The massive catfish reeled in in Pittsburgh earlier this month is officially a new Pennsylvania state record.
Watch the release in the video player above.
Tim Reddinger from Reddi Bait in Beaver shared photos and videos of the enormous catch made by Dave Taylor with Pittsburgh Action News 4 on Oct. 3.
Taylor and Alex Atkinson set their lines below the Highland Park Lock and Dam near Sixmile Island while fishing in the Tri-State Hawg Hunters fishing tournament.
“It was a pretty big fish”
“It was just after 8 p.m., and we had just started fishing that evening when Alex told me it looked like there was something tugging on my line, and I’d better grab it,” said Taylor. “I started reeling and I could tell right away it was a pretty big fish. I was able to keep steady pressure on the line and keep reeling until the fish surfaced. My initial thought, based on the color of the fish in the water, was that it looked like a Blue Catfish. I thought that was going to be a pretty special catch since we really haven’t seen those big blues up here in Pennsylvania yet.”
Making the record official
After reeling in the giant catfish, the pair fished through the night. They told officials it wasn’t until the morning weigh-in that they thought the catch might be a record-breaking Channel Catfish.
Taylor went to Reddi Bait where the fish was initially weighed in at 36 pounds and 2 ounces. Unfortunately, the scale didn’t offer a printout, which is needed for Pennsylvania’s State Record Fish Program Rules.
That took Taylor to Goodman’s Bait and Tackle in Ford City, Armstrong County for another certified scale.
“I told Officer Luteri on the phone that the fish seemed to be doing just fine in the livewell, but we had a pretty good drive ahead of us to get to the bait shop, and we were going to keep checking on the fish,” said Taylor. “I told her that my biggest concern was the health of the fish, and if I felt I had to, I would pull over and release the fish, even if it cost me a chance at the state record. Fortunately, this was a tough fish, and we made it to the scale without any issues.”
On Oct. 4, the monster catfish was weighed for the second time and once again came in at 36 pounds and 2 ounces.
A new Pennsylvania record
Taylor’s fish beat the previous state record for a Channel Catfish caught in the Lehigh Canal in 1991. That fish weighed 9 ounces less than Taylor’s fish.
Since the second scale was also not able to provide a print out, Officer Abigail Luteri, of the PFBC’s Southwest Region Bureau of Law Enforcement, was able to submit a written statement certifying the weight.
“You never know what’s on the other side of that hook”
“Everything worked out in the end, and it feels incredible,” added Taylor. “Honestly, I’ve always dreamed of catching a state record, but I thought it would be a Flathead Catfish because we catch so many big ones out here in Pittsburgh. So, to catch a Channel Catfish that size? That just doesn’t happen. It just goes to show, you never know what’s on the other side of that hook. It could be just another fish, or it could be life changing. My advice to other anglers is to pay attention to your tackle and have confidence in your gear. Always make sure your line is strong and hooks are sharp for a moment like this.”