I had to look back in my notes, really dig deep, back in a pile of papers, notebooks and scribblings to find it. An 8-pound flathead catfish, my first one, caught from the Ohio River on May 12, 1990.
More than 28 years ago I landed that fish by accident, and in the next several years I caught numerous more on purpose, though none were over 10 pounds. Not many were turning up on the end of and angler’s line back then, and they were all a big deal.
At that time, no one targeted flatheads. They were all accidental catches, including the state record.
On May 9, 1985, Seymour Abramovitz of Pittsburgh broke the state record flathead catfish mark when he hauled in a 43-pound, 9-ounce monster on from the Allegheny River. The catfish, which was just under 40 inches long, held the record for 21 years. Abramovitz caught the flathead with a spinning rod and 6-pound test line baited with a minnow. The previous state record flathead catfish weighed 35 pounds and was 43 1/2 inches long. It was caught in the Armstrong County section of the Allegheny River in 1975.
Now, 20-some years later, the flatheads are bigger, and the anglers who pursue them are better. One only needs to visit Reddi Bait in Bridgewater in person or on Facebook to see the flatheads of today. There may be as many 30- and 40-pounders caught as there were 10- and 20-pounders back then. And the anglers catching them are pushing the limits of equipment and technique.
An accurate gauge of the area’s largest flatheads is the King of the Flatties competition held at Reddi Bait in Bridgewater. Every year, the bait shop tracks local flathead catches. From the first 10-pounder to the largest of the year, accurate scales and pictures tell the story of the biggest fish to swim in Pennsylvania, and this is the time of year to catch the biggest.
Currently, Eric Tustin of Wintersville, Ohio, has registered the biggest fish of the year. The 45-pound flathead was caught in the Ohio River below the Cumberland Lock and Dam.
“This was my second time this year on home waters because I’ve been fishing out of state more,” Tustin said. “That’s my personal best.”
Tustin caught an 8-inch shad with a cast net to use as bait. Like most serious “catmen,” he cut off the head and tail and used the midsection with the intestines intact.
“This is what shocks everyone; the fight only lasted about three minutes,” Tustin said. Normally, the struggle between fish and angler will last 30 minutes or more.
The prior leader in the competition was a 43-pound flathead also caught on cut bait from local Ohio River waters, though the exact location is being kept secret. The current state record was set in 2006. The fish weighed 48 pounds, 6 ounces and was caught at Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County.
If you fish for these big flatheads or would like to see some up close, Reddi Bait in Bridgewater will be holding tournaments June 23 and Sep 8. Spectators can get up close and personal with the biggest fish from the area’s rivers. Just be sure to be on time for weigh-ins as all fish are released to battle another day.
Mike Barcaskey can be reached at mikebarcaskey@outlook.com.