NILES, Mich. (AP) —NILES, Mich. (AP) — A southwestern Michigan fisherman's nearly 50-pound catfish catch is one for the record books, state officials announced Monday. A southwestern Michigan fisherman's nearly 50-pound catfish catch is one for the record books, state officials announced Monday.
NILES, Mich. (AP) — A southwestern Michigan fisherman’s nearly 50-pound catfish catch is one for the record books, state officials announced Monday.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said it confirmed that the flathead catfish caught by Rodney Akey, of Niles, broke a nearly 70-year-old state record. The 49.8-pound, 45.7-inch fish was reeled in May 22 on the St. Joseph River in Berrien County while Akey was fishing from land.
“I’ve been fishing catfish on the St. Joseph River for the last 20 years, but it never crossed my mind that I would catch a state record,” Akey said in a statement.
The previous state record flathead catfish was caught by Elmer Rayner of Hastings on the Maple River in Ionia County on Aug. 6, 1943, the DNR said. That fish weighed in at 47.5 pounds and measured 44 inches.
According to the state, its fish records are recognized by weight only. The flathead catfish record was verified by a DNR fisheries biologist at the agency’s Plainwell office.
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