Illinois Fisherman Catches 124-Pound Catfish

By Linda Orlando

Tim Pruitt, 33, of Godfrey, IL, was enjoying a leisurely Saturday evening relaxing with his wife and a friend on the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, fishing the area around the Melvin Price Lock and Dam, a favorite haven for big blue catfish. The Mississippi River is the mother of all catfish rivers, having produced most of the world’s largest blue catfish. That evening, unbeknownst to Pruitt, a new world record was about to be made.

Late Saturday night, Pruitt felt a strong strike on his line and prepared himself for working the fish and then reeling it in. But he soon realized this was no ordinary catfish. The two struggled for nearly an hour, and at one point it seemed as though the fish might win when it started dragging the boat carrying Pruitt and his fishing buddies. But Pruitt prevailed, and early Sunday morning, he reeled in a 124-pound blue catfish that measured 58 inches long and 44 inches around. Prior to Pruitt’s catch, the state record holder was only 85 pounds in size, and the world record holder was just 121 pounds, 8 ounces. A biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources measured and weighed the fish in the presence of a conservation police officer so that documentation of the whopping catch could be submitted to the International Game Fish Association to have Pruitt's catch certified as a world record holder. Once it is certified, the fish will be approved as the world’s largest blue catfish, replacing the current champion that was caught in 2004 in Lake Texoma, Texas.

Catching a fish the size of a 12-year old child is no easy feat, but Pruitt figured he didn’t need to eat catfish every week for the next couple of years. He considered releasing the fish back into the river, but decided that a better idea would be to keep the fish alive in a public place to share his catch with the world. So he donated the fish to sporting goods giant Cabela’s, and it will be on display in a tank at the Cabela’s Outfitter store in Kansas City, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Pruitt told reporters that he decided to donate it to Cabela’s "because I thought it might be neat to give people a chance to see a fish that massive."

UPDATE: Sadly, Pruitt probably regrets not having released his prize catfish. The day after this story was written, the fish died while being transported to the store by Cabela's employees. Perhaps Pruitt should consider hosting a fish fry for charity, so the mongo fish won't have given his life for the sole purpose of winning a world record.