Pennsylvania Angler Reels In Record-Breaking 36-Pound Channel Catfish

Photo courtesy of PA Game Commission.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (EYT) — A Pennsylvania angler has officially entered the state record books after catching a 36-pound, 2-ounce Channel Catfish in the Allegheny River, breaking a record that had stood for 35 years.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) announced that David Taylor Jr., 44, of Munhall, Allegheny County, caught the record-breaking fish on Saturday, October 3, while participating in a fishing tournament.

Taylor and his friend, Alex Atkinson, of Rillton, Westmoreland County, were competing in the Tri-State Hawg Hunters tournament when they began fishing below the Highland Park Lock and Dam near Sixmile Island.

Shortly after 8 p.m., Atkinson noticed movement on Taylor’s fishing line.

“I started reeling and I could tell right away it was a pretty big fish,” Taylor said. “I was able to keep steady pressure on the line and keep reeling until the fish surfaced.”

Initially, Taylor believed he had caught a Blue Catfish because of the fish’s appearance.

However, during the tournament weigh-in the following morning, another angler suggested the fish might actually be an unusually large Channel Catfish.

After examining the fish’s anal fin, Taylor and Atkinson counted 26 rays, confirming it was a Channel Catfish.

Realizing the fish could break Pennsylvania’s existing record, Taylor began searching for a certified scale while keeping the catfish alive in his boat’s livewell.

The fish was first weighed at Reddi Bait and Tackle in Bridgewater, Beaver County, where it registered 36 pounds, 2 ounces.

Taylor then contacted PFBC Waterways Conservation Officer Abigail Luteri to arrange an official weigh-in at Goodman’s Bait and Tackle in Ford City, Armstrong County.

At approximately 11:45 a.m. Sunday, October 4, the fish again weighed 36 pounds, 2 ounces, exceeding the previous Pennsylvania record by nine ounces.

The former record had been set in 1991 by a Channel Catfish caught in the Lehigh Canal in Northampton County.

Taylor’s fish also measured 42 inches long with a 26-inch girth.

Despite the excitement surrounding the potential record, Taylor said keeping the fish alive remained his top priority.

“I told her that my biggest concern was the health of the fish, and if I felt I had to, I would pull over and release the fish, even if it cost me a chance at the state record,” Taylor said.

Following the official weigh-in and inspection, Taylor and Luteri traveled to a nearby access point along the Allegheny River, where the catfish was successfully released.

The PFBC later reviewed Taylor’s application, photographs and supporting documentation before officially certifying the new state record.

“Everything worked out in the end, and it feels incredible,” Taylor said.

“Honestly, I’ve always dreamed of catching a state record, but I thought it would be a Flathead Catfish because we catch so many big ones out here in Pittsburgh.”

Taylor credited Atkinson, the participating bait shops and Officer Luteri for helping make the record possible.

“It just goes to show, you never know what’s on the other side of that hook,” he added. “It could be just another fish, or it could be life changing.”

Anglers interested in pursuing state records can find official requirements and applications on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission website.