Massive catfish caught by 13-year-old is a pending Texas record

A 13-year-old Texas angler on Saturday reeled in a blue catfish so massive that it appeared to dwarf the boy while he posed for photos.

Brayden Rogers of Cisco reeled in the 67.1-pound behemoth while fishing at Lake Tawakoni with Michael and Teri Littlejohn’s Guide Service.

The catch is a pending Texas record for junior anglers, besting a 66.2-pound blue catfish landed at Lake Worth in 2011.

The fish was kept alive and weighed by the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, which will review catch details before deciding whether to recognize the new record.

Another twist to this story is that rather than release the fish back into the lake, Brayden agreed to donate his catch to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, where it’s now on display in a large tank popular among tourists and school kids.

Teri Littlejohn told FTW Outdoors that Brayden was drifting with guide Noel Ibarra, and using cut shad for bait when the whiskered behemoth stuck at about 8 a.m.

“The rod tip bent all the way to the water and the kid just started reeling,” Teri said.

The fish was landed after a 10-minute fight, and kept alive in a holding tank on the boat.

Teri said a 78-pound blue catfish was caught in the same spot later on Saturday morning, by an older angler fishing with Michael Littlejohn.

The Lake Tawakoni record stands at 87.5 pounds.

For the sake of comparison, the Texas state record is 121.5 pounds. That fish was caught at Lake Texoma in 2004.

–Images showing Brayden Rogers with his catch are courtesy of Michael and Teri Littlejohn’s Guide Service