Roxborough Man Catches Potential Record Fish In Schuylkill​

ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA — An angler from Roxborough is likely set to be the record holder for the largest fish ever caught in Pennsylvania, according to a news report and state officials.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Jonathan Pierce, 34, of Roxborough, c aught a massive fathead catfish in the Schuylkill River over the weekend.

According to the Inquirer, Pierce caught the fish Sunday in the river and released it after weighing it Monday.

The Fish and Boat Commission said the fish has an unofficial record weight of 56.3 pounds.

A representative for the commission told Patch paperwork is being filed to make the weight an official record.

If all is in order to name Pierce's catch the biggest ever in Pennsylvania, it will break the previous record set on April 6 by Jeff Bonawitz of Lancaster County. Bonawitz's fish was 50.7 pounds.

Pierce's fish must only weigh 2 ounces more than Bonawitz's fish to become the new record, according to the commission.

The flathead catfish is native to Pennsylvania, but only in the Ohio River basin. In eastern Pennsylvania, the fish is considered invasive and officials encourage anglers who land a flathead catfish to harvest it.

There is no cash prize for breaking these records, but officials said "there is a lot of notoriety for someone who owns a state record," and Pierce will likely be getting some of that notoriety soon.