​HARRISBURG, Pa. (October 21) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is pleased to announce that it has certified a new state record Channel Catfish!

On the evening of Saturday, October 3, 2026, angler David Taylor, Jr., 44, of Munhall, Allegheny County, departed from the Southside Public Boat Launch in Pittsburgh on his 18-foot fishing boat.  Taylor and his friend, Alex Atkinson, of Rillton (Sewickley Township), Westmoreland County, were fishing in in the Tri-State Hawg Hunters fishing tournament on the Allegheny River and had just set their lines below the Highland Park Lock and Dam near Sixmile Island.  

“It was just after 8 p.m., and we had just started fishing that evening when Alex told me it looked like there was something tugging on my line, and I’d better grab it,” said Taylor.  “I started reeling and I could tell right away it was a pretty big fish.  I was able to keep steady pressure on the line and keep reeling until the fish surfaced.  My initial thought, based on the color of the fish in the water, was that it looked like a Blue Catfish.  I thought that was going to be a pretty special catch since we really haven’t seen those big blues up here in Pennsylvania yet.”

Taylor’s heavy-duty baitcasting rod had been set up with 40-pound test monofilament line with a Carolina rig and 10.0 circle hook baited with a chunk of cut Mooneye.  Upon retrieving the catfish with a landing net and removing the hook, which had been set neatly in the corner of the fish’s mouth, the fish was placed into a large livewell on the boat.  While Taylor and Atkinson continued fishing throughout the night, it wasn’t until Sunday morning during the tournament weigh-in at the Southside Public Boat Launch that another angler suggested to Taylor that his huge catch might actually be a very large Channel Catfish.

“You can tell a Channel Catfish from a Blue Catfish by counting the rays on its anal fin, because Channel Catfish always have less than 30 rays while Blues have at least 30,” added Taylor.  “We counted 26 rays, and at that point, we looked up the state record for a channel cat.  We were pretty excited because we thought it was definitely heavier.  Now, my biggest concern was keeping the fish alive while we could figure out what we needed to do.”

Later that morning, Taylor was able to locate a certified scale at Reddi Bait and Tackle in Bridgewater, Beaver County, where the fish was initially weighed in at 36-pounds, 2 ounces.  But because the scale was not capable of producing a printout of the official weight, which is required under Pennsylvania’s State Record Fish Program Rules, Taylor made contact with Waterways Conservation Officer Abigail Luteri of the PFBC’s Southwest Region Bureau of Law Enforcement, and arranged to meet the officer at another location, Goodman’s Bait and Tackle in Ford City, Armstrong County, where a certified scale was also available.

“I told Officer Luteri on the phone that the fish seemed to be doing just fine in the livewell, but we had a pretty good drive ahead of us to get to the bait shop, and we were going to keep checking on the fish,” said Taylor.  “I told her that my biggest concern was the health of the fish, and if I felt I had to, I would pull over and release the fish, even if it cost me a chance at the state record.  Fortunately, this was tough fish, and we made it to the scale without any issues.”

At 11:45 a.m. on October 4, with WCO Luteri present at Goodman’s, the Channel Catfish again tipped the scales at 36 pounds, 2 ounces, officially exceeding the previous state record, which had been caught in the Lehigh Canal, Northampton County, in 1991, by 9 ounces.  While only weight is considered for state record certification in Pennsylvania, Taylor’s fish also measured 42 inches long with a girth of 26 inches.  Again, because the scale at Goodman’s was also not capable of producing a printout of the weight, WCO Luteri submitted a written statement certifying that she had examined the scale and witnessed the weigh-in and attached the statement to Taylor’s official State Record Fish application.  

Following the weigh-in and in-person fish inspection by WCO Luteri, Taylor requested that Luteri accompany him to a nearby access point on the Allegheny River, where the large Channel Catfish, still in good health, was successfully released and able to swim away.

In addition to meeting the certified weigh-in requirement, Taylor completed a Pennsylvania State Record Fish application which included color photographs and detailed information about the catch, which was reviewed by the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management and confirmed.

“Everything worked out in the end, and it feels incredible,” added Taylor.  “I want to thank my friend, Alex, the bait shops, and Officer Luteri for their help.  Honestly, I’ve always dreamed of catching a state record, but I thought it would be a Flathead Catfish because we catch so many big ones out here in Pittsburgh.  So, to catch a Channel Catfish that size?  That just doesn’t happen.  It just goes to show, you never know what’s on the other side of that hook.  It could be just another fish, or it could be life changing.  My advice to other anglers is to pay attention to your tackle and have confidence in your gear.  Always make sure your line is strong and hooks are sharp for a moment like this.”

Anglers who are pursuing a state record, or think they have caught a state record fish, should follow these guidelines:

• Obtain a copy of the Pennsylvania State Record Fish Application, which is available on the State Record Fish page of the PFBC website (Fishandboat.com).
• Comply with all rules, including having the fish weighed on a scale that is certified by the state or county.  Stores that sell products by weight are required to have a certified scale.  Locations such as feed mills or agriculture stores often have scales capable of weighing large fish.
• Fish may only be released after PFBC staff have examined the fish and approved the application.
• The completed form, including color photographs, must be notarized and sent to the PFBC. 
• The PFBC will review the application upon receipt.
• The PFBC reserves the right to further investigate the methods used in catching a fish and the accuracy of weight and measurements.
• The PFBC reserves the right to reject any application.
• Anglers catching a new state record fish will receive a certificate from the PFBC and be listed on the PFBC website. 

Photos and video of the new Pennsylvania State Record Channel Catfish can be found here.

David Taylor, Jr., poses with his new state record Channel Catfish at the Southside Public Boat Launch in Pittsburgh on October 4, 2026

David Taylor, Jr., poses with his new state record Channel Catfish at Reddi Bait and Tackle Shop in Bridgewater, Beaver County, on October 4, 2026

Video: David Taylor, Jr., releases his new state record Channel Catfish at an undisclosed location along the Allegheny River on October 4, 2026

All photos courtesy David Taylor, Jr. via PFBC with permission to use by media.