Would You Kill a Trophy Fish to Make the Record Book

About this episode

The episode discusses the ethical dilemma of killing a trophy fish to set a record.

Would you kill a trophy catfish, or would you kill any trophy fish, to set a state record or world record if you knew 100% that it would make the record books? World record fish, especially world record catfish, and state record fish are rare. Of the millions of catfish caught in America each year, only a couple make the record books. Recently, Missouri angler Daniel Mayer has caught the new state record for a blue catfish for the state of Kansas, and the fish died before it could be released alive. Daniel Mayer caught the record blue catfish on the Missouri River in May of 2025 and the record was recently certified.. Mayer was eligible for the Catch the Fever prize of $20,000 for catching a state record catfish. The new state record, caught on the Missouri River, weighs in at 121.1 pounds and measures in at 59.75 inches. Releasing the catfish alive was part of the requirement to receive the Catch the Fever prize, so now Mayer is not eligible to win the money.🔴 🔶 🔴 🔶 FOR A GUIDED FISHING TRIP WITH ME CLICK HERE: https://dietermelhornfishing.com/guide-trips

Topics covered

• trophy fish
• record fish
• catfish
• fishing ethics

Keywords

• world record
• state record
• catfish
• Catch the Fever prize

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Catch the Fever prize

Books & works: Catch the Fever

Places: America, Missouri, Kansas, the Missouri River

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