Two anglers, Billy Maddox and Clay McDaniel of Thomaston, have some major bragging rights after their recent catch of an 85-pound flathead catfish on the Altamaha River. The catfish is one of the largest ones ever caught in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
However, because the fish was not caught on a rod and reel (it was caught by the legal method of a baited hook and line attached to a bush on the bank), it is not eligible for a state record. The good news for anglers is that WRD Fisheries Biologists believe this 85-pound flathead catfish is just one of the many "monsters" lurking in this particular river and expect that the current state record of 67 lbs. 8 oz., established by Gene Middleton in 2000, may be broken this year.
