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A new fishing record in Michigan has been set by an Indiana man. The fisherman caught a 53-pound flathead catfish while fishing on the St. Joe River, according to the Detroit Free Press. Check out a photo of the fish below.
Lloyd Tanner, from Hobart, Indiana, went fishing early on Sunday, May 29, and caught the 53.33-pound, record-breaking catfish. Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials say the previous record for a flathead catfish caught in Michigan was 52.52 pounds and 46.02 inches long. That fish was caught in Barron Lake in Cass County.
Tanner said specifically travels to Michigan every weekend to fish with his friends in the Michigan Catfish Anglers Trail, an amateur fishing club, because of the massive fish that can be found here. “I’ve been fishing [in] Michigan for almost 30 years,” he said. “What draws me to Michigan is fishing for big catfish.”
"We have several fun tournaments that anyone who enjoys fishing for catfish can come out and fish," he added.
To qualify for the state record, a fish must exceed the current recorded weight and be verified by the DNR fisheries biologist. To check out a full list of the state record fish in Michigan, and to learn more about qualifying for a record, go here.