South Carolina Teen Reels In Massive Catfish

One of the great frustrations of my life is that I'm a LOUSY fisherman.  And it's crazy.  I mean, anything else associated with boating or water sports, I'm all in and able to do whatever.  I don't speak fish.  Once I entered a fishing event at a stocked pond.  If I was still there, I'd still be waiting to reel in a fish.  So, when I read that a Rock Hill, South Carolina teen reeled in a massive catfish over the weekend, I'm not just amazed, I'm really jealous.

Destin Fox is a fifteen-year-old student at Rock Hill High School.  On Saturday, he and his uncle, Ryan Williams set out to do some fishing on Lake Wateree between Great Falls and Columbia.  The two hadn't been on the water more than one half hour when they reeled in a massive 94-pound blue catfish.  And when I say the catfish was massive, I'm not whistling Dixie.  The stats on this beauty are downright prehistoric sounding.  Destin's catfish was nearly six feet long (56 and 1/2 inches long), and at its widest point, the fish's girth measured more than a yard around (37 inches).

It would be just my luck that at this point, me, the worst fisherman on planet Earth, would catch this massive catfish and then...it would slip out of the boat and back into the water never to be seen again.  And no one would believe me.  Destin Fox and Ryan Williams were much smarter than me.  After somehow wrestling this Jurassic Park sized fish into the boat, according to The Rock Hill Herald, the team took the fish back to Sutton's Landing campground and bait store near Winnsboro. They took photos, including one of a scale with the 94-pound weight.

Destin Fox comes from a family of fisherman.  As such, it stands to reason that although he's now reeled in a massive 94-pound blue catfish, this may not be a family record for long.  They are members of the Southeastern Catfish Club and compete in tournaments.  And if there's one thing I know about fishermen, like hunters, it's important to have bragging rights.

Here is a little background on my experience fishing.  My dad took me pond fishing for the first time just about the same time I was able to hold a cane pole.  To say I was "hooked" right away is an understatement.  The funny thing is, my Dad didn't really like fishing but when he saw how much I loved it he took me time and time again. As a grown up, I started looking into fishing guides.  Here are my 3 favorite fishing guides on Lake Wylie.

I grew up with a dad that fostered my love of fishing and he took me as long as I did these things. Girl,he said, "you need to tie your own knots, bait your own hook, take off your own fish, know how to clean it and learn how to cook it." And I did.

After I got to college at Western Carolina University I found a great river to go trout fishing in and I quickly moved right across the street from that river.  Now here is the funny thing.  I married a guy that does not like to fish. How did that happen? Long story short, I started to look into fishing guides on Lake Wylie.  There are many of them and many good ones.  Admittedly I have not tried them all but I have found three that I would highly recommend. I have fished with these three guides multiple times and I have always had a blast.  And most importantly they put me on some fish. If you are looking to catch catfish on Lake Wylie, you will not go wrong with these amazing captains.

Justin has taken me and my morning show partner Tanner out fishing several times.  This man is passionate about catching catfish.  He knows where to find them!  We have always had a blast with Justin and he is a heck of a nice guy.  He loves teaching kids how to fish.  Make it a girls day on the lake or bring the family. He offers different levels of guide service and may even clean what you catch!  Check out Justin's Facebook page right here.

I have been fishing with Rodger more times than I can count.  We primarily fished on Lake Wylie but caught some big ones on Lake Wateree as well.  Rodger is another guy that knows where to find catfish and how to catch them.  My brother in law Jim and I really enjoyed fishing with Catfish On! Guide Service.

Captain Trent is an old college friend of mine.  He and I used to fish for trout on the Tuckaseegee River in Cullowhee, North Carolina so he is a personal friend.  Trent has always been passionate about fishing , lives on Lake Wylie and thought he would share his secret fishing spots with others.  He has a new guide service he calls Wylie Guide and my brother in law and I  went fishing with him in December.  It did not take long for him to find some nice ones for us and we had a blast.  He is a great guy, a knowledgeable angler and he will flat put you on some fish.  I can personally highly recommend Cpt. Trent for a great day catching catfish on Lake Wylie. Check out details right here