"Catfish Gives Fisherman a Record Story to Tell" - Photo 1 of 2

Tommy Couch, Howe, Okla.
Oklahoma Rod-and-Reel State Record Flathead Catfish
Weight: 76 lb. • Length: 51 1/2" • Girth: 58 1/4”

The Lowdown: Couch met up with a few buddies below the dam on Wister Lake in Wister, Okla., on the morning of June 13. He caught a 10-inch blue catfish, then tossed his line into a deep hole a few feet from the bank, and about 10 minutes later the monster bit. About 100 people witnessed the 45-minute fight, Couch said. The angler didn’t have to pull the record fish into the boat alone: His friend’s Yorkie-Schnauzer pulled on the fish’s fin right out of the water to help.

Bait Used: Red worm

Previous Record: 72 pounds, 8 ounces

Quotable: “It’s a big ol’ booger. He came up and look like a big ol’ shark.” — Couch

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