Angler Lands 53.5-Pound Record Blue Cat on Lake Hartwell

A Georgia angler combating most cancers discovered an sudden increase of hope on Lake Hartwell when he landed a large blue catfish that now stands because the reservoir’s official file.

Robert Jason Bailey, 52, has spent most of his life fishing the sprawling 56,000 acre lake on the Georgia-South Carolina line. After being recognized with colon most cancers in 2024, he started leaning much more on time outside, particularly journeys along with his longtime pal Dwayne “Doodle” Peppers. The 2 fish, Peppers’ dock, typically made a behavior of focusing on huge blues.

“Doodle tries to get me out of the home as a lot as doable,” Bailey mentioned. “We now have been buddies for a very long time, and he has been there for me by means of this complete factor.”

On the morning of October 24, the pair settled onto the dock with their Mad Katz rods, recent blueback herring, and the identical setup that has produced a number of giant fish for them in recent times. Peppers even shocked Bailey with a brand new Mad Katz outfit final 12 months after listening to about his analysis.

“We began catching medium-sized cats after which actually began specializing in huge ones,” Bailey mentioned. “That morning I used thirty-pound mono and a four-ought circle hook with a head and intestine part of herring.”

Their strains had been set for only some minutes when Bailey’s reel started clicking. What began as just a few faucets on the road changed into a blistering run in a few second.

“That catfish took off like nothing I’ve ever heard earlier than,” Bailey mentioned. “It ripped off half the road on my reel and simply saved going.”

Bailey fought the fish for roughly half-hour, working it to the dock a number of instances earlier than it surged again towards deep cowl. Brush, bushes, and the dock pilings made the combat even more durable because the fish dove beneath the platform.

“Doodle thought I had a turtle for some time,” Bailey joked. “However as soon as I bought it shut the second time and noticed it underneath the dock, I knew it was huge.”

Peppers ultimately managed to internet the catfish head first, and the 2 males sat in shocked silence on the dock, staring on the large blue cat. Bailey stopped fishing instantly afterward as a result of he needed to get to a medical appointment in Athens.

After just a few telephone calls, they had been directed to the Georgia DNR’s Burton Trout Hatchery in Clarkesville for an official weight and measurement. The fish measured 45.25 inches and weighed 53 kilos, 8 ounces, breaking the earlier Lake Hartwell blue catfish file from 2003 by greater than 20 kilos.

“Individuals on-line had been saying they caught greater ones, however you need to get it weighed,” Bailey mentioned. “My dad handed away final 12 months and I want he might have seen this. We used to fish collectively on a regular basis.”

For Bailey, the file is greater than a trophy. It’s a reminder of why time on the water issues.

“There may be not a lot better than catfishing with household and buddies,” he mentioned.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning outside journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Outside Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e-mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com