Bass Fisherman catches new OK state record..

[Deitz Dittrich]

We bass guys just flat out know how to catch fish.. LOL

El Reno Lake reclaims distinction for state record flathead catfish after 11-month hiatus.

For years El Reno Lake held the distinction of producing the state record flathead catfish, so when the five-year record of 72 lbs., 8 oz., was smashed in 2009 by a 76 lb. fish caught from the Poteau River, the waters of El Reno must have felt the hit. On May 11 — not even a year later — El Reno Lake answered the Poteau River’s challenge when Richard Williams of El Reno landed a 78 lb., 8 oz., flathead while bass fishing with a crankbait.

“I’m not a catfisherman,” Williams said, but he admitted that claiming the state record flathead catfish was still “pretty cool.”

Williams’ wife told personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation that her husband had quit fishing and had just started up again this year. The only other fish Williams had landed that morning was a crappie until about 11 a.m. when the 51-inch fish hit his 14 lb. test line rigged with a Strike King crank bait.

[Supercrew]

We bass guys just flat out know how to catch fish.. LOL

Nice flip flops.....(and what the hell is that on the plywood?)

[Scott K]

Nice fish!

[TR21HP]

It hit a crankbait?

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Only reason he got that in was because hes using 80 power pro for a half pound bait, wait I mean bass. Thats like cat guys using 400 pound test to catch a 40 pounder no brainer. Not to mention that thing looks like it was on death row about to have its final meal lol.

Just joking ( tho everything I said was true ) it a nice big kitty no matter who caught it.

P.S. He looks like the city cop ( a$$hole cop ) off of Super Troopers!

[mrklean]

nice fish but the tail section looks liek a walrus on that plywood

[Gordie]

I hate to say this but in Oklahoma thats a fillet board

Deitz that will be another bassfisherman converted to catfisherman because now he knows what a real fish is

[Scott K]

Quote:

I hate to say this but in Oklahoma thats a fillet board laugh

[magic_minnow]

now i'm gonna start trolling cranks on the MN for kittys

[Gordie]

now i'm gonna start trolling cranks on the MN for kittys

Do it when the river is at high water level so when it goes down you can retrive your cranks a bit easier

[OutFishin']

I was born and raised in Kansas (35 years) before moving to MN. I always fished farm ponds and we used to catch quite a few channel cats on crank baits and spinner baits in the spring while fishing for bass. I caught a 13 lb. and a 15 lb. one spring within about 10 minutes of each other

[mrklean]

i guess im using cranks tomorrow for cats and eyes

[Brad B]

I have heard that they will hit cranks. This one guy that was fishing this small lake I was fishing when I was down in missouri this past year hooked into a nice channel with a buzz bait. if they are aggressive enough they will hit about anything.

[hanson]

Cool story!

Guess what I took away from the story is a 51" fish weighs 76lbs!! Our pre-spawn 44-45" fish go high 40s to 50lbs. Every now and then you hear of a 47"-48" that gets into that mid 50lb range but that just goes to show you that when you get that big, as a flathead catfish, every extra inch of length really packs on the pounds.

[nsnutter]

Wow, nice fish. I wonder how long this guy was out of the water before he took this picture. Poor flat looks like it's half past dead. And Kevin, you made me chuckle with the 400 lb. analogy ... I wonder if Bob has any 400 lb. suffix in stock .....

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I would be interested to see a girth measurement on that thing.

[nsnutter]

Me too. It would help a bit if that bass fisherman wasn't a puss and would pick up the fish for the picture It just looks like he can't wait to get 'er on the dinner table...

[goblueM]

i read a scholarly article on catfish management today, and it mentioned (twice) that flatheads taste better as they get bigger, which i thought was interesting

and for what its worth i caught a nice flathead (about 15 pounds) on the St. Croix with a DT-7 crank a coupla years ago

[nsnutter]

Sure, I have heard similar reports, as a flat ages, the meat gets better tasting. Still doesn't make up for the fact that it's probably nearing 20 years of age, and that's a long time in the water to absorb mercury and pcb's. Not to mention that the fish IS probably nearing 20 years of age ... no reason to kill something that has been alive that long. Natural selection obviously left it for a reason. Just because it tastes better (and who can really judge that anyways, it's all in how you prepare it...), doesn't mean that it should be harvested. I'd rather harvest an occasional smaller flat and let the big ones continue to grow. I think I'd eat happier knowing that I didn't end the life of a giant predator.

[DTro]

Well the fact of the matter is that most states require a "kill" to prove a record. Not only to positively identify the species, but to make sure everything is on the up and up. Can't blame a guy for doing that.

Congrats to the lucky angler!

I'm amazed it was only 51". Just think a 50"er was caught on the MN this spring....

[nsnutter]

Really Darren? You are required to kill the fish to get the record? Hmm that seems goofy lol. As much as a record is appealing to me, I think I would hesitate and take a second thought before knuckling under for that record. I just don't know if I could kill a fish of that size just so my name goes in a book ...

Yeah 51" seems short when you think about it ... the girth must be unreal!

[MinnesnowtaWild]

If I caught the state record Flathead, a fish being over 70 lbs, I would not end it's life. No way. I would take probably 50 pictures of it from every angle and get a replica made some day.

I don't care what anyone says, it's just not happening for me. Luckily, I will never have to worry about that scenario because it's hard for me to believe a fish that big exists in this age.

[Scott K]

I kinda thought the fish didnt quite look that big, but who am I to judge a bass fishermen.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Nick the process of getting your name in the record book will almost always end up killing the fish. Too many hoops to jump through.

[DTro]

I go back and forth on that one. On one side I think, well it's a one is a million fish and the record would be nice to have, the fish might be old and on it's last leg.

On the other hand, if the fishery is getting better and better, who's to say that fish isn't one in a million and all the sudden the record starts getting broken every five years?

Records are made to be broken, but in the end, I think I let the fish swim.