1978 UL record cat

[Fishy43]

Had to share a pic posted by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Leroy Mortensen shows the catfish he caught from Utah Lake in 1978. The 32-pound, 8-ounce fish is still the state's channel catfish record.
[signature]

[bigfish6]

Yeah i have been chasing that record for many years, ive come close but its alwa2lbs off, someday,, someday...... ill get it lol
[signature]

[flygoddess]

And they have been chasing Birds

[url "http://youtu.be/_R5O7nLzdwY"]http://youtu.be/_R5O7nLzdwY[/url]
[signature]

[setthehook]

that cat doesn't look 40 inches........ dare to compare


southern exaggeration ..... jk



There are larger ones out there.... just a matter of time before i land one.....
[signature]

[Boatloadakids]

Sethook -- You're right that cat was not 40 inches long it was actually (officially) measured at 39 3/4 inches and is officially recognized as the state record taken from Utah Lake.... Utah Lake being in the southern part of the state.

I've been chasing that record for a few years now and have never gotten closer than six inches shy. That will change this year. I've got 'em figger'd out and just need the time to get after 'em. Can't do on UL with the wind and cold the way it has been lately. Temps on UL have never gotten above 48-9 degrees yet. I guess they still need to eat but if you can't get to 'em you can't ketch 'em.

You're lucky to have shallow water to fish up north. And, I have to admit, you have posted up some good ones already. Time is on the side of the south. We will eventually get those 60+ temps and then the 30+ cats will follow.

Good luck to ya..... up to about 30 inches.

BLK
[signature]

[gmwahl]

That video was totally cool! Makes me wonder how many ducks and other fowl end up in the gullets of catfish. It got me thinking about using some of these annoying potguts that are starting to show up all over my yard!
[signature]

[gmwahl]

Awsome pic! 33 1/2" is my personal best from cutler, but I've managed many between 30 and 32 out of the bear and cutler res over the last several years. I guess we will have to see if the southern boys can fish as good as they can boast![]

I think I will really try the big bait big fish theory out this year and try soaking something bigger than I'm used to. I DO normally soak pieces of carp about 2"x2", but I'm willing to double that and see if it's enough to tempt a real bruiser out of his layer. Maybe it won't make a differance though, who knows.
[signature]

[Gemcityslayer]

Try a whole perch 6-8"
[signature]

[setthehook]

this one went 37" and i am 6'1" ... goes from collar bone to below the knees.... Was this guy 7" tall? something seems fishy...here..... Maybe the tape measures they used back then worked in favor of fisherman........

and of course i had to add this pic.... dang impressive john!!!!! Now thats a catfish !!!
[signature]

[Bovineowner]

2 completely different angles make the photos pretty hard to compare. I just think they are all dang nice cats and bigger than anything i have caught. If i reeled in a fish that size i'd be pulling a pistol in self defense![shocked]
[signature]

[Boatloadakids]

Sethook-- Can't argue with your numbers and comparisons... maybe the fish shown was not the record fish but another?? Dunno. I wonder if they required the same "certified scales, and length and girth verified by a DWR employee" in 1978 that is required now? Anyways, that record will not change until it is broken.

The pics you posted were impressive. One of those looks like the c&r record that John K. (aka Fishinhocky??) caught. All those really big ones look the same though.... big heads and ugly. Reminds me of an old Navaho I knew while trapping in Arizona. He always said "You white guys are like coyotes you all look the same."

I've had a couple cats on and lost that looked as big as those you posted. Got one up to the boat where one ugly face saw another and he made a run for the reeds and broke me off. Tears. This year for sure.

So what's it gonna take to wrest the champeenship away from you northern guys?? My three fish total length for the contest last year was 93 inches -- 29, 31. and 33. I say it will take 100 inches to win this year. You guys think you can do it??

The best is yet to come!!

BLK
[signature]

[FishingLunatic]

Not gonna lie...your fish look way bigger to me than the "record" [fishon].

I don't think you can use a camera to distort how high up the fish goes up on you...your "smaller" one goes to your waist and his "bigger" one doesn't even reach his waist.
[signature]

[riverdog]

What are you talking about, waist? They both extend way past their waist in both directions. I agree with bovineowner, the angle is totally different. The one reported to be the record is taken from above and not straight on. The record on seems to extend way below his knees but the comparison one appears to end at roughly knee level. Looking at the 2 they look roughly the same size to me. If one is 37 and the other 39 inches then they are roughly the same size even if only one is the record fish[].
[signature]

[FishingLunatic]

Unless that guys got really weird shaped legs, he has close to a foot in length of leg not shown in the picture. That cat wouldn't be much past the waist. I don't know, they're both damn nice fish that I hope to catch one day but to me setthehook's looks bigger to me unless that guy is quite a bit taller than 6 '1.
[signature]

[Fishy43]

What about the people clearing out the carp from UL, does anyone know if they have pulled out any monster cats that would break this old record? If they haven't netted one bigger, I wouldn't think anyone else would have much of a chance, right? I have heard rumors of record walleye being netted and released...
[signature]

[Fishnhockey]

That has to be a different fish. No way is that 40".
[signature]

[Boatloadakids]

Those carp catch-and-remove people have been out in UL for years. I have heard of them catching some big fish, walleye and catfish, but nothing by way of photo. TubeDude would probably know but he must be off fishin' somewhere or he probably would have chipped in.

I definitely believe the 40+ incher is out there somewhere in UL. Would not be surprised at all to see one come from up north (ouch!) somewhere too. A little luck and dedication to the cause could produce a new record any time.

Just wonderin'... where did you find the record pic? Was it presented as a genuine photo of the genuine record cat and the gent who caught it? I've seen the record listed in the proclamation for years but have never seen a picture of Mr. Mortensen and the actual fish?
One thing for sure.... that record will stand until it is officially broken........... this summer in Utah Lake[]

BLK
[signature]

[RBL]

I believe the pic was posted on a dwr Facebook page that was mostly showing gill netting results. It just had some other pics too. There is another thread on the board with that link in it titled gill netting

Edit-thread is titled spring gill netting results it's currently on page 2
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]The Loy family has been commercially netting Utah Lake for several generations. In that time they have undoubtedly netted many fish...of all species...that would surpass existing records. But they do not take the time to measure and weigh any fish. They chuck the non-carp species and load up the carp to truck away from the lake.

Over the years there have been countless "true stories" of huge catfish and walleye netted and released by them. Some are likely real. Others are nothing more than angler exaggeration. Heck, I have heard stories of catfish over 100 pounds coming out of Utah Lake...flatheads and blue cats included. And those species ain't even in the lake.

I have fished the old muddy pond for over 50 years. I have seen catfish caught by others that could have exceeded the record...but those who caught them either released them or took them home without bothering to measure and weigh them. Some folks just don't care about records. Without official documentation they are just "heresay".

My personal best was just a shade over 24 pounds. And I did not measure it. No length and girth for comparison. My best guess would be about 36 inches. I have observed that once cats get much over 33 inches they usually bulk up more than extend their length. So several fish of the same length might be quite different in weight. Also, the females seem to have more bulk per inch than males.

The fish and fishing in Utah Lake tends to be cyclical. If the forage species...like white bass, sunfish, etc....are in good numbers, the predators like walleyes and catfish also prosper and bulk up. But during drought years the food resources dwindle and the bigger fish don't grow as fast. The bottom line results of these cycles often don't show up for a few years after the actual peaks and valleys.

The truly big cats in Utah Lake seldom show up for "Joe Average" angler. By the time they get over 30 inches they have probably had at least one or two encounters with anglers. They live a long time and are smarter than we think. Plus, they don't feed on bitty bites like nightcrawlers and small chunks of shrimp, carp meat or white bass meat. Most of their meals consist of whole fish, rodents or birds...usually dead from some cause and resting on the bottom. If you want to specialize in big fish you gotta soak big baits...and usually at night. You won't get as many munches but some of the ones you get will be memorable.

That is not to say that you will never catch big cats during the day. Early and late in the year...when water temps are first warming...or dropping into the chill of fall...the bigger cats DO forage during the daytime hours. But once summer warm temps settle in they almost always feed exclusively after dark.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]

[setthehook]

couldn't agree more... Big bait catch big fish..... I have also found that certain baits regardless of size only catch quality large fish.. while other baits will catch you quantity cookie cutters (dinks)... Worms are a wild card..... could be a dink could be a mudcat could be a monster carp or sucker.... or sometimes it could be a toad cat... especially in spring.. I do believe that the current record is beatable but I think that the bar is set about as high as it could be.... The fish that will beat that record i predict will only beat it by a pound or two or an inch or two.... Im just glad that the c&r record was topped..... Fish caught from a community pond should not qualify for state records.. just as fish from a fish farm or from a cabelas fish tank should not qualify.....
[signature]