Fishermen in Branson are still in shock after pulling in what may be the largest catfish ever recorded in the Ozarks — a staggering 5,817-pound behemoth that required a construction crane to lift it out of the water.
The massive catfish was hooked early Thursday morning in Table Rock Lake. According to witnesses, the fight lasted over two hours as the fish repeatedly dragged the boat and snapped heavy-duty lines. When the anglers finally got it close to shore, they realized they had something far bigger than a normal catfish on their hands.
“It was like hooking a small car,” one of the fishermen said. “We knew it was huge, but when we saw the size of it breaking the surface, our jaws hit the floor.”
Because of the catfish’s enormous weight, local authorities had to call in a construction crew with a large crane to safely hoist the fish out of the water for photos and measurements. Video footage shows the crane straining as the giant flathead catfish dangled in the air, its tail still twitching.
Experts who examined the fish say it is an absolute freak of nature. “This is well beyond any record we’ve seen in Missouri,” one wildlife official commented. “This thing is longer than most people’s boats.”
The anglers have not yet decided what to do with the fish. Some locals are pushing for it to be released back into the lake, while others are already joking about how many fish sandwiches it could make.
The catch has already gone viral online, with people calling it everything from the “Branson Beast” to proof that there are still monsters hiding in Table Rock Lake. Fishermen across the Ozarks are now rushing to the water hoping to land their own record-breaker.
For now, the 5,817-pound catfish is being kept in a special holding area while measurements and photos are finalized. Wildlife officials say this could be one of the largest freshwater fish ever documented in the United States.
If you thought Branson’s attractions were wild before, this giant catfish just raised the bar even higher.