IGFA Confirms 5-year-old Angler’s Catfish Record
OutdoorHub Reporters 10.27.15
Earlier this month, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) certified a 28-pound, 8-ounce flathead catfish caught by five-year-old Luke Harvell as the new record for that species in the 50-pound line class. The young angler caught the fish in North Carolina’s High Rock Lake on July 19 while fishing with his dad. The two had been fishing specifically to break the record after Harvell’s father, Ricky Harvell, noticed that the previous IGFA record for flathead in that line class was only about 16 pounds.
“We had moved around a lot, fishing different places, and the place we caught him was our last spot. We were fishing close to the Highway 8 ramp, about halfway between the ramp and the bridge. We were there about 30 minutes before he bit,” Ricky Harvell told North Carolina Sportsman.
Posted by Eagle Claw Fishing on Thursday, October 22, 2015
The large flathead was a formidable challenge for any angler, but for a five-year-old, it proved to be a battle of titanic proportions. Harvell coached his son throughout the entire 7-minute fight and recalled at one point that Luke was struggling, but IGFA rules forbade him from helping during the catch of a record fish. Thankfully for both anglers, the fight was over shortly and Ricky pulled in a flathead almost as big as he was.
“When he saw the fish, he said, ‘It’s a monster! It’s a monster!’” Ricky recalled.
You can see part of the fight below:
A big congratulations to this young angler and his potential World Record flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)! The IGFA also applauds his father/videographer for stressing the importance of following IGFA rules and ethical angling practices upon his son at a young age. Need to brush up on IGFA rules? IGFA’s International Angling Rules are available online in seven different languages: https://igfa.org/Fish/INTERNATIONAL-ANGLING-RULES.aspx.
Posted by IGFA on Wednesday, July 29, 2015
“A big congratulations to this young angler and his potential World Record flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)! The IGFA also applauds his father/videographer for stressing the importance of following IGFA rules and ethical angling practices upon his son at a young age,” IGFA stated on its Facebook page.
Of course, that potential record has now been certified, and with 12 pounds over the previous record, the Harvells are hoping their fish keeps the title for some time to come.
