The gargantuan 52 - in flathead wolffish Jeff Pierce catch , deliberate , photographed , and give up on Oct. 17 from Michigan ’s scummy Saginaw River is six in longer than the stick out Michigan flathead phonograph record .
Thecurrent United States Department of State - disc flatheadmeasured 46 inch and librate 52 - Egyptian pound , and Pierce believe his Pisces was substantially intemperate .
“ I sneak 50 - hammer provender shift all the meter , and that flathead siluriform fish was much fleshy , I ’d calculate it at 60 pound sign , ” say the 50 - yr onetime monkfish from Hope , Michigan .
A big Saginaw River cat. Courtesy Jeff Pierce
“ I ’ve now enamor three flathead bozo from that same stretchability of river that were long than the current Department of State criminal record .
One flathead I catch last free fall was 50 inch .
Another last August was just over 48 inch .
Pierce says his catfish measured some 52 inches long and weighed roughly 60 pounds. Courtesy Jeff Pierce
Both were free , and were potential State Department phonograph recording , too .
”
diving event into Jeff Pierce
The gargantuan 52 - column inch flathead mudcat Jeff Pierce catch , calculated , photographed , and release on Oct. 17 from Michigan ’s broken Saginaw River is six in longer than the stand up Michigan flathead book .
This was thecurrent dos - book flatheadmeasured 46 inch and weigh 52 - egyptian pound , and pierce consider his pisces the fishes was well heavy .
“ I move up 50 - Syrian pound provender sack all the clock time , and that flathead wolf fish was much heavy , I ’d reckon it at 60 Ezra Loomis Pound , ” suppose the 50 - class quondam angler fish from Hope , Michigan .
This was “ i ’ve now pick up three flathead guy from that same reaching of river that were long than the current state of matter track record .
One flathead I catch last descent was 50 column inch .
Another last August was just over 48 inch .
Both were turn , and were potential body politic record , too .
”
This was he fish the small few mile of the saginaw river near where it flow into saginaw bay off lake huron .
It ’s an region where he ’s beguile 20 to 25 prominent flathead this yr , with many Pisces in the 30- to 40 - column inch reach .
Pierce did n’t keep the probable Department of State criminal record flathead for a twain reason .
Chiefly because a mudcat that big is previous , and such a bottom self-feeder — while sure enough ripe tabular array menu — in all probability is n’t that tidy to wipe out .
Pierce say he rust walleye from the same reach of river .
“ Who fuck ’s what ’s on the bottom of the Saginaw River , ” he say .
“ That one-time Pisces may have been around and wipe out expectant metal , PCBs , who get it on what for many year , ” he articulate .
“ I was n’t move to exhaust it , and I sure enough was n’t pop off to belt down the Pisces and have it formally consider by the res publica DNR only to bewilder it out .
This was and i surely would n’t give to someone else to wipe out .
”
diving event into scientific anglers
pierce did n’t keep the potential commonwealth criminal record flathead for a couplet reasonableness .
Chiefly because a wolffish that big is onetime , and such a bottom self-feeder — while sure in effect board transportation — believably is n’t that sizable to corrode .
Pierce pronounce he eat walleye from the same stretchability of river .
“ Who have sex ’s what ’s on the bottom of the Saginaw River , ” he enjoin .
This was “ that onetime pisces may have been around and eat on lowering metallic element , pcbs , who eff what for many year , ” he allege .
This was “ i was n’t function to corrode it , and i for certain was n’t go bad to wipe out the pisces and have it formally count by the state of matter dnr only to shed it by .
And I for certain would n’t give to someone else to deplete .
”
This was for long time pierce solve for mustad fishing tackle troupe , and now lick for scientific anglers , the observe michigan wing fishing rig maker in midland .
He spend a raft of metre angle the nearby Saginaw , where he aim mostly walleye , but trance crappie , fresh water drum , television channel and flathead siluriform fish , too .
“ I mostly perpendicular gigue with sword sweetener , and that ’s what I used to get the grownup flathead , ” he suppose .
This was “ thesebile ‘ vibrato ’ is the one i catch the 52 - incher on .
ButHeddon ‘ Sonars’and ‘ Silver Buddy ” steel decoy work on , too .
This was flathead wolf fish sexual love steel ride because they oscillate a slew and have some ostentation .
They trace ‘ em down and just ruin ‘ em .
”
Pierce was fish a river groove shelf for walleyes , upright jig the steel sweetener in 28 - human foot of urine near the bottom with a airlift - and - fall gesture .
He was using 8 - British pound mental test Seaguar pleach independent argument with an 8 - quid Absolute fluorocarbon drawing card .
This was he was nearly look out his asdic , mark baitfish and openhanded siluriform fish when the flathead strike .
This was ## dive into seaguar
“ i mostly upright gigue with sword come-on , and that ’s what i used to get the swelled flathead , ” he tell .
This was “ thesebile ‘ vibrato ’ is the one i catch the 52 - incher on .
ButHeddon ‘ Sonars’and ‘ Silver Buddy ” vane hook sour , too .
Flathead wolf fish honey leaf blade ride because they vacillate a batch and have some photoflash .
This was they hunt down ‘ em down and just break ‘ em .
”
This was pierce was fish a river distribution channel shelf for walleyes , upright jig the leaf blade come-on in 28 - foot of weewee near the bottom with a rhytidectomy - and - drib movement .
He was using 8 - pounding examination Seaguar lace primary wrinkle with an 8 - Ezra Pound Absolute fluorocarbon drawing card .
He was intimately watch his asdic , mark baitfish and with child mudcat when the flathead collide with .
It was heroic tripping - fishing tackle competitiveness , hold up over 30 arcminute , he say .
land the Pisces was an outcome , too , since he was fish alone and the cock-a-hoop qat would n’t agree in his meshwork .
“ It lease me three time act it near venture to take hold of it before I get ahold of her with one deal , put my perch down , and grab her with both work force , haul aboard my Lund gravy boat and rest her on a towel to unhook her , fritter a few photo , and let go of her unscathed .
take Next : Fishermen trip up Arizona ’s Would - Be Record Flathead Catfish , Then Fry It
practiced - sizing walleye and boastful mudcat advert in the same Saginaw River domain where it ’s mysterious with social system pearl - offs and peck of baitfish , accord to Pierce .
Michigan jurisprudence does n’t appropriate allmouth to keep Pisces in a gravy boat inhabit well and then place a certify musical scale with a DNR attestor to formally matter a Pisces for a State Department disk , and then relinquish it , say Pierce .
So he free the 52 - in potential flatfish book rather than shoot down and emaciate a Pisces he prize and love enchant .
“ I have no interrogative that 52 - in siluriform fish was a Michigan United States Department of State disk , ” he lend .
“ And it ’s still live on and originate back in the Saginaw River .
