World-record blue catfish dies en route to sports store

CBS 2 Chicago ^ | May 25, 2005 | AP

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A record 124-pound blue catfish caught earlier this week by an Illinois man fishing in the Mississippi River died on its way to the Cabela's Outfitter store where it was to go on display.

Tim Pruitt, 33, of Godfrey, Ill., caught the world-record blue catfish early Sunday near Alton.

The fish, measuring 58 inches long and 44 inches around, was kept alive and was to be displayed in a tank at Cabela's in Kansas City, Kan., but it died en route to the store.

``We're baffled by this,'' Fred Cronin, a fisheries biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, told The Kansas City Star. ``We took a lot of precautions to see that the fish was comfortable.

``But we're talking about a fish that was very old, very heavy,'' he said. ``The stress of being transported like that could have been too much.''

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

This is sad.

[IncPen]

"Is the fish gonna be ok, Uncle Lar?"

"No, I'm afraid not, Little Tommy...."

[NormsRevenge]

Yup.

whup up the beer batter and fire up the pan.

[eccentric]

Who's got the "just damn" ping?

[Max Flatow]

Oh man, I loved Larry Lujack. Those were the days, I tell you. Super 'CFL; the Big 89! The golden era of Chi town radio.

[Pukin Dog]

Okay, get over it. I've got the hot sauce, who's got the frying pan?

[TXnMA]

Kept it out of water too long -- weighing and measuring it -- showing it off -- and taking braggin' photos...

[Reaganesque]

Man, you're gonna need a bucket of tartar sauce for this one.

[InvisibleChurch]

well, if it was blue it was most likely filled with freon ... some dang business musta thrown their old refrigerator or air conditioner into the river

[winner3000]

(``But we're talking about a fish that was very old, very heavy,'' he said.)

Please, no pictures of the crazy aunt in the attic.

[pnz1]

If he was caught on Sunday, what did they do with him up till now? Did it take that long to try to transport him to KC?

[eastforker]

Where is Free Trapper, this would be right up his alley but he has not posted since december, anyone know?

[bog]

In Oklahoma scuba diver's are always telling stories regarding the HUGE catfish they've seen at the bases of some of the local dams in deep water.A lady from IDABEL told me last week that she personally saw a MONSTROUS CATFISH in Broken Bow Lake that SCARED her.She weighs about 110 lbs and she thought it looked large enough to eat her.

[Redcloak]

You'll need a pony keg to make that much batter.

[blackbart.223]

"I've got the hot sauce, who's got the frying pan?"

You will need more than a frying pan for that one. The irony here is I had a catfish fillet for supper. Go figure.

[eastforker]

I have had 50 LB. trot line weight drug a hundred feet or more before they straightened out the 6/0 stainles hook.

[RichInOC]

Well, there's just one thing left to do...

Road trip to Stroud's!

[old-ager]

About how old would such a fish be?

[vandy]

Little Tommy is my uncle. He is back in Chicago. JFYI

[Soliton]

I don't know, but catch and release was obviously the right thing to do. Take a quick picture and turn it loose. As a registered coonasss, one step below redneck, even I know this thing was special. (It would have tasted like sh*t too. A cat over about 4 pounds is no good.)

[demsux]

Put a suit on it and it would look like "Swimmer" Kennedy.

[bog]

They have caught catfish on the VOLGA river in Russia over ten feet long.I know we have different species native here but I think it's possible that a catfish one could get really big here also.

[U S Army EOD]

Was it the 110 lb female scuba diver you hooked?

[U S Army EOD]

I wonder how far the fish was able to walk before he fell over an died?

[KoRn]

Thos must be one of the mythical fish you hear about in urban legends of where divers go into the lake to search for someone and they come running out having seen fish big enough to hurt somone.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Now where are they gonna find hush puppies the size of bowling balls?

[Lurker]

That's one huge blue cat. Illinois Flathead Cats routinely approach 100 pounds but not blues.

I wonder what he was using for bait.

Oh, and that things going to make one hell of a fish fry at the Grafton VFW. Great town Grafton. I wonder if Fast Eddies is still there.

L

[IncPen]

Little Tommy is my uncle. He is back in Chicago. JFYI

Yes, on 1690AM I think. I never much cared for Lujack's acidic personality, but I thought Little Tommy was pretty funny... ah, my mis-spent youth.

[vandy]

Yes, he has the morning show and Uncle Lar is involved in some way ( I am not sure how). If you liked the Animal Stories from the past, you can go to www.animalstoriescd.com. There are Cd's from the old shows.
I don't know anything about Uncle Lar, but Tom is a wonderful guy.

[concentric circles]

"...Pruitt caught the fish, estimated at 25 to 30 years old, with a large salt-water rig, 40-pound-test fishing line and the head of a moon eye fish for bait..."

[Lurker]

OK, I reckon I've caught just about every fish that's in Illinois but I've never heard of a 'moon-eye fish'.

L

[righttackle44]

``We took a lot of precautions to see that the fish was comfortable."

Comfortable, phooey!

Bring on the frying pan, catfish, fried taters, corn on the cob, few collard greens and okra, some onion (wild onions'll do) a few cokes and LET'S EAT!

[IncPen]

I can't wait til PETA weighs in... the guy will never fish again...

[IncPen]

OK, I reckon I've caught just about every fish that's in Illinois but I've never heard of a 'moon-eye fish'.

Behold the mooneye, lure of record catfish...

[Lurker]

Thanks for the pic IP.

I've never seen one of those before.

L

[Chapita]

Me 'n another guy caught a 57 pound Tabby cat out on the Pearl River and had to beach the boat and crawl up the bank and drag it onto dry ground.

[Route101]

You would have to troll your mother in law to catch a catfish that big!

[Route101]

That puppy knew where to find food!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Wow. Where are they gonna find a toilet big enough to flush it down?

[eastforker]

he is good to eat, just don't save any belly flap, nothing but fat anyway.

[Route101]

Hell!...I thought I snagged a log when it started tow'in me down river!

[capt. norm]

Your reply sent me back to the late 70's and early 80's in Chicago.

My favorite line from one of his daily "Animal Stories" was when Little Tommy read a news item about a herd of dolphins that had run aground on the east coast. Lujack's reply was "That's because they smoke a seaweed, Little Tommy."

He sure made the morning NW Tollway drive in from Hoffman Estates a lot more bearable.

[rabidralph]

I hope Mr. Pruitt didn't hesitate to deposit his check from Cabela's.

[patriot_wes]

"World-record blue catfish dies en route to sports store"

I always wondered how many lives a Cat-fish had!

[Tijeras_Slim]

About how old would such a fish be?

At that size, about as old as the senior senator from Massachusetts. Who also would perish if removed from it's native liquid.

[xzins]

Catfish that big ain't worth eatin'.

Small, under 4 pounds is best. 2 lb channel is the very best.

[Mike Darancette]

Quick, cook a big mess o' hush puppies.

[cogitator]

It's Bush's fault.

[kx9088]

I think it was probably eating puppies...