95# Cat CPR'd in South Carolina

[Hawkeye]

Check the link... great story!
http://greenvilleonline.com/news/sports/2004/10/30/2004103051968.htm (http://greenvilleonline.com/news/sports/2004/10/30/2004103051968.htm)

[Catfish]

Great Article -- I am taking the liberty of posting it here ... Just awesome ..




Now, here's the catch!

Posted Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 10:02 pm


By Scott Keepfer
OUTDOORS EDITOR
skeepfer@greenvillenews.com (skeepfer@greenvillenews.com)

http://greenvilleonline.com/hoss/photos/2004/10/30/8589.jpg


Lance Larson prepares to release his 95-pound blue catfish back to the Cooper River. GREENVILLE NEWS / File (http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobseeker/jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=JY7GY613ZXC2V4P3KR&lr=cbga_gn&siteid=cbga_gn060)
There's nothing in the world wrong with the catfish of Lake Hartwell, Lance Larson says, but like most serious catfishermen, nothing compares to his semi-annual pilgrimage to mecca, er Santee Cooper.

Larson, 42, of Starr, always has been enamored by big fish of all types, but it is giant catfish that really float his boat. He's been targeting them for about a dozen years now ever since reading about George Lijewski catching a then-world record 109-pound blue catfish at Santee Cooper in 1991.

He heads to Santee every April and October "because that's when the weather's the mildest," he says and spends a week enjoying wildlife, patrolling the waters of the Cooper River, and fishing from late morning to late night.

"October has always been real good to me down there," Larson said.

But never as good as it was this year.

On the first afternoon of his first day of fishing, Larson hooked into the biggest cat of his life. He reeled it up, then it went down. Repeatedly.

The good news was that the fish didn't try to run out, away from its hole.

"I knew I had a good fish," Larson said. "But that could mean 50 pounds. When I first got a glimpse of it, my knees about buckled. I began thinking 70 pounds."

After about a 20-minute battle and one missed netting opportunity, Larson and fishing partner Ed Chastain finally netted the huge cat, each grabbing one end of the net and dragging it up and over the rail of the boat.

Larson weighed the fish on certified scales and his knees really buckled the blue cat tipped the scales at 95 pounds.

After taking plenty of photographs, he released the fish. When he returned to Atkins Landing his regular jumping-off accommodation near the Pinnopolis Dam they eyed him skeptically. So Larson quickly drove to a one-hour photo processor.

When he showed them the photographs, the refrain was the same.

"They said, 'We can't believe you released that fish, you idiot,'" Larson said.

But since Larson knew that the fish would fall some 14 pounds short of the state record, he figured he might as well release the fish, which is believed to rank as the second-largest blue cat ever caught in South Carolina. Larson's catch also would best the current record in 40 states.

"I had some mixed emotions for a while, but I'm glad I did it," Larson said. "I feel good about that fish still being in the river. If it was a big female, it's going to lay thousands of eggs.

"And I think there's a strong gene pool with these catfish. Not all of them grow up to be monsters."

Continuing his trip of good fortune, Larson wrapped up his week-long stay by catching a 60-pound blue cat on his final day. His fishing partner for the final three days, Central's Mac Martin, hooked up with another big cat 48 pounds simultaneously.

"We had a 108-pound double," Larson said. "I don't think that'll ever happen again."

They released both of those fish, too. Larson does enjoy keeping and eating some of his catfish, to be sure, but he says smaller fish in the 5-10 pound range are best for that. And because he targets the big fish by using large hooks and large baits typically cut mullet or cut herring he seldom catches anything small, which is just the way he likes it. "I really get fired up about trying to catch world-class catfish," Larson said. "In that current, a big fish can spool you if you don't play him just right. I really like that challenge."

[mudd_catt]

Sounds like he had fun. Makes me wanna go.

[MUDHOLE KID]

Starr Is Just Down The Road From Here And I'm There Almost Every Other Day.i Need To Hunt This Feller Down.i Heard There Was A 95 Lber Caught Down There Last Month But I Didnt Know It Was A Local

[NightTrain]

I saw this on another site,earlier....my,my,my....This craziness of turning loose big catfeesh is kechin'on !!!Thought about the "mudhole kid"when I saw it.