Ask This Tennessee Man How to Break Your Own Catfish Record

I'm not much of a fisherman. I can count the times I've been on half of one hand. Don't ask me why; it seems to be one of the most relaxing pastimes one can undertake.

I was 3 years old and 38 years old each time I dipped a line in the water and came up empty-handed both times. During the latter experience, I couldn't get anything out of the water thanks to a couple of great big turtles. Still, it was a lot of fun and, yes, relaxing.

Tennessee Man Knows How to Catch Enormous Catfish

But sometimes, relaxing has to take a back seat. It certainly did when Tennessee angler Micka Burkhart went for it on the Cumberland River. By that I mean, he was looking for catfish and he hit the jackpot. And when you hit the jackpot like Micka, you have to put down your beverage, hop up out of the chair and summon everything you've got. (Watch the whole fight or skip to 14:14 for the beginning of the big moment.)

Tennessee Angler Breaks His Own Catfish Record

Micka Burkhart has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to his exploits. And I don't know if he sticks mainly to the Cumberland River, but that's where he's made the most hay. That 122-lb monster--at nearly five feet long--you just saw him catch in the Barkley Reservoir is a Tennessee state record. Wanna guess whose record he broke? HIS OWN. This dude has the magic touch.

For me, a huge takeaway here is the realization that the Cumberland River is home to some ENORMOUS catfish. But although the Cumberland River also makes its way into Kentucky, the record in the Bluegrass State was set on the Ohio River by Glynn Grogan.

Huge rounds of applause for these guys and their massive hauls. I know that these catfish were released back into the water, but I can't help but wonder how much corn meal you'd need if they hadn't been.