GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: A Northern Water Snake in North Carolina made a feast of a comparatively large catfish.
DIXIE COUNTY, Flo. – This cat’s out of the bag and into the record books.
Florida Wildlife Commission biologists confirmed a new Florida state-record blue catfish caught in the Suwannee River.
A 73.6-pound blue catfish from the Suwannee River is now the official state record after being certified by FWC biologists.
(@MyFWC / X)
The monster 73.6-pound blue catfish was reeled in by Justin Hodge on Feb. 21, 2026, in Dixie County. It measured 48.5 inches in length with a girth of 36.75 inches.
Hodge’s historic fish broke the previous record set in 2015, when an angler caught a 69.5-pound blue catfish in the Choctawhatchee River in Washington County.
WATCH: RABID BEAVER FOUGHT OFF AFTER ATTACKING SEVERAL PEOPLE IN NEW JERSEY PARK
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, the freshwater fish is native to the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio River basins, and has been stocked for fishing in nearly 20 states.
The Suwannee River, where the record cat was apprehended, is a more than 200-mile-long blackwater river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida.
A dramatic sunset colors sky and water, silhouetting a fisherman on Florida’s Suwanee River.
(Nik Wheeler/Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images)
In Florida, when anglers reel in what they suspect might be a record fish – the path to the record books is a meticulous one.
When a potential record fish is caught, anglers arrange with the Florida Wildlife Commission to have an employee witness the official weigh, on a certified scale and take measurements.
According to the NOAA, many anglers like fishing for blue catfish because they are strong, savvy fish that are a good challenge.
(NOAA)
For any fish other than a largemouth bass, a FWC fisheries biologist must certify the species by physically witnessing and inspecting the fish.
With the record officially verified by a biologist, Hodge’s massive blue catfish now stands atop the leader board as the largest of its kind ever caught in the Sunshine State.
COCAINE POLLUTION HAS SHARKS AND SALMON OFF THE RAILS — AND IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT
Blue catfish are not only prized for their size, but also valued as a flavorful and nutritious catch, in addition to being a strong, savvy fish that puts up a good fight.
Whether Hodge chose to mount his record-breaking fish or serve it at the table remains unknown, but one thing is certain—the catch secures its place as the largest blue catfish ever recorded in Florida.
