Smith lands near-record catfish

Credit: Contributed

Ervin Smith hefts the 74-pound, 12-ounce blue catfish he caught at Lake James last Tuesday. The behemoth was 46 1/4 inches long.

By: Marty Queen | dqueen@mcdowellnews.com
Published: August 24, 2010
Updated: August 24, 2010 - 2:09 PM

Ervin Smith knew there were some large catfish in Lake James; after all he's caught plenty of them in the 10- to 25-pound range.
But when he first glimpsed the leviathan of a blue catfish he hooked last Tuesday night, he couldn't believe his eyes: It looked exponentially bigger than any other fish he had ever had on the line.
"The thing I remember most is when I first saw him," said Smith. "I knew he was big, but I saw the back end of him and how broad his tail was, and I couldn't believe it.
"When I saw him, it was surreal. I knew it was a big fish, but I had no idea it was of this magnitude."
Smith knew he'd have a tough time netting the whopper himself, so he looked around for his wife, Pam.
But Pam had seen the giant fish and wanted no part of it.
"She was scared and she ran to the back of the boat," laughed Ervin. "I said, 'hey, don't abandon me now.'"
To her credit, Pam rushed to her husband's side and helped him land the monster. Although nearly 2 feet of catfish still stuck out from the net, the duo grappled it into the boat.
"We sort of wrestled it in," Smith said. "And then we celebrated."
Later, a set of certified scales flashed an amazing number: 74 pounds, 12 ounces. The behemoth measured 46 1/4 inches long.
And though Smith's monster missed the state record by 14 pounds, it could be the largest fish of any species ever taken from Lake James.
Blue cats and their relatives, flathead catfish, are among the largest freshwater fish in the state. Neither is native to Lake James, although both are routinely caught there. Biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have said fishermen are responsible for placing blues and flatheads in the lake, a practice the commission discourages because it could have a negative impact on many other species.
Still, the big cats are there, and some of them are enormous. Smith said another angler boated a 62-pounder earlier this summer. Just three weeks ago, Smith tied into a blue he estimated at 30 to 35 pounds, but the fish became entangled in his anchor rope and broke the line.
But the seasoned fisherman knew he had something even bigger on when the catfish made its first run. The big blue took a hook baited with two small shad and made a slow but steady initial run of 60 to 80 yards. Smith worked the fish back toward him twice before it gave up, exhausted, and wallowed in the water beside the boat.
Despite Smith's efforts to revive it, the giant died. The filets - one of which weighed 20 pounds - are in his freezer.
"I'm on catch and release the rest of the year," Smith laughed. "There's no more room in the freezer."
But that doesn't mean he'll quit fishing.
"It's the fish of a lifetime, and I don't think I'll ever top it," said Smith. "But I'm not going to give up on hunting a bigger one."
Notes: The current N.C. record blue cat is an 89-pounder caught at Badin Lake in 2006 by Eric Fincher...Smith landed his prize on a Garcia Ambassadeur 6500 Carpmaster reel, 25-pound Trilene Big Game monofilament, and a 7-foot Bass Pro Shops rod...Smith said he fishes with both bluegill and shad, and had two rods with each kind of bait out when the blue cat struck...Smith added he likes to use shad in the 5-inch range, but those he caught last Tuesday were only about half that size. As a result, he put two on each hook.

Smith lands near-record catfish

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