Aurora man lands state record catfish

An Aurora man has claimed the state record for catching the largest channel catfish.

Mike Stone was fishing for trout and walleye at Aurora Reservoir on July 26, when he dropped a floating jighead, tipped with a nightcrawler worm, into the water, according to 7News.

“I tied the floating jig to a leader 6 feet below the sinker, which allows the bait to float just off the bottom of the lake, Stone said. “I had just cast my line into the water and started to pour a cup of coffee when I saw the tip of my fishing rod move and jerk.

Stone grabbed his rod, set the hook and carefully played the large fish to prevent breaking his lightweight, 6-pound line. Stone landed his prize catch after 15 minutes of give and take.

Park rangers and Division of Wildlife officers arrived later to take photos and to weigh the fish on a state-certified scale.

Stone’s catfish measured 37 inches in length and weighed 35.22 pounds. That’s almost 2 pounds heavier than the previous record of 33 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in 1994 by John McKeever at Hertha Reservoir in Larimer County.

Stone hopes to have his record fish mounted in the near future.

“It looks like this fish and I are going to be joined at the hip, at least as long as the record holds,” he said. “I’ll be happy if my record lasts anywhere near as long as the previous one.”

Click here for the 7News story.