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Frederick County Angler Sets New State Record With Blue Catfish Catch
Photo credit: Rose Wills
FORT WASHINGTON, MD — Ron Lewis of Point of Rocks, Md. was fishing in the tidal Potomac River near Fort Washington on Sunday March 23 when he hooked and landed a new state record blue catfish. Ron who is an accomplished fisherman was targeting blue catfish, but the size of this particular fish caught him and his partner by surprise.
“When we brought the catfish alongside the boat we quickly realized that we needed a larger landing net; so we had to haul the fish into the boat by hand,” said Lewis.
Weighing in at an impressive 67.1 pounds and measuring 51 inches long, with a girth of 34.5 inches, Lewis’s catch broke the previous 65.5 pound state record blue catfish set by Josh Fitchett in 2006 in the same general area of the Potomac.
“Mr. Lewis’s historic catch illustrations Maryland’s superb year-round fishing opportunities,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin.
Fishing for blue catfish has quickly become a burgeoning trophy catch and release fishery in the tidal portion of the Potomac River and the anglers who fish for them have become a close knit union often sharing skills and tips.
The record blue catfish was kept alive and will reside in a public fish display at Bass Pro Shop in Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Md.
March 26, 2008 Contact: Olivia Campbell
410-260-8016 office I 410-507-7525 cell
ocampbell@dnr.state.md.usMaryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov.
