Teenage angler Jaylynn Parker has broken the previous record for the biggest blue catfish ever caught in Ohio waters. At the age of just fifteen, Parker reeled in a remarkable 101.11lb specimen from the Ohio River, using a jug line method. Her achievement has been confirmed by the Ohio Wildlife Council, making her the new state record holder for the species.
The fish was caught on 7th April, in a tributary of the Ohio River called Twelve Mile Creek. It weighed more than 101lb and measured around four feet long. Parker’s family had laid out several jug lines, or baited hooks attached to floating containers, overnight. She and a friend, Jeff Sam, returned the following morning to check them.
Parker said: “I started pulling on him and I noticed that he was pulling back pretty hard. I was thinking, ‘This is a pretty good fish.’ Then, when he came up out of the water, I knew it was something huge.”
After landing her record-breaking haul, however, Parker faced a logistical headache. She and her companions had forgotten to take their weighing equipment with them, so they had to travel to a nearby feed store to establish the exact weight of the fish. The team later discovered that the former state record for a blue catfish in Ohio – held since 2009 – belonged to Chris Rolph, at 96lb.
With the help of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Parker was eventually able to weigh her catch and prove her newfound status as the state’s premier blue catfish angler. She has said that she hopes her feat will inspire other young women to take up fishing.
Her achievement has gained widespread attention in the media. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine even sent her a congratulatory message, praising her efforts. Parker has expressed gratitude for the support she has received, adding: “I’ve definitely had people reaching out to us saying that their daughters want to go fishing with me and that they look up to me.”
Aside from breaking the Ohio state record, Parker’s catch has also earned her global recognition. The current world record for a blue catfish is held by a specimen weighing 143lb, caught in the US state of Virginia in 2010. However, Parker insists that she wants to focus on inspiring younger girls to get involved in fishing, rather than beating international records. She said: “People think fishing is a guy’s sport, that girls can’t do this, but, obviously, they can because I just did it – and I did it better.”
The Ohio Wildlife Council maintains a list of state record catches, which is updated regularly as part of an ongoing partnership between the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and the council.
Leave a Reply