Twelve-year-old Catches Louisiana State Record Catfish
OutdoorHub Reporters 03.04.14
Lawson Boyte, 12, of Oak Grove, Louisiana made the catch of a lifetime last Saturday while fishing in the Mississippi River. According to Yahoo News, the sixth grader likely pulled in the new state record catfish. At 114.1 pounds, the fish outweighed the angler by a full 14 pounds. That fact is easy to see when Boyte poses next to his massive catch.
“It was more luck than it was skill to catch that big fish,” the young fisherman told KNOE. “I think the thing that done it was eating Vienna sausages.”
Boyte’s massive catch could end up being the new state record, dethroning a 110.19-pound catfish recorded in 2005. Also fishing with Boyte on Saturday were his cousin Bo Danley and uncle Jim Danley.
“It’s cool to know that I was there to witness it. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. It don’t ever happen much,” said Jim Danley, who taught Boyte how to fish.
Jim Danley said he takes the boys out fishing as much as possible and that he was proud of his nephew’s achievement.
“That makes it all worthwhile,” he continued.
Catfish, especially blue catfish, are hardly picky eaters. The fish are known to consume frogs, crayfish, mussels, any variety of fish, and even more unorthodox treats from creative anglers. In 2011, anglers in Virginia pulled in a 143-pound blue catfish from Buggs Island Lake.
Boyte’s prize catfish was shipped off to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries this week for study after being kept in the freezer of a local high school.
You can see an interview with Boyte below:
