Near Record Channel Cat Leaves Angler Winded
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On July 1, 2006 at 8am, Ryszard Grzesik of Matawan landed a 32 pound, 7
ounce channel catfish using a shrimp for bait in Lake Shenandoah. The
behemoth, with a girth of 24 inches and a length of 34.5 inches, was
just 12 ounces shy of Howard Hudson's 1978 NJ state record of 33 pounds,
3 ounces from Lake Hopatcong.
The battle to land the fish left Mr. Grzesik, a smoker, winded. "Maybe it lost 12 or more ounces because of the long fight. If I was in better shape I could've landed it more quickly, and I would now have the State Record!" "That was my last cigarette, I quit!" he said. Hot weather really puts channels on the feed! See the list of NJ channel catfish stocked waters for a location near you, and the Freshwater Record Fish page to see what record you might want to pursue. Lake Shenandoah is within Lake Shenandoah County Park in Lakewood, Ocean County. The 100-acre lake has accessible fishing piers, small boat launch (electric motors only) and an on-site bait-and-tackle shop with boat rentals. The lake is stocked with trout and supports thriving populations of largemouth bass, pickerel, perch, crappie and sunfish. And channel cats! |
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