FishRook
Tennessee angler Micka Burkhart caught and released a brute of a blue cat last weekend that should easily replace the current state record for the species. Although Burkhart is still waiting on record verification and certification by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the 118-pound, 7-ounce catfish he caught on Sept. 24 outweighs the current record by more than 6 pounds.
Burkhart caught the catfish around noon on Saturday while fishing with his wife on the Cumberland River in Stewart County, according to News Channel 9. He was using a Mad Katz rod rigged with 30-pound-test and a Gamakatsu 8/0 hook baited with a three-inch skipjack. After battling the catfish for a solid 45 minutes, Burkhart hauled the fish into the boat with some help from his wife. Then he borrowed a 110-pound scale from another angler on the river and promptly maxed it out. Well aware that the current state-record blue cat weighed 112 pounds, Burkhart realized his fish could very well surpass…
