Massive 122-pound catfish caught in Tennessee breaks state record
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) confirmed that Micka Burkhart, 44, of Big Rock, Tennessee, caught a catfish that weighed 122 pounds and three ounces.
Burkhart caught the record-breaking catfish from the Cumberland River, and it measured 57.5 inches in length and 42.5 inches in girth, according to a press release issued on Thursday, July 13.
The TWRA explained that Burkhart caught his latest record breaker on Wednesday, June 28, but the certification and official record process was completed on Tuesday, July 11.
"This whole situation with this fish has been so amazing. It's hard to put into words how I feel," Burkhart wrote to Fox News Digital in a Facebook message on Friday.
"The attention has been a little overwhelming, but I take one day at a time," he continued.
Burkhart’s current record catfish outweighed the 118-pound catfish he caught from the Barkley Reservoir in September 2022 by four pounds and three ounces, according to the TWRA.
Both of Burkhart’s record catfish were reportedly released.
"I'm definitely so grateful that the good Lord blessed me not once but twice with a fish of a lifetime," Burkhart wrote.
Blue catfish are a coastal and inland fish that can be found in many states throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries.
The NOAA reports that blue catfish have a lifespan that’s typically between nine and 10 years, but some have lived up to 25 years.
On average, blue catfish are less than two feet in length, though some can grow to five feet, according to the NOAA.
In terms of appearance, blue catfish are silvery-blue in color with a white belly, and they have smooth skin that lacks scales, according to the NOAA.
The species can also be identified by their flat dorsal fins, deeply forked tails, and four pairs of black whisker-like barbels around their mouths.
Blue catfish have become a popular game fish because the species has been shown to be "strong," "savvy," and "a good challenge," according to the NOAA.
The world’s largest blue catfish caught on record weighed 143 pounds. It was reeled in from Kerr Lake, located between North Carolina and Virginia, in 2011, according to records kept by the International Game Fish Association, a nonprofit organization that maintains angling records.
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