Angler lands 'gigantic' flathead catfish, shatters 16-year-old record
A South Dakota angler has shattered a 16-year-old state record with the recent catch of a 67-pound, 8-ounce flathead catfish.
Ethan Evink, visiting from Iowa, caught the massive flathead while fishing with cutbait at dawn on the Missouri River in Union County.
According to South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, Evink’s catch shatters a record (63 pounds, 8 ounces) that had stood since 2006.
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The agency announced the new record Thursday, stating on Facebook:
“Ethan Evink of Hospers, Iowa, has set the new state record for flathead catfish at a gigantic 67 pounds 8 ounces!
“This monster came in at 51.5 inches long with a girth of 32.5 inches from the Missouri River in Union County. Ethan caught the flathead catfish at 5 a.m. using cutbait. Congratulations Ethan!”
For the sake of comparison, the all-tackle world record for flathead catfish stands at 123 pounds. That catch occurred at Elk City Reservoir in Kansas in 1998.
–Image showing Ethan Evink with his record flatheaad catfish is courtesy of South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks