Local Angler Shatters The New Hampshire Channel Catfish State Record

New Hampshire Fish and Game has a new fish to pencil into the record books, and man, is this thing a fatty. A 15.33-pound channel catfish was recently reeled in on the Connecticut River by Matthew Smith.

The previous state record weighed 12.48 pounds, which means Matthew's new record was the same size plus a 17-inch largemouth bass. Talk about an upgrade!

Channel catfish are probably the most popular type of catfish that anglers catch. They fight hard and make a good fish fry. While they don’t get as big as the blue or flathead catfish, they are pound-for-pound, the hardest fighting catfish of the three.

Where New England Catfish Call Home

The Connecticut River is New England’s longest river as it stretches over 400 miles before it dumps into the Atlantic ocean via the Long Island Sound.