Angler Eric Mauer was recently awarded a Line Class World Record by the International Game Fish Association. Mauer specializes in catching monster catfish and recently claimed the world title for the IGFA Freshwater 130 lb. Line Class record for blue catfish.

Mauer caught the 84-pound blue on March 18, 2007 near the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant in about 38 feet of water. He was using a 2-inch “steak” cut from a river herring (skipjack).

Mauer described it this way, “It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon on Chickamauga Lake fishing the drop-offs with 130 lb. test Ande line when this 84-pound monster picked up the bait. I knew it was a monster right from the beginning and fought it for about 45 minutes.”

Mauer said another boat watched the entire show, however he netted the beast by himself.

“It’s a technique I’ve learned on other big catfish… and the net held,” he exclaimed. “I grabbed a couple of fellow fishermen and headed for a dock because I knew this fish should set the new IGFA 130 lb. line class record. It had to be weighed on land on certified scales (which I carry) and witnessed.

The fish was 55 inches long and had a girth of 34.75 inches.

Mauer said, “After weighing, measuring, and taking photos, I stood in the water with it until it revived enough to swim away.”

Mauer, who is retired, says he normally fishes 3-to-4 days per week and averages about 25 hours per week year-round.

“I don’t specifically fish for record fish, but I do use methods and fish areas that will produce big fish. I always use line that will test at or below the maximum allowed for each line class so that if I do catch a record fish it will not be disqualified because the line tested too high. I preset my drag at 25% to 30% of the stated line test, especially for the lighter lines. I also prefer circle hooks for catfish, in a size appropriate to the line strength, so that “setting” the hook is not required and there is less risk of breaking off the fish. I also carry the required paperwork and a list of state and world records so that I know if a fish qualifies, and can have the fish witnessed and weighed and photographed, and can still release it.”

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Angler Claims (Another) IGFA World Record

With a unanimous vote by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission, Commercial fishermen keep their right to keep a “trophy” catfish. But like everyone else, their limit is one catfish 34 inches or longer per day.

President of the East Tennessee Commercial Fisherman Association, Verlin Clark, asked the commission to do away with all size limits on catfish for commercial anglers. Not only for economic reasons, but biological ones as well.

“You’re going to run into a problem down the road with all these big catfish,” Clark told the commission. “They’ll eat a lot of the sport fish.”

TWRA chief of fisheries, Bill Reeves, disputed that theory.

“You have something called dynamics of bioenergetics,” Reeves said. “That means if you expend all your energy trying to catch your food, you’re going to starve to death. Catfish aren’t going to be out there swimming around the lake looking for game fish to eat.”

Several commissioners voiced their opinions about the change and quizzed the commercial fishermen about selling catfish live to out-of-state pay lakes. Live catfish would bring in more money then those sold for meat.

Approximately 900,000 people bought a regular fishing license while only 348 people bought a commercial license. The commission used their surveys and reports showing a vast majority of Tennessee sport fishermen like the limit currently held for catfish.

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One big catfish for all