New Lake Lanier Flathead Catfish Record

A new flathead catfish record on Lake Lanier was set on Aug. 14. The catfish broke the previous standing flathead record of a 44-lb. fish caught last September.

Rodney Stephens, of Demorest, caught the 51-lb., 10-oz. flathead catfish while fishing in the mid-lake area.

“I wasn’t fishing for flatheads. I was fishing for channel cats midway on Lake Lanier, and I happened to get a hold of him,” said Rodney.

He was using cut shad when he caught the record-breaking catfish. Flatheads usually prefer live bait.

Although Rodney is not a big catfish angler, he just so happened to be in the right spot on Lanier. Rodney added that this was about the third time he has fished in that area for channel cats.

Georgia Outdoor News keeps and compiles Georgia’s official Lake and River Records, which are published each February in GON magazine. If you catch a fish you think might be a lake or river record, call GON at (800) 438-4663 or e-mail [email protected].

All potential record fish must be weighed on certified scales (tested by Ga. Dept. of Agriculture) for consideration, and for many species a verification by a fisheries biologist will be required.