Clinton man catches 105 lb catfish on Mississippi River near Alton

CLINTON, Ill. (WAND) - A Clinton man celebrated a massive catch on the Mississippi River over the weekend.

James Gordon said he decided to go fishing on the Mississippi River near Alton to try to catch large catfish.

After hours of fishing, Gordon said he was going to rest his eyes, but around 1 a.m. he noticed his line got tighter and he realized he had snagged a large fish.

"As soon as I was pulling on it I knew right then and there that it was a monster. There was no moving that fish. He did whatever he wanted to do for the next 20 minutes."

Gordon reeled in a 105 pound flathead catfish.

The state record is around 120 pounds, so Gordon knew he was not too far off.

"These fish can get 8 or 10 pound fish, so I knew I was just a few meals off from the record."

The flathead was released back into the Mississippi. Gordon said he goes fishing often looking to catch large fish like the one he caught over the weekend.

To follow along with his fishing trips, follow Kitty Chasers on Facebook.