A new Ohio state record blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, may have been caught along the Ohio River in southwest Ohio according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Chris Rolph of Clermont County caught the fish weighing 96 pounds in the Ohio River near downtown Cincinnati on June 11. Rolph’s catch is 54.5 inches in length with a 36-inch girth. The fish was caught using frozen skipjack herring. Skipjack herring, Alosa chyrsochloris, a native forage fish found in the Ohio River, is a very popular bait fish used by catfish anglers. It took the lucky angler and a friend about 30 minutes to get the fish into their boat. The fish was then weighed at the Bethel Feed & Farm Supply.

Mr. Rolph’s catch will be certified as the new state record blue catfish pending review by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee. It will replace the first ever state record blue catfish certified in 2008 of 57 pounds 3.2 ounces.

Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologist Doug Maloney, at Wildlife District Five, identified Rolph’s catch as a blue catfish. The blue catfish is the largest growing catfish in the Ohio River sometimes weighing in excess of 100 pounds.

Regulations for submitting a potential new Ohio state record blue catfish are as follows:

• No entries will be accepted for blue catfish caught before January 1, 2008. All potential record fish must be caught legally using a rod & reel. Fish caught from bank lines, trot lines, jug lines, nets, snagged, grabbing, or other methods will not be accepted.

• All potential state record blue catfish are required to be weighed on state or county certified scales in front of two witnesses, whose name, address, phone number, and signature, must accompany the application.

• All potential state record blue catfish must be examined by a fisheries biologist from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.

• A clear photograph showing the fish must also accompany the application.

• Fish will only be accepted from anglers with a valid Ohio fishing license caught from the main stem of the Ohio River within the state borders, any state of Ohio tributary, or from the shoreline of the Ohio side, or any Ohio public lake. Fish from “pay lakes” are not eligible. Fish caught from a Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia shoreline or tributary will not be accepted. A copy of the fishing license must accompany the application.

• Non-residents will be eligible for Ohio state record fish recognition providing they have a valid non-resident fishing license at the time the fish was caught.

• The minimum length for any blue catfish entered into the state record fish list must be 45 inches in length.

• A downloadable application is available online at www.outdoorwritersofohio.org

For information on fishing regulations, reports and access go to www.wildohio.com.