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State Record Channel Cat

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16K views 51 replies 31 participants last post by  beetlebailey  
B
#1 ·
I was at Ladue yesterday and there was a gentleman from the ODNR taking a creel survey. We got to talking and he said that the new state record channel cat was caught at Punderson recently. He couldn't confirm this, because he had heard this second hand. Has anyone else heard this recently?
 
#2 ·
While highly unlikely, it would be cool! the present record is 37.6 lbs from Ladue, but many ( myself included) believe it was a blue and because of so many people questioned the picture on the states website, they pulled it since they cant go back and confirm. Anyways, in the last ten years of heavy tournament fishing Ohios waters, I have only seem a handful of channels between 15-18 lbs, never heard of any confirmed reports of any more then a few lbs bigger then that, and 37lbs is a long ways from that. Dont get me wrong, it would be way cool if true let us know if you hear anything else along those lines. Id love to see a picture of the beast!

Salmonid
 
#5 ·
Im not downing it, just saying that Im heavy into the catfish loop and deal with the best pro anglers and dnr guys from all over the midwest on a daily basis and yes, i hope it s true!! I said that all along.

Just saying that a 38 lber is a long ways from anything anyone ( and I do mean anyone), including ALL DNR shocking and survey records, commercial fishermen from Ohio River and Erie and also the EPA fish kickers records as well as the USGS shocking records has seen in the history of their records. ( yeah, I ask all about stuff like this) I know of a few in the lower 20's and would say that Sandusky Bay and the Ohio River would be 2 of the best chances for a record fish. If anyone has a confirmed scaled fish over 25lbs from Ohio's waters please let us see them...Please make me a believer..LOL

For reference, here is a pic of a 24lb 4oz Blue for size comparison, ( tournament scale)
Image


Salmonid
 
#6 ·
Tend to agree...a 30lb channel would be an anomaly, but not impossible. That said, We have caught fish on at least four occasions out back btwn 15-20lbs the past few years. Don't ish for them much,but every now and then if we have friends over who have a young boy looking for a thrill, I'll throw some hotdog on a circle hook a lure a big girl in. The 10#+ albinos we have in there are pretty cool too.
 
#7 ·
Salmonid said:
For reference, here is a pic of a 24lb 4oz Blue for size comparison, ( tournament scale)
Image


Salmonid
Click to expand...
When I was a kid me and a buddy picked up one (channel) out of the Scioto about that size. It was freakishly huge, haven't seen a channel even close to that size since (in person or on this site).
 
J
#8 · (Edited)
Gus Gronowski caught that state record @ LaDue and it was reported as a Channel cat. He had to take it down to Ravenna to get the weight accurate. There's a picture of it at "One Stop" bait shop, but it doesn't look that big. Either way, it's been in the books for 21 yrs. Gus talks a lot, but I've known him for a long time and he's a good guy. By the way - it was caught trolling on a Hot N Tot in 18ft near the dam. It took 20 minutes to bring it in.
 
#9 ·
Good story, its just the two pics the state shows of it, it definaely has a Blue head and unfortunately you can not see the anal fin on either picture so there is no way to tell. did he have it mounted?? back then would have been a real mount and that would certainly hush us naysayers...LOL

Salmonid
 
#10 ·
In my opinion the record that gus has is out of reach. That fish is a total freak for ohio. My pb is 16 pounds. Punderson is only a 90 acre lake. My sister in law took a channel out of there that measured 35". It wieghed 18 pounds. Not many fish Punderson for catfish. I would be shocked if this were true.
 
#11 ·
Hehee if were talking hypothetically the wilds pond that all the kids feed the cats in is your best average fish in there is like five pounds who knows what's lurking down there.

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#12 ·
jimthepolack said:
Gus Gronowski caught that state record @ LaDue and it was reported as a Channel cat. He had to take it down to Ravenna to get the weight accurate. There's a picture of it at "Last Stop" bait shop, but it doesn't look that big. Either way, it's been in the books for almost 20 yrs. Gus talks a lot, but I've known him for a long time and he's a good guy. By the way - it was caught trolling on a Hot N Tot in 18ft near the dam. It took 20 minutes to bring it in.
Click to expand...
That would be One Stop Bait Shop. LOL I think it was in 1993 when he got it. He was walleye fishing when he hooked it on that hot n tot.
 
G
#44 ·
jimthepolack said:
Gus Gronowski caught that state record @ LaDue and it was reported as a Channel cat. He had to take it down to Ravenna to get the weight accurate. There's a picture of it at "One Stop" bait shop, but it doesn't look that big. Either way, it's been in the books for 21 yrs. Gus talks a lot, but I've known him for a long time and he's a good guy. By the way - it was caught trolling on a Hot N Tot in 18ft near the dam. It took 20 minutes to bring it in.
Click to expand...
Hi Jim, I dont talk alot, your the guy who talks alot, and you are also a good guy. But your story is accurate. Also, I didnt certifify the fish, the weigh master at Stop and Shop in Streetboro/Ravenna did on a certified scale. I personnally believe they over stated the length at 41 1/2. I think it was more like 41 or 40.75, but the scale doesnt lie. And, the fish was weighed at 4pm, yet was caught at 730am, so I'm sure it lost weight. It was caught in 1992
 
#20 ·
I agree that picture looks definately like a channel cat but that is not the same pics I have seen before, awesome, I feel better knowing that another may exist...Thanks for the update!!

Salmonid
 
#21 ·
Salmonid said:
Good story, its just the two pics the state shows of it, it definaely has a Blue head and unfortunately you can not see the anal fin on either picture so there is no way to tell. did he have it mounted?? back then would have been a real mount and that would certainly hush us naysayers...LOL

Salmonid
Click to expand...
D'arcy Egan had an article a couple years ago that had a picture of Gus with the mount. He had it in what looked like a big aquarium. Might be able to find it under the Plain Dealer archives.
 
T
#22 ·
I heard the cat from Punderson was a couple inches short of the record. We have caught some beauties from Punderson over 30 inches and double digit weights, almost black in color. Those Punderson cats taste terrible though, yellowish meat very muddy flavor. Their stomaches are full of weeds, I think they just graze the weedbed like cows.
 
B
#25 ·
Went to Punderson today and asked at the boathouse. Girl working said a 38 channel was caught at 3 am a few weeks ago..new state record she said. Talked to a guy fishing down on the beach and he said he heard it was 33 pounds. So sounds like a monster cat was caught.
 
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