Massive catfish caught, released at Kansas lake

[The Straight Story]

Massive catfish caught, released at Kansas lake

EL DORADO, Kan. (AP) - Kansas wildlife officials say they caught a flathead catfish weighing at least 80 pounds last week El Dorado Lake in southeast Kansas while measuring and weighing fish.

Craig Johnson, the lake's fisheries biologist, says the flathead was caught Friday while he and others were electro-fishing at the lake. They send jolts of electricity into the water to stun blue catfish, which are weighed and then released back into the water.

The shocking boat was in water about 30 feet deep over the old Walnut River channel when the flathead floated to the surface. It was placed in a tub of water until it recovered and then released.

The Wichita Eagle reports that a 123-pound catfish was caught at Elk City Lake in 1998.

http://www.ksnt.com/news/state/story/Massive-catfish-caught-released-at-Kansas-lake/YUXwU_GLY0iC38Ckf-U9UA.cspx?rss=2185&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Ah, those evil govt workers out doing their jobs - we better cut their jobs so we can afford gas for half the day in Iraq for our tanks.

A little story. But when you consider how many more people like this we could hire and put to good use, for just a few days of war, it seems like a bigger story (and yeah, I know they are not fed employees but that money could still be used in grants to states for public projects we could all benefit from).

[yellerpup]

1. Good thing they didn't find it while noodling!

Electro-fishing. Sounds like torture. Fish have nerves, too.

[Enrique]

2. don't taze me, bro!

[KittyWampus]

3. Perfect! You Win.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Absolutely. Unbeatable.

[The Straight Story]

15. We need someone to pick up the DUzy mantle :) (nt)

[yellerpup]

16. You're quick!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[dipsydoodle]

9. Knocks them out

but its a quick way of clearing a water if necessary and appears to have no lasting ill effects on the fish.

[yellerpup]

14. Thanks!

I did not know that. :hi:

[dipsydoodle]

4. 80lb is a tiddler

European Rod caught record @ 226lbs : http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/1198-Record-Giant-Catfish-Caught-In-Spain.html

[thereismore]

12. That's a Wels catfish. They don't live in the US. Our channels cats and blue cats don't measure up.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Wasn't sure what you'd got but

when I was out on Lake Cumberland KY back in 2002 I asked my friend's dad how big the cats were in there and he said "bigger than you !" and laughed. So - I assumed you'd got the same as us over here. I've got friends who fish for Wels out in the French and Spanish rivers where they've got the biggies.

[NNN0LHI]

5. Illinois Department of Natural Resources came and shocked the small lake here about 20 years ago

A 38 inch northern pike floated up.

Don

[Occulus]

7. I caught a 32" pike when I was a kid

THAT was a feat for me, I think I was eight years old. Fun pulling it in, though.

Tasty, too. :)

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Piker.

Try musky fishing some tim.

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

6. I want to see its birth certificate

or at least a picture. ;-)

[Maine-ah]

11. fish story

it didn't happen if you don't have a pic of the big fish.

sorry...internal joke with the hubby who loves to fish for Bass.