World Record Channel Catfish - The One Place Left to Catch One

Рет қаралды 26,474

Ай бұрын

The most popular catfish in America is the channel catfish. Fishing for channel catfish has become a popular pastime for many catfish fishermen. The world record for a channel catfish has stood for almost 60 year since it was caught by WH Whatley on Santee Cooper in 1964. The world record channel catfish tipper the scale at a whopping 58 pounds and since that day few channel catfish have topped the 50 pound mark. The channel catfish world record will be hard to beat, but there may be a place where it can be done and we talk about it in this video.
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Пікірлер: 80

@davidheine2782 Ай бұрын

I got a 44lb channel in calif in 1995 and it holds the 16lb line class IGFA world record. They are out there, thats for sure 👍

@ray2304 Ай бұрын

Clearlake in Northern Californias record is 34# lots of unofficial weights of 40s weighed all the time. My best is 28.2 I did weigh a 47 in lake Berryessa last year for a guy fishing next to me, there's definitely 50s in there. Lots of trout to eat and not much pressure...thanks for the content your info is really helpful!

@HomesickforAlaska Ай бұрын

We used to catch many channel catfish when I was a kid in the late 60's in the Columbia River and its tributaries in Eastern Washington but even back then a very large Channel Cat was only in the 20lb class.

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

It’s interesting how in some areas they just don’t grow very large.

@justinbentley1026 Ай бұрын

I like these species specific informative videos. They will help someone learn more about the best fish. As a professional biologist, I also learn from them.

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

When are we putting chicken, shrimp and mussels in a spectrometer and analyzing them?!?! 🤣😆😆

@justinbentley1026 Ай бұрын

@@DieterMelhorn when Tyson puts up the money for a mass speck. 🤣🤣🤣

@Chalz108 Ай бұрын

I've caught some channel cats that were pushing 20 and that's huge for around here

@FlatrockFlatheads Ай бұрын

Lake Michigan holds giants, flatheads and channel cats.

@johnoileroutdoorsman1534 Ай бұрын

I've always said that California should hold the world record cause of the temperature doesn't freeze like in most of the country. Great video

@quickcatchandrelease Ай бұрын

Great information, and an awesome video sir! I believe we’ll see a new world record within the next few years!

@FishOnLuke Ай бұрын

Beautiful thumbnail❤

@fishnfool4eva Ай бұрын

My biggest channel cat is 23 pounds that came from a lake in Central NC. Never come close to catching one that big since...I feel like the next world record Channel Cat will come from Wisconsin.

@monitorcrazy9639 Сағат бұрын

Wisconsin is loaded

@brettelliott3308 Ай бұрын

I was just at Santee and caught plenty of Channel Cats , but all smaller size 1-3 lbs.

@williamledford6488 9 күн бұрын

I’m honestly surprised they’re aren’t any record catfish out of Fontana in NC. It has Blues, Channels, and Flatheads, it’s deep, lots of cover, lots of food for bait. I think the only thing maybe stopping them are the muskies

@Hardworkandrealestateprofits Ай бұрын

Very good video thanks👍

@johnmiller5987 Ай бұрын

I don't weigh them. But I have caught almost 40"s. Fat too. I caught one around 20lbs so far this year.

@BlastedKat Ай бұрын

Watch the St John's River in Florida. Don't be surprised when it happens.

@chriswalls5831 Ай бұрын

Think st John's, lake Fairview, lake Kissimmee, rodman dam etc state record be broken

@BlastedKat Ай бұрын

@@chriswalls5831 you are correct, were are landing 25 to 30's regularly. See bigger, much bigger. Things are stirring here in Florida.

@BlastedKat Ай бұрын

@@chriswalls5831there be sea monsters from Green Cove to Astor.

@ChasingtheMoby Ай бұрын

Really good video Dieter

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

Thank you and thanks for watching!!!

@334outdoors8 Ай бұрын

I believe it will come from a lake like parko del brenta in Italy it’s a carp lake in a warm climate similar to the Carolina’s but parko specifically is a carp lake that has a ton of bait going in that’s very nutrient dense

@raygissendanner1476 Ай бұрын

Great information

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

Thank you and thanks for watching!!!

@randall517 Ай бұрын

Caught a 23 # channel in the Black River in upstate NY where it dumps into lake Ontario. Caught a lot of big ones that day, maybe that's where the record is lurking.

@wyliecatman Ай бұрын

23 is HUGE

@JamesSmith-lm8ob 26 күн бұрын

you should do a video over the 95 pound flathead caught on pine creek lake in oklahoma

@cookiemonster79ja Ай бұрын

There was a car that ran into Shawnee Lake in Topeka, Kansas that had a 55lbs Channel because it got stuck and was eating the body that was in it.

@FrogDad556 Ай бұрын

I feel if the channel catfish record is gonna be broken it will be a monster from the Mighty Red River of the North.

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

That used to be my pick, but I think the cold wingers stifle the year round growth of the channel catfish.

@FrogDad556 Ай бұрын

@@DieterMelhorn Does it tho? Ontario smallmouth compared to a Ozarks smallie? I feel maybe this is not as much of a factor as we once thought. Thanks for the interesting videos!

@aarondouglas1311 Ай бұрын

@FrogDad556 smallmouth are still active feeding under the ice...channel cats go pretty dormit under there...there still feeding and growing don't get me wrong but the northern red river is froze for 5 months a year...it helps some species but not cats

@russellstewart5414 Ай бұрын

@@aarondouglas1311channel cats feed year round even under the ice, plenty of great YT videos to prove it. Genetics and food sources are so important for any living animal, weather is less important also predators including us humans need to be taken into consideration

@user-rp3tx2xq9j Ай бұрын

Hopefully it would be cool sense I live right next to the red and fish in the red

@GazPay1977 Ай бұрын

27.2lb is my biggest Channel Cat, Clinton lake IL 3 years ago

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

That’s a massive channel catfish!!!

@michaelmichellevillareal2487 Ай бұрын

Yall on down to big spring tx. And try and hook up with a 70 pound plus blue cats at our city park cosden lake

@dragoncloude Ай бұрын

Great Channel. I see you have had videos in the past about bank fishing for Catfish. So I have a Rod holder question. Where I live in the Northern California Most of the lakes around here have banks full of shale Stone banks. Not only are they not all that level without a jackhammer you can not drive an rod holder into the ground. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on a product that can sit on top of the ground that doesn't require a flat ground to work or the being driven into the ground? The only one I have found doesn't hold longer rods well without tipping forwards and dumping your rods into the lake. hope you have a good day and thank you for considering my question.

@DodgeCwby99 Ай бұрын

Only 35lbs here in oklahoma.

@PlainsToPinesOutdoors Ай бұрын

How shallow can channel cats live? I have a river behind my house and the depth can be as low as 1ft in fall or 25ft in spring.

@docd-monik4380 Ай бұрын

Dieter, I am in one hell of a slump. I used to be the guy who always came home with a stringer full, but last year and apparently continuing this year, I'm getting skunked constantly, even when the bite is on fire and people all up and down the bank are reeling em in left and right. I've been fishing all my life. I'm 40 years old and was reeling in fish before I could ride a bicycle! I do everything I'm supposed to do, I move around different spots, fish different depths, different rigs, different baits, different temps, different techniques, I mean seriously, I have left no shell unturned, and since last summer I've caught maybe four cats, all under 3lbs. And I fish just about every weekend that it's not pouring rain between March and October. What is going on?

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

Have you considered golf? 😜😆🤣. Hard to say really. Maybe the best is advice is to NOT do what used to work and switch things up? New bait, new spots, new rigs. If that fails, dang, is there a driving range nearby?? 🤣

@bricehenry1223 Ай бұрын

Did you switch to a new line? New bait? Are you working somewhere that's putting a smell on your equipment? I had a friend that filled his boat with gas and spilled a little he cleaned it up with a rag. That day, he couldn't buy a fish. Everyone in the boat limited out but him.

@docd-monik4380 Ай бұрын

@@bricehenry1223 I've covered every possible variable you could think of. Tried every bait, every spot, every depth, every size line/hook, every temp/weather, technique, time of day, time of year, you name it, Ive tried it. Every possible combination. My gear definitely ain't got anything on it from work, I keep it well organized and put up when not in use. It's just a freak occurrence that cannot be explained.

@haroldsfishingadventures754 Ай бұрын

Could be a scent on your hands they don't like, get some Bang Garlic spray, good luck

@joesummers9864 Ай бұрын

Try triple S cheese dip bait with chartreuse catfish Charlie dip bait worms

@DillonTrinhProductions Ай бұрын

I hate to break it for you Dieter, but that 53lb channel catfish is actually a blue catfish, I did some research behind the photo, and while the photo is very poor quality, there were many Blue catfish that were introduced to the San Joaquin River(where the 53lber was caught, and recently a 60lber Blue Cat was caught in 2019) and some big Blues were caught, if you look carefully, the anal fin is straight. Clear Lake, California actually produces some nice Channels over 15 pounds, and most of them were catch-and-release, no Blues in that lake, and knowing California weather, it probably can produce fish over 50 pounds, with regulations and C&R being implemented in the lake. Though, Red River of the North is still the top premier Channel Catfish of the United States and with their strict regulations(at least from state to state, plus with Canadian laws), a 50lb plus pounder isn't too far off.

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

I’ve heard the speculation. That’s the only picture I’ve seen of the fish, and without a better shot of that anal fin, there is no definitive proof.

@DillonTrinhProductions Ай бұрын

@@DieterMelhorn it does suck, channel catfish are a hardy tough fish.

@stillakilla7520 Ай бұрын

@DillonTrinhProductions That anal fin does not look straight to me.

@papasmoke9247 Ай бұрын

Hey dieter! I have a good lake near me for flatheads but all I catch out of there is channels. What am I doing wrong?

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

You'll probably need an adjustment in bait and location...

@papasmoke9247 28 күн бұрын

@@DieterMelhorn thanks for taking the time to right back, I don’t have a boat so I’ve started hitting the rivers flowing to and from the lake and focusing log jams. It’s been a bit more successful 😁

@fishingwithmikeyanddad310 Ай бұрын

I bet that channel catfish record was broken many times, but people probably thought it was a blue cat.

@mikecannon6378 Ай бұрын

Any thoughts on the Red River?

@mikecannon6378 Ай бұрын

Off you just mentioned it

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

@@mikecannon6378 i wanna go there one day!!

@haroldsfishingadventures754 Ай бұрын

Quick question, do channel cats quit biting during spawn, and how long do they spawn, thanks

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

Yes....at least the bite from the mature channels slows A LOT!!

@haroldsfishingadventures754 Ай бұрын

@@DieterMelhorn sorry, that was actually two questions, lol

@Whitetail101 Ай бұрын

We’ve caught two over 60 and seven over 50 this year

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

Channel catfish?? Send me some pictures….

@DillonTrinhProductions Ай бұрын

Proof?

@Whitetail101 Ай бұрын

No no. Blues. Our state record channel is 27

@Whitetail101 Ай бұрын

@@DieterMelhorn sure I’ll send pic now

@419FishinandPowderCoating Ай бұрын

My biggest fish of any species is a 22# channel.

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

That is an amazing fish!!!! Wow!!

@Legallyblindoutdoors Ай бұрын

My biggest channel is 11 lb

@DieterMelhorn Ай бұрын

Man that’s a good one! Would love to still have some that size!!

@stevencochran4274 Ай бұрын

Ohio record from way way back but Lake Erie is producing nice chaannel Chris Saunders has yr or two old show where he caught 12-25 lbs cats almost none stop off old bridge …..Mybe Erie not as much grow season tho

@dylanhentges403 Ай бұрын

I think you are confusing popular with common or most abundant.

@markupton1831 26 күн бұрын

My money is on Michigan!!

@waynevaughan2781 Ай бұрын

I personally hope they don’t get over 10lbs. I don’t keep fish over 10lbs, and I like to eat fish. 😂

@davidbilliter5619 17 күн бұрын

I've got a TRUE STORY on what undoubtedly would have contended for the world record . This fish looked to be a CHANNEL cat ! It was copper colored and looked like a shark in the water . I saw it about 30 years ago on the ocmulgee river below the dam in juliette ga. I had just crossed a section of the river called the bull slew and was looking for shellcrackers . I saw a fin sticking out of the water moving down stream . I focused and saw a catfish EASILY 5 ft long slowly swimming towards the main river. I had no chance at presenting it a bait and my tackle was setup for bream, not 100+ lbs catfish. I watched it as long as I could and it disappeared from my life ........ for 3 or 4 months. Skip forward a few months and a couple friends and myself were going camping for catfish at a spot called the sandbar. It is where the " bull slew"dumps unto the main river. We showed up at the spot and started gathering firewood for the night. We noticed something laying on the sand and investigated it. We thought it was the backbone of the deer . There was a leathery looking mass at one end so I grabbed a stick and flipped the mass over , trying to ID what the backbone belonged to. It was a forked tail that laid out over a foot wide ! Using my boot which happens to be 12.5" , I paced off just over 4 steps from where the backbone started to the end of the tail. We estimated over 50" WITHOUT THE HEAD ! I have no idea where the head went , but that was easily a 5+ft catfish when alive . I couldn't help but think that giant I saw was in his final drift downstream and died soon after I saw it that morning . It looked like a channel cat to me , just by the color . It wasn't dark , but it didn't have the whiteout look of a muddy water blue . It looked like a 12 lbs Channel cat multiplied by 10 !

@kongxiong6005 Ай бұрын

please don't encourage people to fish in CA. fishing is very hard here already as we have very dishonest angler who don't abide by the regulations. I am not even kidding.

@jonboatmorava9115 Ай бұрын

Pfft y'all CA folks are ruining fishing from coast to coast.

@adamknaul8412 Ай бұрын

Lake melonee,lake Amador and oroville lake if you’re close has monster cats if you patient