Giant Catfish

[jeepster]

general sherman it was

[Newt]

MrMatthew:

... Not exactly fair on the fish!

Being Fair ...

To a fish ...

With a brain about acorn size or smaller and mostly devoted to operating the body!!

 

Interesting idea I suppose. Err - how do you find out what the fish thinks is 'fair'?

 

Shame it can't be seen alive by people though. That would have been great.

 

Shame it couldn't have been put back so other anglers would know there was a huge beastie in the water they might catch - although at that size the fish was probably old enough to be near the end of it's life span.

 

[ 27. May 2005, 12:23 AM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Peter Waller]

Or being fair to other anglers, giving them a chance, or the dream, of catching a record.

[Peter M]

This is actually a disgraceful story and one that puts fishing in a very bad light. I wonder what would have the reaction in the angling community if a record pike had died in similar circumstances. They should have just put it back if they couldn’t take it to an aquarium safely.

[argyll]

Peter M I suspect its a 50-50 call. If the cat had made it in good health to the huge aquarium that cabelas had no doubt prepared (they never do things by halves) then the angling and non angling public would have been satisfied.

Sadly it died and everyone's view of keeping fish in captivity changed completely.

 

I mentioned it before but Dick Walkers carp in the London Zoo aquarium was a source of inspiration to me and probably thousands of kids(and the not so young) to go out and catch big fish. I talked my dad and grandad into taking me at least a dozen times. Clarissa died of old age and in reasonably good nick, no doubt treated as a pet by the keepers and fed on a decent diet with not a boilie in sight and her mouth intact from only being caught once. Back in Redmire, its hard to say what her future might have been.

 

So far as future chances of a new record catfish, you have to see the sheer size of the river to appreciate the 'needle in a haystack' feel that you get. An inevitably even bigger cat is just waiting for some lucky angler to catch it.

 

I've just got back from a fishing trip and my bed is calling, but later I'll check this out.

I think that the previous record from Lake Texoma is in a Texas aquarium somewhere, having survived the trip. Americans have a different perspective which appears to be only just changing and caused by having far too many fish and far too many great fishing spots. Trophy fish are still the big thing and if cabelas hadnt done this deal, I can well imagine that this particular catfish might have been immediately banged on the head. Cabelas might just have been its saviour. Having said all of that, I know how you feel.

 

[ 27. May 2005, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[BREAMAGAIN]

Newt , being "fair" to a fish is surely allowing it to live regardless of it's brain size , sounds like it's brain is similar to American anglers.

[Newt]

Newt , being "fair" to a fish is surely allowing it to live regardless of it's brain size

 

BREAMAGAIN - Horses for courses. US Catfish are usually taken for the table when they are smaller and this one is only special because of it's size.

 

But by your definition of 'fair' then any of us who take fish for the table or who use live bait are routinely 'unfair' to fish. I think that whole thing is a debate that won't have any ending because of views on eating fish and using live bait. Some do, some don't, some don't but have no objections if others do.

 

sounds like it's brain is similar to American anglers.

 

That was totally uncalled for.

 

Our angling practices are often different than those in the UK but so are the conditions.

[Peter Waller]

I think Newt's last post summs it all up. Different ships, different cap bands.

 

Don't let on, America is way behind us!! We are a nation of cat lovers, and have been, seemingly, for ever.

[argyll]

The story of the old US catfish record

 

The fish was 121 1/2 pounds and was pulled out of Lake Texoma on January 16, 2004 by 27-year-old Cody Mullennix.

According to ESPN he was fishing on the Texas side of the reservoir, which is on the Texas-Oklahoma line, when he pulled out the 60-inch beauty.

The fish set several world records as well as some Texas state records.

Earlier in the day he caught a 56-pound blue catfish but released it.

Lucky for the fish, Mullennix is a catch-and-release fan.

He kept the hardy fish alive and donated it to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas, where it is swimming happily in a huge aquarium.

Authorities there say they intend to return it someday to the waters of Lake Texoma.

 

[ 27. May 2005, 07:07 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[Jeff S]

Well put Newt.