Rodney Akey of Niles, Mich with his New State Record Catfish. It went 49.8 pounds and measured 45.7 inches
Recently a Niles Michigan man caught what is a new state record Flathead Catfish. This catfish breaks the previous Michigan Record that was set back in 1943.
The giant Flathead was caught by Rodney Akey of Niles, Mich., on Tuesday, May 22, on the St. Joseph River in Berrien County at 8 p.m., the fish weighed 49.8 pounds and measured 45.7 inches. Akey was still-fishing from shore with an alewife when he landed the record fish.
The record was verified by Scott Hanshue, a DNR fisheries biologist, at the DNR’s Plainwell office.
The previous state record flathead catfish was caught by Elmer Rayner of Hastings, Mich., on the Maple River in Ionia County on Aug. 6, 1943. That fish weighed in at 47.5 pounds and measured 44 inches.
“I’ve been fishing catfish on the St. Joseph River for the last 20 years, but it never crossed my mind that I would catch a state record,” said Akey. “And beating a nearly 70-year record – that’s a feat in itself!”
State records are recognized by weight only. To qualify for a state record, fish must exceed the current listed state record weight, and identification must be verified by a DNR fisheries biologist.
