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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Florida’s largest officially recorded flathead catfish weighed 69.9 pounds. Lavon Nowling caught it on the Yellow River in Santa Rosa County on August 26, 2020. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) lists the fish at 48.5 inches long with a 38.25-inch girth.
The official Florida flathead catfish record
The 69.9-pound fish remains the Florida state record for flathead catfish in the FWC’s current record table. Nowling caught it with a rod and reel while using live bait. The catch was made in the Yellow River, a northwest Florida river that runs through Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.
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FWC fisheries biologists certified the fish after it was taken to the agency’s Blackwater Hatchery near Holt. There, staff weighed it on a scale certified by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and confirmed the species and measurements.
The catch date was August 26, 2020. FWC announced the new record on August 31, 2020, so those dates refer to different events: one is when the fish was caught and the other is when the agency published its announcement.
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Record figures at a glance
| Record | Angler | Catch date | Water | Weight | Length | Girth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Florida flathead catfish record | Lavon Nowling | August 26, 2020 | Yellow River, Santa Rosa County | 69.9 pounds | 48.5 inches | 38.25 inches |
| Previous Florida record | Marvin Griffin | 2019 | Yellow River | 69.3 pounds | Not stated in FWC’s announcement | Not stated in FWC’s announcement |
Nowling’s fish surpassed Griffin’s 2019 Yellow River record by 0.6 pounds. The two records came from the same river in consecutive years, showing how productive that system has been for exceptionally large flatheads.
How Nowling’s fish became an official record
A large catfish is not automatically a state record when an angler’s personal scale displays a remarkable number. Florida’s freshwater records depend on a legal capture, an eligible angler, a witnessed weighing and agency verification.
The documented catch method
FWC’s release establishes that Nowling used rod and reel with live bait. It does not identify his rod length, reel type, line strength, hook size, sinker weight or exact rig. Those details should not be inferred from the record announcement.
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Legal freshwater-record requirements
FWC determines Florida freshwater records by weight. The fish must be legally caught in Florida fresh water with an active hook-and-line method. The agency excludes bush hooks, snatch hooks, set lines and trotlines from this record program.
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The angler must hold a valid Florida freshwater fishing license or qualify for a license exemption. A fish taken with an ineligible method, or by someone who cannot legally fish under Florida’s licensing rules, cannot qualify simply because it is heavy enough.
Species inspection and witnessed weighing
For species other than largemouth bass, an FWC fisheries biologist must physically witness and inspect the fish to certify its identity. An FWC employee must also witness the official weighing on a scale certified by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFWC’s guidance calls for total length and girth to be measured to the nearest quarter inch. The weight is recorded to two decimal places. These procedures make the official figure reproducible and prevent a private scale, an uncertain species identification or an imprecise tape measurement from deciding the record.
What to do with a possible record fish
If a fish might challenge a state record, handle it as evidence as well as a catch. FWC advises anglers to:
- Keep the fish alive if that is realistically possible while arranging an official inspection.
- Photograph the fish on the scale with the weight visible before moving it, if circumstances allow.
- Contact FWC promptly so an agency employee can arrange or witness the official weighing and inspection.
- If the fish cannot be kept alive, place it in ice water rather than leaving it exposed to warm air.
- Avoid freezing it. Dehydration during freezing and storage can reduce the fish’s weight and undermine a record claim.
- Preserve the tackle, bait information, license details and catch location so the agency can verify that the capture meets the program’s rules.
A personal scale can tell you that a fish is worth reporting, but it does not replace the certified weighing required for recognition.
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What a Florida flathead catfish looks like
The flathead catfish is Pylodictis olivaris. FWC describes it as a nonnative species in Florida, concentrated in northwest Florida river systems. Several traits help distinguish it from other large catfish:
- A broad, flattened head.
- Very small eyes set on the head.
- A square-ish tail fin.
- A lower jaw that protrudes beyond the upper jaw.
Color can vary with water conditions and habitat, so anglers should not rely on shade alone for identification. The head shape, jaw position and tail profile are more useful field clues, and a suspected record should still be examined by an FWC biologist.
Where flatheads live in Florida
FWC says flathead catfish favor long, slow-flowing, moderately turbid rivers. They are predators that eat other fish, especially catfish and sunfish. Unlike schooling baitfish, adult flatheads are generally solitary, so one productive-looking stretch may hold a single large fish rather than a concentration of them.
The Yellow River flows through Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. FWC’s current catfish guidance continues to identify it as the location of the August 2020 flathead record and notes additional freshwater fishing opportunities in the upper river.
River conditions change with rainfall, flow and water clarity. A location that is suitable at one water level may be difficult or unsafe at another. Anglers should follow current access rules, boating regulations and local closures rather than treating the record location as a guarantee of success.
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How anglers generally target large flatheads
Time and feeding behavior
FWC says flatheads bite best at night while feeding in shallow water. That does not mean every large fish leaves deep cover after dark, but it explains why many anglers plan their most focused effort for evening and nighttime periods.
Look for areas that let a predator ambush prey: slow edges beside stronger current, deep holes near shallow feeding flats, outside bends, woody cover and channel transitions. These are general habitat patterns, not a claim about the precise spot where Nowling’s fish was hooked.
Bait choices
FWC’s species profile lists live or freshly cut fish as typical bait for flathead fishing. Match bait size to local rules and the intended fish, and keep bait lively and legal. Nowling’s official catch used live bait, but the release does not establish the bait species or size.
Tackle considerations
FWC describes heavy tackle and bottom fishing as typical for flatheads. Heavy equipment helps control a powerful fish around current and cover, but “heavy tackle” is a category, not a documented specification for the state-record setup. The record report does not name a brand, rod model, reel model, line rating or leader material.
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Choose gear based on river current, cover, casting distance, hook regulations and your ability to land and safely release or transport a large fish. Oversized equipment that cannot be handled accurately can be less useful than a balanced setup used with sound drag settings and secure knots.
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Big Catch recognition is different from the state record
FWC’s species profile lists two alternative minimums for its Big Catch recognition for flathead catfish: a fish measuring at least 36 inches or weighing at least 25 pounds. That program threshold recognizes a notably large fish; it is not the minimum for a Florida state record.
The state record is decided by the heaviest certified fish under the freshwater-record rules. A fish can qualify for Big Catch recognition without approaching the 69.9-pound state mark, while a record claim must satisfy the stricter legal-capture, witnessing and weighing requirements.
What this record does—and does not—prove
- It establishes Florida’s officially certified flathead catfish record at 69.9 pounds as listed by FWC.
- It identifies Lavon Nowling as the angler and the Yellow River in Santa Rosa County as the catch location.
- It documents a rod-and-reel catch made with live bait.
- It does not establish a world record for the species.
- It does not provide a complete equipment list or prove that every large flathead in the Yellow River responds to the same bait or rig.
- It should not be confused with Florida’s separate blue catfish record.
FWC’s fisheries management director Jon Fury called the achievement “a once in a lifetime” accomplishment for an angler. That description reflects the rarity of combining a giant fish, legal conditions and successful certification; it is not a promise that another record cannot be set.
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How to verify the record’s status
State records can change. If another angler catches and certifies a heavier flathead, the newer fish will replace the 2020 entry. For the latest status, check FWC’s current freshwater state-record table and species information before planning a record attempt or publishing a claim about the holder.
Use the current table for the record-holder and weight, and the agency’s August 31, 2020 announcement for the catch narrative and certification details. Keeping those roles separate prevents a release date from being mistaken for the catch date.
A practical checklist for a record-minded trip
- Confirm that you are fishing Florida fresh water and have the required license or exemption.
- Review current rules for hook-and-line methods, bait, seasons, access and navigation on the river you plan to fish.
- Carry a reliable measuring tape, camera and a way to keep a fish wet and cool without freezing it.
- Plan how you would reach an FWC employee and an approved certified scale if an exceptional fish is caught.
- Use tackle capable of controlling a large flathead while avoiding unnecessary stress to the fish.
- Record the date, county, water body, method and bait immediately after the catch.
- Do not announce a new state record based only on a personal scale; wait for FWC’s inspection and certified weighing.
Florida’s benchmark is clear: a 69.9-pound flathead caught by Lavon Nowling in the Yellow River on August 26, 2020. The fish measured 48.5 inches with a 38.25-inch girth and earned its place in the record book only after the legal catch and agency-certification process were completed.
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