Equipment

Like most undertakings a lot of thought has gone into this little project of mine. Finding just the right equipment is paramount to success so with that in mind I have chosen the following:

Line: Tectan Premium Plus monofilament line in 2 pound test. Why this particular line? First off it has superior knot strength...a very important feature when your only dealing with 2 pounds of breaking strength. Secondly, it has a great reputation for being a quality line. This brand has been in use in Europe for decades and is used widely in tournament fishing there. It is a fairly new line in the American market but has caught on quickly gaining a loyal following. Lastly, it was one of the very few lines that was available in 2 lb test...most Americans just don't like to fish that lightly.

Reel: Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6600 casting reel. This was an easy choice. The Ambassadeur reels have a super smooth drag assembly, have a more than adequate line capacity, and the 6600 model has a line out alarm allowing the reel to be put in free spool until a fish takes the bait.

Leader: 5 feet of 60 lb Seagar Flourocarbon. You may think that this seems like a little overkill for catching a fish that will most likely go 40 lbs but catfish have a nasty habit of rolling when they feel the hook. Add that to the sharp dorsal and pectoral fins they possess and you have a recipe for damaging a smaller diameter leader.

Hook: Owner 8/0 Circle hook. Owner hooks are by far the sharpest circle hook on the market...sharp hooks require less pressure to penetrate than a dull hook. I chose a circle hook because you don't need to "set" the hook with one, all that's required to pull it into the corner of the fish's mouth is a tight line...setting the hook with 2 lb test line would surly break it. A hook in the 8/0 size is large enough to set into a catfish's rubbery mouth without a chance of hooking it deeper. A deep hooked fish complicates things immensely: it exposes the leader to the fish's abrasive teeth and stresses the fish too much for a recovery and release.

Rod: I'm still testing a few different options trying to find the right balance between a flexible tip to protect the line and a little backbone to provide resistance to the fish and wear it down. Stay tuned...more to come.

The Mission

Catch a new International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) Freshwater Line Class record for the 1 kg (2 lb) category. The current record is 36 lbs 9 oz that was caught in the James River (near Richmond, Virginia) by angler Bob Shepard on December 27, 2000.