Wally Klein recently landed what many anglers would consider a fish of a lifetime: an 86.8-pound blue catfish, caught on rod and reel using a chunk of gizzard shad as bait. The fish was weighed, photographed, and then released back into the Missouri River near Washington, where it likely returned to the deep current to fight another day.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shared Klein’s story and photo on its official Facebook page on July 22, where it quickly racked up shares, likes, and a comment section full of awe, envy, and even some concern. Klein told MDC this was the biggest catfish he’s ever caught. From the looks of the photo, he wasn’t exaggerating. The fish’s thick body fills Klein’s arms, and it appears to require some serious muscle for Klein to hoist the cat long enough to snap the photo.
The MDC praised the angler for releasing the fish “unharmed,” but several commenters were quick to question that claim after spotting a yellow rope strung through the fish’s gills that apparently had been used as a stringer. While legal in Missouri and commonly used by anglers intending to keep their catch, stringers raise red flags when it comes to catch-and-release.
“That fish is dead. Look at the stringer tied through the gills,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Great catch, but it definitely wasn’t released right away with a stringer in it.”
Science backs the skeptics. A 2023 study published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management found that stringers “can cause stress and injury levels that can result in postrelease mortality.” Damage to the gills or jaw from a rope or chain stringer may not be immediately visible. Still, it can impair respiration or lead to infection, especially in warmer summer waters when fish are already stressed from the fight.
According to the MDC’s Big River Catfishing guide, the Missouri River is teeming with blue, flathead, and channel catfish, often found together along rocky banks, woody structure, and submerged dikes. While all three species are heavyweight bottom feeders, blue catfish, which are the largest of the three and can grow to weigh more than 100 pounds, prefer areas with heavy current. Anglers looking to hook up with one of these monsters should concentrate their efforts in areas below dams or around the main channel.
Missouri’s state-record blue catfish weighed in at a whopping 130 pounds, caught on rod and reel in 2010 by Greg Bernal of Florissant. Klein’s fish didn’t beat that benchmark, but it certainly ranks among the largest catch-and-release blues in recent years. And it might be one of the most talked-about, given the debate around its release.
Despite the controversy, most commenters still celebrated the cat’s sheer size and Klein’s willingness to put it back. Whether it survived or not, the story has sparked a conversation about what responsible release really means.
