LIFESTYLE

Fayetteville angler’s North Carolina state-record flathead catfish could be supplanted

Monica Holland
mholland@fayobserver.com
The Fayetteville Observer

Almost 15 years ago, Fayetteville angler Brian Newberger pulled a 78-pound, 52-inch flathead catfish out of the Cape Fear River above Lock and Dam No.3 to set a state record. He beat the previous record of 69 pounds from 1994, caught by Edward C. Davis, also from the Cape Fear River.

Now, the Neuse River might be home to the state-record flathead.

On July 19, Pikeville’s Tyler Barnes streamed a video onto his Facebook page showing a 78.9-pound flathead weighed on certified scales at Goldsboro’s EZ Bait & Tackle.

The would-be record has yet to be recognized on the North Carolina Wildlife Resouces Commission website but, according to longtime fishing guide, YouTube and podcast host Dieter Melhorn, the video looks legitimate.

“In the old days, you’d have a black-and-white photo and there would only be one copy. Now, you’ve got live streaming video of the entire weighing process which adds credibility if there are any questions,” Melhorn said.

Barnes’ Facebook video showing the fish’s release had more than 4 million views as of Thursday evening.

Just two weeks ago, Melhorn reported on a potential record blue catfish landed by Joey Baird from Lake Gaston, weighing just over 121 pounds.

That catch hasn’t been listed on the NCWRC’s list of state fishing records yet either.

“Once the biologist sees it and gets a positive ID on it, usually it’s a pretty quick process — within 48 hours,” Melhorn said.

“The biggest issue on all these record fish is getting them to a certified scale, especially for those of us who want to catch and release.

“In the old days, all of these fish would be dead,” Melhorn said.

Newberger waited seven hours for Riverside Bait & Tackle to open so that he could weigh his flathead. He was able to keep it alive until releasing it later that morning.

The two recent potential record fishes also were released alive.

That means they’ll grow even bigger.

“Everyone thought the next state record would come out of the Cape Fear, but any of those drainages could have a state record,” Melhorn said.

He theorizes that rich nutrient content and remoteness help the catfish in the Neuse and Cape Fear get so large.

“They have a lot of hiding places,” he said.

Newberger and Barnes know those hiding places.

Along with knowledge of underwater structure and familiarity with fishing holes, Melhorn said bait is key to catching a biggie.

“This isn’t a deal where you go out with some hot dogs or chicken livers,” he said. “You have to have whatever swims in the river you’re fishing — sunfish, shad eels.”

Newberger landed his record flathead with a live eel, a challenge unto itself to catch, according to Melhorn.

He’s been pursuing catfish for nearly two decades, using his background in television production to tap into social media outlets. He understands the long odds of setting a state record for catfish.

“A fish that size, that’s a tenth of a tenth of a tenth of a percent of the fish out there,” he said.

“You’ve hit the lottery when you catch a fish like that.”

Sports editor Monica Holland can be reached at mholland@fayobserver.com.