Midwestern Man Snags Award Winning Catfish That Is As Big As a Baby Hippo

The Alton Catfish Classic is a popular fishing competition held in Illinois. People from all over the world travel in droves in hopes of winning a grand prize for the ultimate catch. This year, a team of three anglers reeled in a fish like none other! 

Kaleb McAdams of Excelsior Springs, MO, Dave Shipman of Corinth, MS, and Chris Baker of Columbia, MO, caught a 106.23-pound blue catfish. The large fish earned the three anglers the big fish prize of $1,500. The talented fishermen also earned the  $20,000 grand prize.

Alex Nagy, the tournament director for the Alton Catfish Classic, informed the crowd of people gathered at the Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater on Saturday that he recognized each of them had an excellent catch because they were all wearing gloves and had left their vehicle’s door open in anticipation of unloading the fish they had caught. 

A total of 10 teams received cash prizes on Saturday. All of the fish that were taken throughout the competition were released into the Mississippi River alive. The contest gave away fishing poles to fans during Saturday’s weigh-in in addition to awards for the top female, young, and veteran fisherman.

Average Size of Blue Catfish

Mature catfish often reach a length of just under two feet. These fish have the potential to reach five feet in length and weigh over 100 pounds.  The blue catfish can far exceed 100 pounds. 

One that was captured in an interior lake near the border of Virginia and North Carolina weighed 143 pounds. A 102-pound blue catfish taken in the James River holds the Chesapeake Bay record.

What Do Blue Catfish Eat?

In order to reach such high weights, blue catfish have quite the diet. As opportunistic predators, they consume every kind of fish they are able to capture  in addition to crawfish, mussels, frogs, and other easily accessible aquatic food items. 

These fish are known to eat in free-flowing water in reservoirs underneath marauding groups of striped bass. They also love to eat injured fish. This makes catching their food that much easier if it has become wounded or dead. 

One of the few kinds of fish in the Mississippi River basin that can consume adult Asian carp is the blue catfish due to their enormous size. Catfish can identify food by smelling it and detecting vibrations thanks to their whiskers. 

These creatures have tens of thousands of taste buds covering their skin, which allows them to taste. Catfish use their keen senses of vibration and smell to locate prey in the water. Although most species of catfish are bottom feeders, some, like the Blue Catfish, are also active predators.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © M Huston/Shutterstock.com