(courtesy of Sydney McBroom/Delaware DNR)
Yet Another Delaware State-Record Blue Cat
Source: Delaware Department of Natural Resources
The Nanticoke River has given up its third record blue cat in less than two years.
If it’s starting to sound like a broken record, that’s exactly what it is. For the second time in less than a month, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Division of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed that The First State has a new state-record blue catfish. Sydney McBroom of Bridgeville landed the 53-pound whopper at midmorning on September 22 on the Nanticoke River. It measured 46.5 inches long and is believed to be the largest freshwater fish caught since DNREC began keeping recreational fishing records.
McBroom caught the big cat fishing from his boat, using a whole bluegill as bait and landing it after a 20-minute wrestling match. His catch eclipsed a record that lasted just 20 days, a 48-pound, 7.2-ounce specimen taken by another Bridgeville angler, Chris Andrews – and another fish, which, like the three most recent blue catfish state records, was caught from the fertile catfishing waters of the Nanticoke.
“You use a big fish to catch a big fish,” Mr. McBroom said of landing the mammoth blue catfish, which stands as the fifth state record of the 2023 Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament. “I don’t fish for attention. I fish for fun. I fish for me. You have to go onto the water and put your time in. We’d see a mess of nice catfish (every time we went out). That was just our day.”
McBroom’s blue catfish shattered Mr. Andrews’ state record caught Sept. 2 by more than 4.5 pounds after Andrews had surpassed the previous record (set in April 2022) by four ounces. A list of all Delaware fishing records for both freshwater and saltwater species can be found on the DNREC website.
More information about the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament and state-record fish can be found in the 2023 Delaware Fishing Guide and at de.gov/sportfish.
