🐱👤’Catzilla’ Comes to Life: Pennsylvania Angler Hooks State Record with Leviathan Catfish! 🎣
TL:DR; Pennsylvania local and avid fisherman, Michael Wherley, made headlines recently for hooking a 66-pound flathead catfish from the Susquehanna River. Earning the title of “Catzilla,” this aquatic beast toppled the previous state record by more than 10 pounds. Wherley returned the monster back to its aquatic domain after official verification. 🏆🌊
Do you remember the tall tales spun around campfires about monster fish lurking beneath the water’s surface? Well, one Pennsylvania fisherman lived to tell a tale that is no myth! 📚🔥
Michael Wherley, a 46-year-old Fayetteville native, got a bigger bite than he bargained for during his fishing expedition on May 14. Having spent about 15 years fishing for flathead catfish on the Susquehanna River, the tug he felt that day was unlike any other. When the leviathan finally surfaced, all he could exclaim was, “Humongous!” – a true moment of shock and awe. 👀💥
Just picture this – Wherley, locked in an epic tug-of-war with the beast for 30 minutes, his arms cramping up, all the while knowing he had hooked onto something colossal. How would you feel if you were in his shoes? Or, perhaps better put, in his water-resistant boots? 🎣🚣
That day, Wherley and his fishing buddy had already pulled in a 30-pounder and a 45-pounder that even broke their net! Little did they know, the real monster was yet to come. 🏋️💦
Handing over the rod to his friend, Wherley thrust both hands into the catfish’s mouth and heaved it aboard. He knew then, this was no ordinary catch; this was the ‘Catzilla’ of the Susquehanna! So, would you have the courage to stick your hands into a massive fish’s mouth? It sounds like something straight out of a Discovery Channel special, doesn’t it? 📺🤔
Aware of the previous state record (a measly 56 pounds and 3 ounces in comparison), Wherley was sure he had that beat. He kept ‘Catzilla’ alive in a bucket with an aerator and hustled it to a certified scale location. Upon official weighing by a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officer, the new record was set: a whopping 66 pounds and 6 ounces! 🏅🔝
But here’s the heartwarming part. With the record secured, Wherley escorted the leviathan back to the river, freeing it to continue its underwater reign. In his words, “This is just incredible, and I’m really glad we were able to release the fish back into the river. I’m a hundred-percent certain there are even bigger fish out there.” Does this make you rethink what other freshwater titans might be lurking beneath the surface? 🏞️🤯
In the end, our brave fisherman acknowledged the ephemeral nature of records, sure his would likely be surpassed soon. Yet, the story of ‘Catzilla’ will long be remembered, igniting the imaginations of anglers across the state. Could you be the next one to dethrone Wherley? Are you ready to take on the challenge and hunt for an even bigger ‘Catzilla’? 🎯🐱👤
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