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DES MOINES – Pat Lutz knows somewhere in the waters of the Missouri River in southwest Iowa lives a giant blue catfish, the largest ever caught in the state. He should know, since he caught it, then later released it to swim another day.
Lutz’ fished tipped the scales at 74 pounds, 8 ounces, outweighing the old record by 12 pounds, 8 ounces. At 53 3/8 inches, it surpassed the former record by nearly 7 inches. Darrell Carter of Jefferson set the previous record, a 62-pound, 46 ½-inch blue cat caught in the Big Sioux River of Plymouth County, in September 1995.
Lutz used a chub to hook the record fish. He landed the fish Aug. 14, and reportedly released it back to the Missouri River. The record catch was verified by state Conservation Officer Joe Pestotnik.
Lutz’ catch wasn’t the only state record to fall in 1999. Ironically, on the same day Lutz was crushing the 4-year-old blue catfish record, across the state on the Mississippi River Jim Winters was establishing an all-time state best of his own. The Jesup man, fishing for walleye in Pool 9, hooked a 62 ½-pound black buffalo fish. Winters’ black buffalo surpassed the old state record by 6 ½ pounds set in 1996 by Terry Gann of McClelland.
Uploaded: 9/4/1999
Uploaded: 9/4/1999