photos by Blythe Summers/MDWFP 

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has certified a new state record blue catfish. Eugene Cronley of Brandon caught the 131-pound fish on April 7 from the Mississippi River near Natchez. Cronley, who caught the fish with a rod and reel using skipjack herring as bait, said it took him 40 minutes to land the record fish. The catch shattered the previous rod and reel record of 95 lbs., caught by Dakota Hinson in 2009 and is larger than the trophy record blue catfish of 101 lbs. , which was caught by Freddie Parker and Brad Smith in 1997. Both of those fish were also caught from the Mississippi River near Natchez.