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MFF US Northeast => Massachusetts => Topic started by: bogtrotter on Sep 16, 2021, 09:09 PM

Title: New Catfish Record
Post by: bogtrotter on Sep 16, 2021, 09:09 PM
A white catfish caught in Connecticut last month has smashed a state record and could also be a world record for the species — though the evidence has been eaten.

Ben Tomkunas, 25, caught the 21.3-pound fish late at night in Coventry on Aug. 21. It was longer than 3 feet.

Connecticut Fish and Wildlife confirmed in a Facebook post that the catch was a white catfish and that it easily broke the previous state record for the species of 12.7 pounds.

“We were just sitting back and drinking a couple of beers and next thing you know, my reel just starts screaming like I had a 30-pound striper on there,” Tomkunas, of Coventry, told the Hartford Courant.

Tomkunas’ friend, Chris Braga, had a digital scale and took a photo of the fish coming in at the record-breaking weight.

The International Game Fish Association has recorded the world record for a white catfish catch to be 19.3 pounds for a fish caught in 2005 in California.

White catfish are one of several species of catfish in Connecticut, and officials said they scrutinized this catch to confirm it was not a channel catfish, which are generally larger. Other species of catfish, like blue catfish or catfish found in Asia, can dwarf the white catfish.

The fish are native to the coastal river systems in the Eastern United States, and have spread to the rest of the country.

Tomkunas said he intends to submit a claim to the association to secure the new world record. But he also told the newspaper that he gave the fish to his grandfather the next morning.

“It kind of got eaten,” he said.


Title: Re: New Catfish Record
Post by: westernmas on Sep 17, 2021, 09:30 AM
Pretty impressive.  Ya never know what you will catch out of the CT.
Title: Re: New Catfish Record
Post by: lowaccord66 on Sep 18, 2021, 02:50 PM
A friend who is well versed in Cats pointed out from the pic that it was a channel cat. Said something about the chin barbles.  Either way impressive fish. 
Title: Re: New Catfish Record
Post by: lowaccord66 on Sep 27, 2021, 03:29 PM
This makes me laugh as the local news started suggesting it was a possible world record...


(https://i.postimg.cc/G4pJCtPV/vmacocss05-1267468941659-1-0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/G4pJCtPV)
Title: Re: New Catfish Record
Post by: filetandrelease on Sep 27, 2021, 05:12 PM

 Oops lol
Title: Re: New Catfish Record
Post by: lowaccord66 on Sep 28, 2021, 06:07 AM
Our fish bios are newly minted apparently!
Title: Re: New Catfish Record
Post by: taxid on Oct 06, 2021, 08:20 PM
White catfish have a slightly forked tail, which can disappear completely as they get older and larger. Channel catfish have a fork that is far more distinguished and is not known for disappearing with time.

for me the pics isnt good enough to make judgment.  they surely should know the difference though.

Tim one of ours didn't. He thought an angler had caught a new record bullhead (can't remember which one). Turned out to be a channel cat.