Florida fisherman catches 120-pound ‘granddaddy of all catfish'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The blue catfish weighed in at 120 pounds, the FWC said. (FWC photo by Rebekah Nelson)
A Florida fisherman recently caught a 120-pound blue catfish in the state’s panhandle, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) announced on Monday.
While fishing on the Choctawhatchee River, Joel Singletary snagged the massive creature on his trotline. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to pull it onto his boat, but then the “adrenaline kicked in enabling him to pull the behemoth fish onboard,” according to the FWC.
The "granddaddy of all catfish" weighed 120 pounds — 1.7 times more than the current state record of nearly 70 pounds, the FWC said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The man caught the massive fish on a trotline. Despite its size, this is why it does not qualify to break the state record. (FWC photo by Rebekah Nelson)
While the fish is large enough to break the record, Singletary’s catch does not qualify as one because it was caught on a trotline, according to the FWC.
However, the fisherman was still awarded a “Big Catch" certificate because the blue catfish weighed more than 25 pounds.
A representative for the FWC was not immediately available for additional comment when contacted by Fox News on Wednesday.