The 124-pound blue catfish pulled Tim Pruitt's boat around the river. It took Pruitt more than 30 minutes to land it.
Handout from Illinois DNR Link- http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2005-05-25-world-record-catfish_x.htm

But this is no fish story. Early Sunday, Tim Pruitt caught a 124-pound blue catfish.

To get a sense of just how big that is, the state record holder was a mere 85 pounds and the world record holder tipped the scales at 121 pounds, eight ounces.

Now, Pruitt, whose fish has already been weighed in the presence of a conservation police officer and measured by a biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is expected to submit documentation to the International Game Fish Association so that it can be certified a world record holder.

Once that is done, the catch should be approved as the world's largest blue catfish, replacing the current champion that was caught Jan. 16, 2004, in Lake Texoma, Texas, said Becky Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the association.

Pruitt's fish, measuring 58 inches long and 44 inches around, was swimming below the Melvin Price Lock and Dam on the Mississippi River at Alton on Saturday night when it grabbed Pruitt's line. The two struggled for more than a half hour, and at one point the fish dragged the boat carrying Pruitt, his wife and a friend before Pruitt could reel it in.

The fish was to be put on display in a tank at the Cabela's Outfitter store in Kansas City, Kan., but it died during transport, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Pruitt, 33, of Godfrey, Ill., told the (Peoria) Journal Star's outdoors columnist that he considered releasing the fish in the river but decided to donate it to Cabela's "because I thought it might be neat to give people a chance to see a fish that massive."
The 124-pound blue catfish pulled Tim Pruitt's boat around the river. It took Pruitt more than 30 minutes to land it.
Handout from Illinois DNR

But this is no fish story. Early Sunday, Tim Pruitt caught a 124-pound blue catfish.

To get a sense of just how big that is, the state record holder was a mere 85 pounds and the world record holder tipped the scales at 121 pounds, eight ounces.

Now, Pruitt, whose fish has already been weighed in the presence of a conservation police officer and measured by a biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is expected to submit documentation to the International Game Fish Association so that it can be certified a world record holder.

Once that is done, the catch should be approved as the world's largest blue catfish, replacing the current champion that was caught Jan. 16, 2004, in Lake Texoma, Texas, said Becky Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the association.

Pruitt's fish, measuring 58 inches long and 44 inches around, was swimming below the Melvin Price Lock and Dam on the Mississippi River at Alton on Saturday night when it grabbed Pruitt's line. The two struggled for more than a half hour, and at one point the fish dragged the boat carrying Pruitt, his wife and a friend before Pruitt could reel it in.

The fish was to be put on display in a tank at the Cabela's Outfitter store in Kansas City, Kan., but it died during transport, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Pruitt, 33, of Godfrey, Ill., told the (Peoria) Journal Star's outdoors columnist that he considered releasing the fish in the river but decided to donate it to Cabela's "because I thought it might be neat to give people a chance to see a fish that massive."

(Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. )


That beat the record by 40 pounds! wow! what pound test line was he using!


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Sled:
2001 yamaha Srx700 Triple

Quad:
2004 honda trx450Fe

Yea.....I saw that on my local news (he caught it about 45min from me) That was one UGLY fish!!!!!!!

Yea I seen it to. Caught it about 2 hours from me. That's a big catfish, you can bet there's a bigger one out there somewhere. I plan to spend a weekend on the Mississippi to try and find out.

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"My love for you is like a truck, BERZERKER"

That's a great story. We catch 30 pounders on the Red river in North Dakota and they give a pretty good fight. Can't immagine having 4 of them on my line at once. I bet that thing was just nasty looking.

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If you run, you will only die tired.

05 Grizzly in Hardwood camo with ITP C-Series (black) wheels and 26" Dirt Devils
Tracks on all four corners for the white stuff

04 Grizzly in wetland camo with 26" Dirt Devils and ITP wheels.
Pro Design foam filter and adaptor
Swisher bucket and plow

85 Honda ATC 250SX
Awsome ride.

Wow bet thats a BIG fish.

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04' Yamaha Bruin 4x4

25" Mud Lite XL tires

What a monster!!!

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85 Kawi 185(my first quad)
90 Kawi 400 Bayou
05 Kawi 650 Brute Force

80 RM 100
89 JR 50
02 KX 65

85 250R

They were going to put it in the cabelas aquarium but it died in transport.

I would guess that because it was so big that just being horsed around on land damaged the fish internally.

yea i did hear about that, would of been cool to have it in the aquarium, well, i'm guessing its going to the taxidermist?

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Sled:
2001 yamaha Srx700 Triple

Quad:
2004 honda trx450Fe

I bet the only reason it was being transported to Cabelas was because of money. The guy probably could have just let it go after weighing it, instead of trying to get it to Cabelas and get paid. Who knows for sure??

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"My love for you is like a truck, BERZERKER"

Oh yeah no doubt it was for money, he was getting paid big bucks so the public could see it, i do not know if they are going to still give him the money even after it died, they should because they offered, heck of a wall hanger though, that lucky taxidermist! i bet what their gonna do now is make copies of the fish at a taxidermy and put them in multiple stores, now having said that, he probably willl get paid.

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Sled:
2001 yamaha Srx700 Triple

Quad:
2004 honda trx450Fe

Ever hear about the Giant European Wels catfish? These have grown as large as 600 lbs. or more. With some nearing 1000 lbs. a possibility.

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2003 Bombardier Quest 650 XT........ If you love your freedom, thank a Veteran.

I haven't seen the catfish, but I've seen the Pike that go over a hundred pounds.

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If you run, you will only die tired.

05 Grizzly in Hardwood camo with ITP C-Series (black) wheels and 26" Dirt Devils
Tracks on all four corners for the white stuff

04 Grizzly in wetland camo with 26" Dirt Devils and ITP wheels.
Pro Design foam filter and adaptor
Swisher bucket and plow

85 Honda ATC 250SX
Awsome ride.

Quote

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Originally posted by: Starky
I haven't seen the catfish, but I've seen the Pike that go over a hundred pounds.

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I've seen some stories and pictures of Northerns like that in an old "In-Fisherman" magazine that I still have somewhere. Big European Northern Pike.

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2003 Bombardier Quest 650 XT........ If you love your freedom, thank a Veteran.

yeah one day im going to go to canada and pack a quad and head out and catch one of them monster pikes

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84 YT 125
selling

99 beartracker
full top and bottom rebuild

1997 yamaha warrior, it aint as fast as sum but it brings me home when i ask it

prm a arm skids
prm six pack rack.
works front shocks
homemade engine and swing arm skids

We grow some pretty big whitetails 'round these parts too. I hate hearing hunters say their dream whitetail hunt would be in Texas. Those deer down there field dress about what........100 lbs?

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'06 Cards. Red Means Go.

2005 Suzuki KingQuad 4x4 EFI
Warn 2.5ci Winch
26" Supergrip Superlight Tires
ITP C-Series Type 6 Rims
Dalton Clutch Kit
Twin Air Filter
Kimpex Type 3 Front Bumper
Alternate Caster Mod

Quote

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Originally posted by: RedGoblin
We grow some pretty big whitetails 'round these parts too. I hate hearing hunters say their dream whitetail hunt would be in Texas. Those deer down there field dress about what........100 lbs?

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I know what your saying. There are some monster bucks in Texas, but they are small in body. I have noticed that they are getting bigger in the body though, seems the suppliments are not only producing large racks, but also good sized deer as a whole. I think my dream hunt for whitetail would be up in Canada some where. I just dont like to hunt deer in weather that requires t-shirts. Temps around 20-30 are what I like to hunt in.

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"My love for you is like a truck, BERZERKER"

i agree MD, there are big bucks in alot of the the states they hide alot tho, i'd like to go hunt in canada some where....

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Sled:
2001 yamaha Srx700 Triple

Quad:
2004 honda trx450Fe

Quote

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Originally posted by: extremerider2811
i agree MD, there are big bucks in alot of the the states they hide alot tho, i'd like to go hunt in canada some where....

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Maybe we can get someone on here to invite us up to hunt, then we can return the favor. That would be sweet!

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"My love for you is like a truck, BERZERKER"

I would like to visit B.C.

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"My love for you is like a truck, BERZERKER"

Their was a catfish caught in Thailand recently that weighed 646 lbs. IT is on the espn.com site under outdoor news. Having trouble creating the link. check it out.


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2008 Suzuki King Quad 750

Previous bikes
2005 Yamaha Kodiak 450
2004 Suzuki Eiger

That is one big catfish. Wish they grew that big here. Mississippi river hydroelectric dam diver inspection stories notwithstanding.

646 Pound Catfish