VIRGINIA – One lucky woman kicked off 2026 with the catch of a lifetime: a 30-pound blue catfish.
Pat Hutchinson was fishing on the James River on Jan. 5 when she landed the big catch, according to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). With this extraordinary feat, Hutchinson set the IGFA Women’s 3-kg (6 lb.) Line Class World Record for the species.
Recommended Videos
The catfish didn’t go down without a fight. It struck Hutchinson’s cut bait and took a 22-minute battle to reel in.
She then recorded the weight on her certified scale before safely releasing the fish.
Congrats to Hutchinson!