Angler reels in monster catfish – and breaks his own state record. See the catch
A Tennessee fisherman has broken his own state record after reeling in a monster blue catfish, wildlife officials announced.
Micka Burkhart was fishing on the Cumberland River on June 28 in one of his favorite spots when he felt the familiar tug of a fish on the line.
“It didn’t spool me, but it pulled lots of drag,” Burkhart told WZTV. “I got the fish to the boat at least six times and then it would take off for the bottom again.”
Burkhart was back in a familiar spot. In September 2022, he was fishing about 100 yards away when he pulled in a 118-pound blue catfish, WZTV reported.
Last year’s catch was a state record, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
The record was in place for more than 24 years before Burkhart blew it out of the water, WVTC reported. The 1998 record blue catfish was also caught on the Cumberland River.
“When I saw the fish the first time there was no doubt he was as big, or bigger, than the other fish,” Burkhart told WZTV. “I was shaking, I was nervous — very few people get to ever catch a record fish, much less break a state record twice.”
But when he finally landed the catfish, it was obvious it was another champion.
Weighing in at 122.3 pounds and measuring 57.5 inches long and 42.25 inches around, it was another state record.
Officials with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said in a June 28 Facebook post the record was pending verification and certification, but it “will be a new Tennessee record.”
Burkhart brought the fish, which he kept alive in the live well of his boat, to Who Dat Processing, the same place that weighed his fish last year.
“I had everyone’s phone number saved, so yeah, this time I knew exactly what to do,” he told WZTV.
He was met by a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency biologist to witness the catch and certify the species.
Once all the measurements were taken, Burkhart returned to the river to put the fish back in the water.
Due to the proximity of the catch from a year ago and the relatively similar weights, Burkhart thinks it’s possibly the same fish.
“Absolutely,” he told WZTV. “Of course, I can’t say for sure, but if it is the same fish, it’s even more exciting because it proves more than ever that CPR works.”
CPR, an acronym for catch, photograph and release, is a technique used by anglers to enjoy the game of fishing but also maintain fish populations, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
With the 122-pounder, Burkhart also caught a 72-pound and a 69-pound blue catfish while out on the water, he said in a Facebook post.
Blue catfish are native to the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Rio Grande rivers and their tributaries, according to NOAA Fisheries. They are popular among anglers due to their strength and reputation as a “savvy fish that are a good challenge.”
Burkhart is a resident of Big Rock, just a few miles from the Cumberland River, and about 75 northwest of Nashville.
