The list of Texas lakes that have produced whopper-sized cats is a long one
In June 2023, Lake Tawakoni noodlers Justin White and Drew Moore snatched this 98.7 pound flathead catfish from an old concrete washout at the base of a bridge crossing in about 14 feet water. It may be the biggest Texas flathead ever noodled and documented on certified scales. The fish was released alive. (Courtesy Photo)
Trotliner Tom Allcorn (right) holds the all-tackle Toledo Bend lake record for blue cat with this 84 pounder caught on a trotline in 2007. Allcorn was fishing with Kellan Arnold. (Courtesy Photo)
Cade Childress of Pickton reeled in this 72.4 pound blue cat at Lake Tawakoni in March 2021. The fish ranks as the current junior angler state record and junior angler lake record for Lake Tawakoni. Childress was only 12 at the time of the catch. (Courtesy Photo)
Cody Mullennix (far left) reeled in this monster blue catfish in January 2004 while fishing from the bank at Lake Texoma on the Texas/Oklahoma. He was using cut shad for bait. Weighing 121.50 pounds, the fish ranks as the current Texas state record blue cat. The Mullennix blue ranked as the IGFA world record for several years, but has since been broken. Scientists believe the catfish was 23-25 years old. (Courtesy Photo)
Outdoors Writer
There are plenty of ways to fool a fat cat. Some anglers like to go after them the conventional way using a stout rod, big line and heavy duty hook tipped with a slab of diced shad or a live perch. Most will agree the fresher the bait, the better.
Passive crowds also catch plenty on trotlines, jugs, limb lines and bank poles, as do adrenaline junkies like Justin White of Kaufman and …
