New World Record Blue Cat

[DTro]

I don't have many details, but I read that it was 130lbs and caught near St Louis!

What a beast.

[DTro]

Here's a pic:

[MinnesnowtaWild]

That is probably the ugliest Catfish I have ever seen.

Pretty sweet though!

[carpmanjake]

awesome! is it legit though?

or is it one of those emails like that HUGE pike caught in red lake, (which was actually caught in europe)

[DTro]

Totally legit Jake

[rushing]

I've caught bigger in the Minnesota.

[mrklean]

i have to agree with Jeff thats one ugly fish

[reinhard1]

`totaly awesome! ugly? i think it looks great!

[bchevycaprice]

beautiful!

[Scott K]

beautiful!

Agreed! I would spend many nights chasing a fish like this!

[DTro]

Here's a few more details:

A Florissant man caught a 130-pound catfish early Tuesday morning in the Missouri River.

Greg Bernal, 47, hooked the fish about 12:45 a.m., fought it for 15 minutes and spent another half hour lifting it into his boat.

"I am still numb," Bernal said. "I'm still in shock that he's actually that big. That's the biggest fish I've ever seen."

Officials say the fish appears big enough to set a new world record, breaking the blue catfish world record of 124 pounds set in 2005 on the Mississippi River by an Alton angler.

Bernal's fish was 57 inches long and 45 inches in girth.

Of the four different catfish types listed on the Missouri Department of Conservation HSOforum as records for the state, the largest was a 117-pound caught on a trotline in the Osage River in 1964.

The state runner-up, until now, appears to have been a 103-pound blue catfish caught with a pole and line in the Missouri River in 1991.

[Scott K]

Its to bad the fish had to die, so the guy could get his name in a book though!

Not to take anything away from him, or judge him in any way, as I dont blame him for it.

[goblueM]

holy cow... i was just there for Catfish 2010, too. I was bummed, they had a tournament scheduled but it was canceled due to high water

[reinhard1]

yea, its too bad a great fish like this has to meet it's end. but what do you do? it's something very few anglers have to deal with. all those years the fish swam free. you are the one that has the choice. what do you do? when a fish of any species reaches the point of a world record i would not blame anyone for claiming it and having it preserved. i realease all large fish when i am blessed to catch one. a world or state record i would keep. good luck.

[Carp-fisher]

Wow that thing is a freak of nature. I like the part about taking 30 minutes to lift it into the boat...that must've been epic..he probably took a smoke break or two in the process

[Gordie]

Agreed! I would spend many nights chasing a fish like this!

I packing my bags Scott when are we leaving . Thats the next monster of a fish on my list

[Scott K]

To be honest Gordie, I will be down there in a couple weeks for a family vacation. I have 1 night that doesnt have any plans for the family, although I have plans to fish for my first Blue cat! I just need to find a place to fish from shore.

[mrklean]

are you gonna use bluegills or something like that down there? I thought that was their choice of baits

[Scott K]

I will have to use what ever bait I can buy from a baitstore, as I wont have time to go catch any bait. It is all new to me, so I will just have to play it by ear.

[Jim Uran]

Did I hear it right that this guy already had the state record of 103 lbs..???

[fishuhalik]

That's what the news report i saw said. Also, he was using cut-up asian carp for bait! Looks like those things are ALL bad....

[Tator2k]

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/fisherman-makes-world-record-catch-20984569

[eyeguy 54]

Sweet!! Great way to catch a world record, use bait that jumped into your boat! Cool story.

[DARK30]

Great Fish! I caught a 55 with Jim Moyer a few years ago...I can't imagine a blue over twice that big!

Too bad its not swimming around in a cabelas or bass pro store somewhere tho.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

So Dark, would you have given that one a nice lickin?