Iowa Angler George Thompson Sets State Record with 105-Pound Blue Catfish

George Thompson set a new Iowa state record by catching a 105-pound, 60-inch blue catfish along the Missouri River in Pottawattamie County. The previous record, set in 2004, was a 53-inch, 101-pound blue catfish caught on the same stretch of river. Thompson battled the fish for 35 minutes before bringing it in using rod and reel, and kept it alive in a live well with diffused oxygen to have it officially weighed on a certified scale. After certification, he released the fish back into the Missouri River, where the blue catfish population is wild and not stocked. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources notes that blue catfish of this size are rare, as most adult blue catfish typically weigh between 20 and 25 pounds. This catch represents a significant achievement in Iowa fishing and highlights the presence of large, natural catfish populations in the Missouri River.