did, no one was prepared for the weigh-in. Thompson's fish was 60 inches long and weighed a whopping 105 pounds! That topped the previous state record set back in 2004.

What Did Thompson Do with the Giant Catfish?

In order to have the fish certified by the Iowa DNR as a new state record, Thompson had to keep the fish alive. KCRG reports that he kept it in a large live well with diffused oxygen while he traveled to a certified scale.

After the fish was weighed and Thompson had his new state record, he released the fish back into the Missouri River.

Now THAT is a fishing story that no one will forget!