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| Blue Catfish Weight: 98 lbs Length: 54 1/2" Girth: Angler: B.J. Nabors Caught at: Lake Texoma -Murray23 which is the Tishomingo arm of the lake. Bait/Lure: whole shad from the bank Method: 20 lb. test on a 12 foot Eagle Claw pole Record Date: November 11, 2004 |
| Previous Blue Catfish Weight: 87 lbs.-4 oz. Length: 53" Girth: 35 1/4" Angler: Rusty Keeton of Ardmore Caught at: Lake Texoma (near Briar Creek on the Southcentral Oklahoma Reservoir) Bait/Lure: shad gizzards Method: 25 lb. test Record Date: March 16, 2003 |
| Previous Record - Blue Catfish Weight: 85 lbs.-4 oz. Length: 52" Girth: 38" Angler: Dale Dennis Caught at: Lake Ellsworth Bait/Lure: Method: Record Date: December 14, 1999 |
| Flathead Catfish Weight: 72 lbs. - 8 oz. Length: 51 1/4 inches Girth: 35 inches Angler: Ron "Barefoot" Cantrell of El Reno Caught at: El Reno Lake Bait/Lure: gizzard shad Method: using a balloon as a bobber/sail Record Date: May 20, 2004 |
| Oklahoma - State Record Flathead Catfish Caught at El Reno Lake Admittedly, state record fish are sometimes caught by accident. Occasionally fortune smiles on some lucky angler, like the fisherman who recently caught a state record walleye while catfishing or the state record smallmouth buffalo that was caught while the angler was fishing for walleye last year. However, more often than not, skilled and knowledgeable anglers catch record fish. Ron “Barefoot” Cantrell of El Reno is the perfect example. He now holds the state rod and line record for flathead catfish with a 72-pound, 8-ounce brute of a fish he caught from El Reno Lake. |
| “I’ve met a lot of catfishermen over the years and he is the best one I know,” said Ron Comer, state game warden stationed in Canadian County. “It doesn’t surprise me one bit he broke the record.” Cantrell uses a refined technique of catfishing, which incorporates a balloon that serves as both a bobber and a sail to drift his bait far from shore to “where the big boys are.” Although conventional wisdom among flathead anglers have long preached the use of live baits such as sunfish, goldfish or shad, Cantrell prefers cut shad. He hooked the record fish on a large gizzard shad head the evening of May 20 nearly 100 yards from shore. “As soon as I got a look at it I told my fishing buddy to get a tape measure. He was sure enough a big one,” Cantrell said. Cantrell certainly knows what a big flathead looks like. In October of 2002 Cantrell hooked a flathead that was just a few ounces shy of the state record. After landing the big fish, it was several hours before the fish was officially weighed and measured. Fish held on a stringer for long periods tend to loose weight, however. Had he secured a big enough State Department of Agriculture certified scale in the vicinity sooner, it’s likely his 2002 fish could have topped the existing record of 71 pounds. Just missing the mark by a few ounces didn’t deter the angler. Some 19 months and dozens of big flatheads later, Cantrell’s persistence and unique angling skills finally paid off. “I was personally happy for Barefoot to finally get the record after getting so close before,“ said Comer. “He not only knows how to catch the big ones, but he puts in a lot of days out there (at El Reno Lake) throughout the year.” The new state record fish measures 35 inches around and 51 1/4 inches in length and was weighed on certified scales at Ross Seed Company in El Reno. A 72 and a half pound fish would have been enough excitement in one night for most anglers, but not Cantrell. “I couldn’t stop fishing when they were just starting to bite,” Cantrell said. That same night he caught two more flatheads weighing 45 and 68 pounds. Anyone who catches a stringer of three fish that weigh 185 pounds is either very lucky or very good. But none of them were keepers at least not for Cantrell. “I nearly always let them go so they can grow up a little. I only keep a few to eat every year,” he said. As for the new record flathead - it has been transported to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. It is hoped that the fish will be on display in coming weeks. Barry Bolton, assistant fisheries chief for the Wildlife Department says Cantrell’s release practice is commendable. “It is great to hear that these big fish are going back into the lake,” Bolton said. “After all, a 40-pound fish may be up to 30 years old, and a 60-pound fish may be up to 40 years old.” The previous flathead record of 71 pounds was set by James Skipper who pulled the catfish from Oologah Lake in May of 1998. For a complete list of record fish and the procedures regarding certifying state record fish, consult the “2004 Oklahoma Fishing Guide.” If you think you may have hooked a record fish it is important that you weigh the fish on an Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture certified scale and the weight is verified by a Wildlife Department employee. ODWC |
| Previous Flathead Catfish Weight: 71 lbs. Length: 49" Girth: 37" Angler: James Skipper Caught at: Oologah Lake Bait/Lure: Method: Record Date: May 14, 1998 |
| Channel Catfish Weight: 35 lbs - 15 oz. Length: 39 1/4" Girth: 26 1/4" Angler: Gary Doak Jr. Caught at: Taft Lake west of Muskogee Bait/Lure: 2" plastic Sunfish bait in 10-12' of water Method: Caught while Bass fishing Record Date: September 11, 2005 |
| Previous Channel Catfish Weight: 34 lbs.-11 oz. Length: 34.25 inches Girth: 25 inches Angler: Barry Bond of Clinton, OK Caught at: Canton Lake Bait/Lure: Method: Record Date: May 16, 2002 Full Story - HERE |
| Black Bulhead Catfish Weight: 6 lbs. - 13 oz. Length: 18 5/8 inches Girth: 17 3/4 inches Angler: Gary Cole Caught at: Jackson County Pond Bait/Lure: Method: Record Date: April 23, 2002 |
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