Anglers Beat Holiday Blues at Lake Worth

Media Contact: Tom Hungerford, TPWD, (817) 732-0761; Tim McKneely, angler, (512) 964-7197; Mark Alexander, angler, (214) 918-1064

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LAKE WORTH – Angler Tim McKneely just recently moved to the Fort Worth area from Central Texas.  McKneely and friend Mark Alexander frequently fish from the bank from about 8:00 at night until mid-afternoon the next day.  They have experienced some pretty impressive catches including one outing where the pair landed over 330 pounds of blue catfish in about 16 hours of fishing.  The duo has caught plenty of blues over 10 pounds.  At one point that night, they had three fish on at the same time weighing 32 lbs., 25 lbs., and 10 lbs.

McKneely and Alexander fished all night December 18 into the morning of Monday, December 19.  Monday morning about 8:00 AM, they got a bite – a BIG bite.  After the fight, the two realized they had a shot to break the previous water body record of 55 lbs – ironically set December 23, 2001.  A quick internet search on their phone revealed there was a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries office right below the dam at Lake Worth.  When the call came in, TPWD fisheries biologists decided to go see what the buzz was all about.

Upon arriving at the lake with paperwork, measuring board, and certified scale, a quick I.D. check revealed it was in fact a blue catfish, and a giant!  When the weight settled, the behemoth tipped the scales at 72.0 lbs, was 48 inches long, and had a girth of 35 inches.  Once all measurements and photos were taken, the Lake Worth monster was released to fight another day.

EDITORS NOTE: For information about another Lake Worth monster, visit http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2003/oct/legend/.