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Lake Texoma blue catfish
potential world record!!! If there
was ever any debate - it’s over now. Lake Texoma is the top blue catfish
fishery in the region, if not the world.
Texas angler Cody Mullennix caught a
121-pound, eight-ounce blue catfish on the Texas side of Lake Texoma. The
massive fish was caught on Jan. 16, and measured a full 60 inches long. He
caught the fish using a three-inch dead shad on an 8/0 circle hook and was
outfitted with 20-pound test line.
Anglers have long known about the trophy
blue cat potential at Lake Texoma. In fact the lake is home to two separate
Oklahoma state records.
Dan Grider holds the Oklahoma unrestricted
division record with a 118-pound, eight-ounce monster blue caught on a
jugline in 1988 at Texoma.
Rusty Keeton holds the Oklahoma rod and line
record with an 87-pound, four-ounce blue caught in 2003 at Texoma. Keeton’s
fish is a favorite with visitors to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. Just
hours after being caught the big blue was transported to the Durant State
Fish Hatchery where it was held for a number of days to ensure its health.
Fisheries personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
then transported the monster to its permanent home at the Oklahoma Aquarium.
“She’s just an amazing fish and really
steals the show,” said John Money, curator of Life Sciences at the Oklahoma
Aquarium. “She feeds regularly and seems to have even filled out some since
she was brought to us.”
Like Keeton’s record catch, Mullennix’s fish
will be on public display at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center’s aquarium
in Athens in several weeks.
Pending certification, Mullennix’s big
catfish will break several records
including:
The International Game Fish Association's
20-pound line class record - previously George A. Lijewski held the record
with a 1091/4-pound blue catfish landed at South Carolina's Cooper River in
March 1991.
The International Game Fish Association's
all-tackle record - previously Charles Ashley Jr. held the record with a 116
3⁄4 pound blue catfish landed from the Mississippi River in Arkansas in
August 2001.
The Texas rod-and-reel record - previously
Reyes Martinez held the record with a 100-pound blue catfish landed at Lake
Texoma in March 2000.
The Texas unrestricted state record blue
catfish - previously C.D. Martindale held the record with a 116-pound blue
catfish landed at Texoma from a trotline in April 1985.
Those fishing Lake Texoma need either an
Oklahoma or Texas annual fishing license, depending on which state's waters
they will be fishing, or anglers can purchase a Lake Texoma Fishing License
for $12.00. The Lake Texoma license is valid for fishing on both the Oklahoma
and Texas portions of the lake.
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