19-year-old fisherman sets Texas state record with massive 31-pound flathead catfish
Better late than never.
A teen angler managed to nab a whopper of a flathead catfish back in April and also scored a Texas state record while he was at it – although it wasn’t made official until last week.
Jacob Land from Fredericksburg caught a 30-plus pound, 41-inch flathead catfish on April 7 with the help of his friend Austin Scheider, the angler said to MySA.
“I saw it and said, ‘Oh my God’ to Austin. He didn’t believe me when I said it was huge,” Land said to MySA. “I knew it was a big one. It was pretty cool.”
Inland Fisheries San Antionio District told MySA that while plenty of big flatheads have been caught, there wasn’t a water-body record for the catfish prior to Land’s.
“Even without a previous record, this is still a very impressive flathead catfish,” the district told MySA.
People flocked to the District’s Facebook page to marvel at Land’s catch, most commenting “wow!” under the photo of Land holding up his prize.
According to Texas Park and Wildlife, when a flathead catfish reaches 10 inches or more, their diet “consists of entirely fish: shad, carp, suckers, sunfish, largemouth bass and other catfish (including their own kind).”
It’s not uncommon for flathead catfish to pack on the pounds.
“Typically, the largest fish are caught by trotliners, who have landed specimens in excess of 110 pounds,” Texas Park and Wildlife said. “Rod and reel anglers may have the greatest success with flathead catfish just below reservoir dams. Because of their popularity with anglers, they have been introduced in many other states where they have adapted well.”
Last year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared fishing and hunting as essential activities in the state, Lone Star Outdoor News reported.
This story was originally published July 26, 2021 at 9:52 AM with the headline "19-year-old fisherman sets Texas state record with massive 31-pound flathead catfish."