Josh Stephens of Wirt County and his monster flathead
By Josh Stephens 2011
Friday the 13th is generally a day most people don't wanna get outta bed, but for me it was a very lucky day.
While fishing on the Little Kanawha River Friday afternoon, I was relaxing in my chair fishing very shallow near the bank trying to catch small fish to use as live bait, when all of a sudden my pole doubled over and almost fell in the water before I could get hold of it.
The drag went crazy and the line was coming out very fast. The fish that had picked up my bait was now running down stream at a high rate of speed.
Holding on very tight to my little bait pole (a Zebco 33 with 8lb test line), I worked the drag and played the fish for over an hour before we finally saw what had taken the nightcrawler bait.
After another fifteen minutes of fighting the big fish near the bank, we decided we were going to have to make an attempt to grab him before he got away.
A man whom I did not know at the time came to my rescue and climbed down the muddy
bank and stuck his hand into the catfish's mouth and grabbed on tight while the monster thrashed about and almost pulled him into the water.
I hurried and grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him onto the muddy bank. We had landed the beast and we both were exhausted from the fight.
I let out a big, excited shout.
This catch was so exciting because of the super light tackle that I had caught it on. After an hour and fifteen minute fight we weighed the beast at 47.7 pounds and she measured 47 inches long.
My biggest catch ever!
We fished the rest of the night with my new friend and he caught a few more good ones, but nothing of the size we were after.
All in all it was an amazing Friday the 13th with a record catch in hand and a new fishing friend. I'm so glad that people will still go outta there way to help someone in need, even if you don't know them.
Editor's Note: Record Flathead in
1956: Length 52.0, Weight 70.0, was caught in the Little Kanawha River by L. L. McClung.
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