Mitchell McConnell broke a nearly 19-year-old freshwater fish state record on March 14 after landing a 4-pound brown bullhead catfish from Greenfield Lake in Wilmington. McConnell, who is from Fort Mill, S.C., but lives in Wilmington and is a student at Cape Fear Community College, caught the catfish using cut bait. McConnell’s catch breaks the previous record, caught in April 1997 by Gregory Dale Hughes, by 4 ounces.
An experienced angler who has caught everything from blue marlin to brown trout, McConnell said he fishes every chance he gets. On March 14, he decided to spend a few hours on the water after class and headed over to Greenfield Lake, which is located near downtown Wilmington and a short distance from the college. He was fishing with cut bait near the dam, something he had never done before, when he caught the bullhead. He said at first he thought it was a flathead but a few seconds later realized from its color pattern and shape of its head that he was holding a bullhead catfish. However, he didn’t know what species of bullhead it was until Michael Fisk, the District 4 fisheries biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, confirmed his catch as a brown bullhead.
In North Carolina, five species of catfish are listed as bullheads<http://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Fishing/documents/Bullhead_Catfish_profile.pdf> – the brown, yellow, black, flat and snail bullhead. They can be difficult to distinguish from one another, but are easily distinguished from other catfish by their lack of a forked tail.
McConnell had the fish weighed on certified scales at Mott’s Seafood in Wilmington.
To qualify for a N.C. Freshwater Fish State Record, anglers must have caught the fish by rod and reel or cane pole; have the fish weighed on a scale certified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture, witnessed by one observer; have the fish identified by a fisheries biologist from the Commission; and submit an application with a full, side-view photo of the fish.
For anglers who catch a bullhead catfish that doesn’t quite measure up to this latest record-breaker but is 15 inches or longer or weighs 2 pounds or more, the Commission has a bullhead catfish classification (any species) for its North Carolina Angler Recognition Program<http://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/FishingRecords/NCAnglerRecognitionProgramNCARP.aspx>. NCARP officially recognizes anglers who catch trophy-sized freshwater fish that do not qualify for a state record with a certificate featuring color reproductions of fish artwork by renowned wildlife artist and former Commission fisheries biologist Duane Raver.
For a list of all freshwater fish state records in North Carolina or more information on the State Record Fish Program, click here<http://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing/FishingRecords/ApplyforaNorthCarolinaStateFreshwaterFishin.aspx>. For more information on fishing in public, inland waters, www.ncwildlife.org/fishing or call the Inland Fisheries Division, (919) 707-0220.
About the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Since 1947, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been dedicated to the conservation and sustainability of the state’s fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use, and public input. The Commission is the state regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws and provides programs and opportunities for wildlife-related educational, recreational and sporting activities. To learn more, visit www.ncwildlife.org<http://www.ncwildlife.org/>.
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