While the season of big “winter blues” is well known, the reason for it is not particularly well understood, said Josh Johnston, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation regional supervisor.
Fort Gibson Lake is not the only lake that is known for producing big blue catfish. Both the unrestricted and rod-and-reel statewide records were pulled from Lake Texoma and weighed 118.5 and 98 pounds, respectively.
Johnston said even though a small percentage of blue cats are over 30 inches, about one half of 1 percent, a department study showed the percentage of the angler catch in that winter period, roughly November to the first of April, was close to 16 percent fish over 30 inches.
That discrepancy led the department to limit the number of big blues that anglers may keep in order to protect the big fish. Anglers are allowed 15 catfish daily but may keep only one blue cat over 30 inches.
Photo couresy ODWC