That is what Kevin Schmidt of St. Helena Nebraska found at the end of his fishing line in late September. Officially, the monster weighed 56 pounds, eight ounces, and became a new South Dakota flathead catfish record. On September 28 he hauled in the record lunker on live bait from the Missouri River near Yankton. The flathead measured 47 inches from the tip of its snout to the tip of its tail, and was 29 inches in girth. According to Game, Fish and Parks Fisheries Chief Dennis Unkenholz, the flathead catfish are common to South Dakota in Lake Francis, downstream to Sioux City.
Flatheads are efficient predators, sporty to catch, and good to eat.
Wildlife officials say that catching a state record fish is just the beginning. Should someone catch a possible state record fish, the first thing to do is get it weighed on a certified scale. Under South Dakota rules, the weight must be rounded down to the nearest ounce. In order to better the existing record, a fish must weigh at least one ounce more. If it breaks the record by less than an ounce, the two fish will be listed as co-holders of the record.