70-Pound Flathead Catfish Captured After Nearly Hour-Long Battle in Georgia; Angler Breaks 2010 Local Record

An angler broke a local record after a rare find. However, it took nearly an hour of reeling before he saw how big his catch was.

Giant Catfish Breaks Record

Michael Dollar, 34, was planning to fish for crappie at Clarks Hill Lake, Georgia, on March 4 after catching 30 nice fish on Feb. 27. Unknown to him, he would catch a record-breaking flathead catfish weighing 70 pounds in Clarks Hill, Newsweek reported.

The previous record holder only weighed 64 pounds.

Dollar said they were not having much luck, and there was a lot of trash in the water. They made a pass, and he told his buddies to get him closer to the bank, and that's when the giant yellow catfish bit.

Dollar told Newsweek he thought he was hung up because the rod was bowed over so far. He was about to cut the line when he saw the cork moving away from the bank. It was at that time that he realized they got a big fish.

After 20 to 30 minutes of reeling, he thought of cutting the line, thinking they would never get the fish. However, after 40 minutes, they finally got the fish. Dollar believed the fish got tired and just floated to the top.

At the time, his buddy, Ken O'Barr, swooped the net and did the best they could to get the whole fish in the net. They had to work together to get the huge fish inside the board. Dollar said he was elated when they finally saw the fish lying on the floor of the boat.

Dollar, who hailed from Raysville, Georgia, said he has been fishing for as long as he can remember because he enjoyed the great outdoors and the activity. He also loved the camaraderie and eating their catch.

Georgia Outdoor News Magazine shared a snap of Dollar with his massive catch on Facebook.

7-Foot Alligator Gar Breaks Record in Alabama

Earlier this year, a father and son, who fished in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta days after Thanksgiving, caught the biggest alligator gar in Alabama.

It has been the duo's tradition to fish on holidays. Their expedition after the holiday was the most unforgettable catch in their lives.

Keith Dees said in a post on Facebook that he and his son, Huntley, went fishing at about 11:30 a.m. and decided to fish one more spot. His chatter bait went slack about halfway to the boat when he made a cast. He reeled as fast as he could and saw a big fish swimming by his trolling motor.

The 7-foot alligator gar weighed 162 pounds, breaking the previous record of 151 pounds.

Dees' post on social media received several responses from other netizens, with many expressing awe at the sight of the giant catch. One said it was a fish of a lifetime, while another called it a "dinosaur" due to its massive size.

Dees admitted that he knew the fish was big but didn't expect it to be a state record. Following the catch, Dees said he got a bunch of cajun. They cut the fish into steaks and medallions. He also kept a bunch of meat in the freezer. According to Dees, it was delicious.

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