A Washington teen has officially shattered the record for the biggest channel catfish caught in the state with his first catfish catch ever.
GIRL, 4, REELS IN ‘MONSTER’ 33-POUND FISH WITH MINI ‘FROZEN’ FISHING POLE
Cole Abshere, 16, was out fishing with his grandfather on Lake Terrell in late August when he hooked the record-breaking 37.7-pound catfish.
After a 45-minute struggle, Cole was able to reel the massive fish in.
“He was shocked and thrilled that his first catfish was that big, let alone a state record,” Cole’s mother Angela Morin Abshere told For The Win Outdoors of her son’s Aug. 20 catch.
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The fish, which measured 42 inches long, broke the previous record of 36.2 pounds set by a Washington fisherman in 1999.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reportedly helped get the fish officially weighed and measured for the record-approval process.
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The head and spine of the catfish were donated to the WDFW for education and research, For the Win reports.
Cole and his grandfather were able to harvest 25 pounds of meat from the giant catfish.
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