A Delaware fisherman recently reeled in the largest catfish on record in the First State.
Harrington’s Colt Williamson brought in the fish from the Nanticoke River with the help of his dad Rexx after a 25-minute battle.
The Blue Catfish was 43-inches long and weighed more than 47-pounds. That’s 11 pounds larger than the previous record caught in 2017 by Jordan Chelton, also from Harrington.
“It’s crazy to think that there’s bigger fish than the one I caught in the river, and that big, or however big it was. It is crazy," said Chelton. "You don’t know what kind of fish are in what kind of streams or what kind of ponds or anything. I mean, to have somebody break that is impressive. I’m not going to lie it is impressive.”
Chelton adds he is going to try to get his record back
“That’s all I can do is try, try, try. I’m going to get out there and see if I can to beat it. If not, then hats off to that guy,” he said.
Chelton’s record catfish was also caught in the Nanticoke where he says larger fish swim upstream from Maryland.
Both record fish were weighed at Taylored Tackle shop in Seaford and later confirmed by DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.