A North Carolina angler has broken a state channel catfish record that had stood for 50 years, beating the mark by a mere ounce.
John Stone, an at-large state Wildlife Commissioner, caught the 23-pound, 5-ounce channel catfish last September at a private pond in Moore County.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently approved Stone’s application and announced the record Sunday on Facebook, drawing criticism in the comments section.
“A record from a private pond. Wow,” reads one comment. “Now if it were public I would say have at it. But when a record comes from private places then they should not be a record.”
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Another comment reads: “Well I think the idea that records should only come from public facilities has a resounding following on this post and I have to say that I agree.”
Yet another: “Cheating.”
But the state does recognize record catches from private waters, as long as rules are followed, and some comments were supportive.
“All these complaining because they didn’t catch it,” reads one such remark. “So what if it caught in a private pond, it’s a state record.”
The Wildlife Resources Commission added that Stone was the third angler to set a state catfish record in 2020.
On July 5, Joey Baird landed a record 121-pound, 9-ounce blue catfish at Lake Gaston. On July 20, Tyler Barnes caught a record 78-pound, 14-ounce flathead catfish on the Neuse River.
Stone, of Pinehurst, was using cut bait when the big channel catfish struck. His catch broke a record held by E.J. Bowen since 1970.
Bowen, of Rocky Mount, set the record while fishing at City Lake with his 5-year-old son.
–Image showing John Stone’s record channel catfish is courtesy of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission