Mich. man's 49.8-pound fish a state record

Michigan wildlife officials confirmed a 49.8-pound catfish caught on the St. Joseph River is the largest ever landed in the state. Rodney Akey, 46, of Niles, said he was fishing on the river May 22 with friend Will Skalla when he hooked the massive catfish and struggled with it for 30 minutes until he was able to bring it to land, The Detroit News reported Tuesday. Officials with the state Department of Natural Resources confirmed Monday that the fish, weighing 49.8 pounds and measuring 45.7 inches, is the largest ever caught in the state. The previous record, 47.5 pounds and 44 inches, was set by a Hastings man in August 1943. "That record has been standing for almost 70 years, so it's a remarkable fish, that's for sure," said Scott Hanshue, a fisheries biologist with the DNR office in Plainwell. "I know there are other big fish in the St. Joe, but that one was a monster."