A new Maryland state record blue catfish has been tagged and returned to the Potomac River as part of part of a cooperative study by Maryland and Virginia fisheries biologists.
The record setting catfish was caught on August 13 in the Potomac River near Fort Washington. The fish weighed 84 pounds and measured 52 inches in length with a girth of 36.5 inches.
Anglers who catch and report a tagged catfish will receive a commemorative Catfish Program hat and pin, while helping study distribution of catfish in area waters. Anglers must call the number on the yellow or green tags, 301-888-2423, to receive the reward.
Blue catfish are native to the Mississippi Valley and were introduced to the James and Rappahannock Rivers in the 1970s. The fish have reproduced and spread throughout the tidal Potomac River system.
Large flathead catfish, another non-native species, and blue catfish have subsequently turned up in Chesapeake Bay tributaries and waters including the Nanticoke, Susquehanna, Northeast, the Upper Chesapeake Bay and other waters.
Blue catfish are long-lived, fast growing, opportunistic feeders. Their introduction can cause irreversible changes in the food web, which could negatively impact ecologically and economically important native fish species.
In Maryland, it is illegal to transport live blue and flathead catfish for the purpose of introduction into another body of water. Additionally, DNR officials are asking anglers to remove and kill any blue and flathead catfish that they catch.
source: MD DNR
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