Advertisement

95-pound catfish caught in Ohio

Tim Pruitt of Alton, IL holds the record-breaking catfish he caught in the Mississippi River near Alton, IL on May 22, 2005. The 124-pound catfish took nearly 45 minutes to reel in from a johnboat. The world record for a blue catfish is 121.8 set in January 2004 at Lake Texoma near Denison, TX. The fish is estimated to be 20-30 years old.(UPI Photo/Illinois Department of Natural Resources)
Tim Pruitt of Alton, IL holds the record-breaking catfish he caught in the Mississippi River near Alton, IL on May 22, 2005. The 124-pound catfish took nearly 45 minutes to reel in from a johnboat. The world record for a blue catfish is 121.8 set in January 2004 at Lake Texoma near Denison, TX. The fish is estimated to be 20-30 years old.(UPI Photo/Illinois Department of Natural Resources) | License Photo

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter

LOVELAND, Ohio, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- An Ohio man landed a 95-pound blue catfish in Lake Isabella, a park district record and only one pound less than the state record holder, park officials said.

Lake Isabella Harbor Manager Harry Scott said the massive catfish, which he weighed twice for accuracy, dwarfs the previous largest catch in Hamilton County Park District's history, a 50-pound blue catfish, and weighs in at only one pound under the 96-pound state record, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday.

Advertisement

"I've never seen anything this big in my whole life, and I've seen lots of fish," Scott said. "I had them take it out of the basket the first time and do it again because I can't believe what I'd just seen."

The fish was caught Saturday by Dwight Kidwell Jr., 26.

"I was only there for about 35 minutes and I hooked it," he said. He said the fish fought him for another 35 to 40 minutes before he was able to pull it from the water.

The fish was released back into the water after its weighing.

Latest Headlines