# what woulda been the state record...



## mshutt

Sorry for the terrible quality of the picture...from a cell phone









If we would of known the state record was only 33 lbs...we would have this guy at the taxidermy and name in the record books. Weighed in at exactly 35.0 lbs on our digital scale...we threw it back thinking it was nothing close to a record catfish...kinda kickin ourselves in the face after we found out it woulda been the record :******:

Fun catch anyways!...got some nice picture's...but thats it 

We also caught a 30 lb, 28 lb, 2 25 lbers! it was a great day of fishing on saturday the 6th of june!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y

HUTT! You would! Nice fish!


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## barebackjack

Egads man!

NICE fish.


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## USAlx50

Nice fish shutty!!


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## ruger1

mshutt said:


> Sorry for the terrible quality of the picture...from a cell phone
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> If we would of known the state record was only 33 lbs...we would have this guy at the taxidermy and name in the record books. Weighed in at exactly 35.0 lbs on our digital scale...we threw it back thinking it was nothing close to a record catfish...kinda kickin ourselves in the face after we found out it woulda been the record :ticked:
> 
> Fun catch anyways!...got some nice picture's...but thats it
> 
> We also caught a 30 lb, 28 lb, 2 25 lbers! it was a great day of fishing on saturday the 6th of june!


Nice fish. You can still get it mounted for yourself. If you are interested I've got the calculations that you can get a pretty close estimate of the fish's size (lenght and girth) off the pic.  Then have a replica made of it.


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## mshutt

Thanks for the offer ruger, the fish was 44.5 inches...we didnt have a tape measure at the time, so we measured it from teh bottom of the rod up to one of the eyes and measured when we got home. We threw it back, and I couldnt take a replica mount, just wouldnt be the same! I'll try not lose the pictures though...they are good enough for me.....until we catch him again! :sniper: :beer:


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## barebackjack

haha!

The ND Game and Fish length/weight table doesnt even go up to 44 inches for catfish! 

It says a 38 incher is around 26 pounds though.


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## lunkerlander

What type of catfish was it? Channel or flathead?


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## Backwater Eddy

We have caught channels up to 42 pounds on the Canadian end so a 35 here is getting more doable every year, and especially this year.

With the extended high water levels of this spring the big sumo channel cats will migrate once again past the St. Andrews Dam at Lockport and head South in numbers. We are likely to see a banner year for sumo kitty's in the Northern Red of the Dakota's.

The Cat in the picture is a very large old male Channel Cat, and would easily be in the mid #30's with that length, girth, and mass. It had the classic *><,sUMo,>* look of a large migratory Red River of the North Canadian channel cat to me.

Great catch, and an even better release...well done.

_A replica mount is the only way to go on cats too by the way. Skin mounts do not work well and reputable taxidermists whom have tried them won't do them skin mount because of that...do a replica if you wish one._


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## ruger1

mshutt said:


> Thanks for the offer ruger, the fish was 44.5 inches...we didnt have a tape measure at the time, so we measured it from teh bottom of the rod up to one of the eyes and measured when we got home. We threw it back, *and I couldnt take a replica mount, just wouldnt be the same! *I'll try not lose the pictures though...they are good enough for me.....until we catch him again! :sniper: :beer:


You are correct about that. Replicas are way better than the real thing. It wouldn't be the same. Please reconsider a replica over a skin. There is no reason to kill such an old fish. He deserves more respect than that.


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## mshutt

The previous record was in 1991 according to NDGF...18 years since one bigger has been caught....wow do i feel even more stupid...you say up north huh? well from where we were...we still got about 70 miles of river till we reach canuck borders!! If only there was more free time in an outdoorsmans life...

This may be a stupid question, but ive never caught a catfish when its spawning...or maybe i have and just didnt know it? WHEN do catfish actually spawn?


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## Backwater Eddy

That big Ol sumo boy you caught, and released, will be pick'n out a site to nest in the next few weeks. Generally it will start about the 3rd week in June +/- a week.

Mr. Sumo's plan will be to find a nice undercut bank, large stump, or a cozy snag...then try to lure a sweet Miss Kitty to come on in and get jiggy with him in his new crib. After that little get together..she splits..and Mr. Sumo hunkers down and sits on the nest of eggs for 11 days or so tell they hatch out. Then the new brood of little sumo's will ball up to head out on there own. Dad then moseys away and gets back to feeding again, as he has not feed at all while on the nest.

That's basically everything ya ever wanted to know about catfish sex life, but were afraid to ask.

Oh....and Mr. Sumo there...odds are good he has been doing his thing for well over 30 years already, likely more. That's a lot of new little sumo's.

And thanks to you, he will get to pass it along a few more years.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y

:lol:

That was awsome!

He is banging under a tree as we speak!


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## mshutt

I was literally laughing the entire time reading that. You know what you would be a professional at Eddy?....Sex Ed...Think about it. You could make millions hahaha

So what your really trying to say is...dont miss a day of fishing the first few weeks in July because "sumo" will be hungry as hell for frogs and either a treble hook or a circle jerker hook?


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## MT_catter

there is some great info in there that i never new! i belive in one hundred percent catch and realse of any cat over five pounds. I know Cats can be very tasty but anything bigger than five they start getting to fatty...congrats on the great catches!


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## Backwater Eddy

mshutt don't kick yourself too much for letting Mr. Sumo go...you know what you did, if it's in the record books or not...B*F*D really, you caught and released a true Monarch fish.

The fact you released Mr. Sumo just doubles your accomplishment in my eye's bud.

Definitely send it in as a CP&R for Channel catfish in ND, and also register it in the In-Fisherman awards program for Region 1 Channel Catfish too, get the witness confirmation and details...besides the C&R patch is way better then the rinky-dink kept award parch anyway.

An 8 by 10 photo and a nice C&R patch and maybe a Region 1 IN-Fisherman Master Angler award medal and certificate, will look just as good on the wall. A replica of a 40" plus class Cat is not cheap, but they sure look good.

_FYI: Just so you know, a good high quality replica will run you about $600 +/- for a Channel cat with those dimensions. More or less about $12.50 an inch._


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## Matt Vanderpan

I would check your scale with a fixed weight. I have caught hundreds of Channels and unless you are Andre the Giant that fish looks like it is about 36" and 22 lbs to me.

Not trying to be the naysayer but it is still one heck of a fish!

We have been very successful in the past week too with most of our fish being in the 17-21 lb range.


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## Backwater Eddy

It' s much larger then you think Matt, 22 lbs is a way low ball estimate on that fish. It's obviously longer than 36", and it's mass and girth would push it far past 22 lbs even at 36", and it's easily longer then that.

I have caught many thousands of cats over 22 lbs on the Red here stateside and in Canada, and that is larger without a doubt in my mind. I have seen cats barely 33" go over 30 lbs, so mass/girth has everything to do with weight on sumo channels.

I was not there, and I didn't see the fish, tape/rod measurement, or the scale...but straight up...as I see it... it's appears to me far larger then your guess.

Never the less I do agree...it's a very nice fish.


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## mshutt

Matt...I am 6' 4...so does that consider me andre the giant? :lol:


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## Backwater Eddy

Well at least he doesn't appear to have 10 pound fingers in that pic.

:roll: * LOL!*

Elbows are at his side and forearms angled upwards...so... it's no Long Arm Bassmaster photo...so the proportions are not goofy and makes for a more trustworthy picture to work with.

Actually, in my book, it is a good example on how to C&R photo a big cat and keep the shot honest.

FYI: In Canada for instance to qualify a C&R master cat over 40" you would also need a point of reference in the shot next to the cat. Like a can of coke....pack of cigarettes...something "Known" in size. This would be needed along with a witness verification to confirm authenticity to record it in the books as a C&R Master Class sumo.


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