Giant 73-pound blue catfish landed in Fla. river sets state record

May 12 (UPI) -- It's no secret giant catfish lurk in the waters of Florida's rivers, but a newly caught specimen revealed on Tuesday is in a class by itself.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission proudly displayed the biggest blue catfish ever captured in the state -- a 73.6-pound monster reeled in on the Suwanee River.

The new king catfish shattered the old mark of 69.5 pounds set in 2015, the FWC wrote in a post on X.

The catch was reviewed for species, weight and eligibility by agency biologists and subsequently certified as a new state record.

Adult blue catfish have stout bodies with prominently humped backs in front of the dorsal fin and resemble channel catfish by having deeply forked tails, the FWC notes. The back and upper sides are blue to slate gray, and the belly is white.

Known as one of the strongest freshwater fish, they can be caught on bush hooks or trotlines as well as rod and reel and can be found foraging at the water's bottom.

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