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Fishing

Giant 72-Pound Clarks Hill Blue Cat Shatters 45-Year Record
When 16-year-old Walker Crowe isn’t riding bulls, he’s fishing.
Mike Bolton | May 14, 2024


Walker Crowe caught a Clarks Hill lake record 72-lb., 3-oz. blue cat that broke the lake record of 62 pounds caught by Ralph Barbee in 1979.

You would have to consider it quite unusual if a 45-year-old lake fishing record was shattered by someone fishing from the bank in a community fishing hole that everyone knows about.

Well, Walker Crowe is a quite unusual 16-year-old.

While others his age are playing video games and worrying about teenage anxieties, Walker is dominating catfish tournaments and riding bulls. And maybe most unusual for any teenager, he has patience.

The Hartwell resident caught a Clarks Hill lake record 72-lb., 3-oz. blue cat that broke the lake record of 62 pounds caught by Ralph Barbee in 1979. It also surpassed Walker’s personal best by almost 30 pounds.

“I started fishing with my Paw Paw (grandfather) when I was 2 or 3,” the home-schooled youngster said. “There has never been a time since I haven’t loved it. Clarks Hill is about 45 minutes away from my house, but I try to go fishing there at least once a week. I’ve been fishing there my whole life.”


On Tuesday, May 7, Walker went to the lake for a little afternoon fishing. It turned out to be a trip like no other.

“I got off work and I went to the river without my boat,” he said. “I went to a community fishing hole that everyone knows about. It’s a long stretch of shallow water with this one deep hole in it. It’s really good when the lake gets muddy, and it was muddy that day.

“It’s a place that has been really good to me through the years.

“I took four rods and some bream for bait. I cast the bream into the deep hole and waited.”


Walker said you must be patient to fish there, but catfish will eventually leave the shallow water to check out the deep hole.

“I was there about 45 minutes,” he said. “At first, I noticed my rod tip twitching a little bit, then the rod bent double. I grabbed the rod and set the hook, and the fish about dragged me in. I knew I better loosen the drag. The fish started dragging out line and almost spooled me. I fought him for about 20 minutes, and I finally got him to the bank. I saw that he was barely hooked. I jammed my hand down his throat and got the other hand under his belly and got him in.”


Walker was using Mad Katz 30-lb. test line. The big catfish was taken to Ace Hardware in Royston to be weighed on certified scales.

Walker said the one happiest about the record fish was probably his Paw Paw who taught him to fish.

“He was smiling from ear-to-ear,” Walker said. “He was so happy for me.”

Walker won seven catfish tournaments from his boat last year. He said fishing is his favorite hobby with riding bulls in rodeos a close second.

“Riding bulls and fishing is about all I do,” he said.


GON’s Official Clarks Hill Lake Record Fish
Largemouth Bass 14-lbs., 14-ozs. Carl Sasser 02/16/72
Spotted Bass 5-lbs., 7.2-ozs. Tanner Hadden 04/23/2404/23/24
White Bass 3-lbs., 9-ozs. Ed Lepley 03/09/15
Striped Bass 55-lbs., 12-ozs. Sam Porter 05/27/93
Hybrid Bass 16-lbs., 12-ozs. Jim Hankinson -----
Black Crappie 4-lbs., 8-ozs. Dewey Marks 1979
White Crappie 4-lbs., 12-ozs. Weldon Clark 03/30/06
Blue Catfish 72-lbs., 3-ozs. Walker Crowe 05/07/24
Flathead Catfish 70-lbs. Michael Dollar 03/04/23
Channel Catfish 25-lbs., 2-ozs. James Gunn 05/13/93
Yellow Perch 2-lbs., 8-ozs. Brad Murphy 12/89
Sauger 4-lbs., 3-ozs. Stuart Bowers 04/05/86
Warmouth 13-ozs. Daniel Rawlins 04/15/01
White Perch 1-lb., 4-ozs. Dennis Franklin 02/22/15
Shellcracker 1-lb., 9-ozs. Kathleen Weeks 06/23/11

Went fishing 🎣 in Manasquan Inlet this evening during a nor’easter gale in the rain on the outgoing tide. Saw bluefish and a skate caught while getting ready to go fishing. Nobody was near my spot on the jetty. After I caught, tagged, then released a 31” 9 lb bluefish with a diamond jig, two fishermen were to the left of my spot and 4 fishermen were to the right of my spot. I went further out on the jetty past everyone but two fishermen followed me, then started fishing 🎣 to my left and right. The guy to my right started casting across my spot and to my left. Didn’t get a hit or see a fish 🐟 get caught after that. Saw a school of spawning blackfish jump out of the inlet. The wind nearly blew me away when I walked back to my car to go home. Got wet.

Decided to skip lunch on shore and head out fishing for smallmouth bass at noon today. The plan was for a game of catch and release, and as good luck would have it...three fish accepted my impromptu invitation.

The surface temperature of Lake Michigan has finally reached 55 degrees around here, so I was glad that at least a few fish were up to the challenge and showed up hungry. I set out 2 rods with mid sized shallow diving Rapala crank baits and started a Westward troll in ten feet of water. The action began almost immediately, so that was a good sign!

After the initial action subsided, the next hour was very quiet so I figured that I probably caught the tail end of the morning bite. It made sense to wrap things up and call it a day so I pulled lines and headed back to the beach.

The trip ended up being defined by a 2, 3 and 4 pounder. All strikes were nice and aggressive, with solid hook ups and safe releases.

Went fishing 🎣 in Manasquan Inlet this evening on the outgoing tide in the rain during a small craft advisory south wind. An old guy was fishing to the left of my spot. Saw three fishermen catch a small bluefish further out on the jetty before the fisherman to my left caught and released a big bluefish on a plug. After a lot of fishermen started fishing 🎣 to my right, I went out towards the end of the jetty. A young fisherman hooked a 35.5” striped bass with a plastic minnow in the ocean and I let his friend use my gaff to land it. After he threw it into the inlet, I caught, tagged and released a 33” 15.5” girth bluefish with my brother John’s very old prism taped diamond jig. I’m applying for a NJ Skillful Angler Recognition Award 🥇.

Well I got my grass mowed and did some important correspondence with a couple of my fellow Facilitators, to prepare for work this coming week and the nice weather finally got to me and off to the lake I went
When I got there the wind was howling and the SW wind was sending some pretty good rollers to the launch . I got ready and satin the truck for a half hour to let it die down a little. By 6 pm it was starting to let up but I still hadn't put in yet, I waited a little longer then put in but stayed in the little cove near the launch to stay out of the wash and wind.
Finally I was able to slowly make my way across to where I wanted to go. Nothing seemed too interested but I lost a couple small ones(HHH) and just before dark I caught my skunk fish, whew that was cutting it close. Nice to head out in shirtsleeves instead of bulky sweatshirts and rain gear. I'll take it for a really short day. 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🇺🇲🇺🇲🙏

So I got the boat all done and ready to start putting on the "Poor Mans Fiberglass" or PMF as I will call it. First I filled in the slots on the bottom with foam to make it easier to cover and to add a little strength. I also drilled the pontoons and added some small all-thread to hold them firmly together. Once I got them all tight I cut them off even with the nut.
I have never used the PMF before and I have to say it's much harder to work with than I hoped. Mainly just getting all the bubbles out and getting it to all lay flat was a chore. All of that tan is one piece of cloth that raps all the way around the pontoon. 1 piece down and about 20 to go. Before I cover the bottom I will trim all the spray foam I used to glue the 2" foam in place. It was not dry enough to trim yet.

Went fishing 🎣 in Manasquan Inlet this evening on a cold, cloudy day with light north wind and incoming tide. Saw a big bluefish caught when I parked my car. Nobody was near my spot. Caught, tagged and released a 23” bluefish with my brother John’s homemade synthetic pink homemade buck tail teaser on my fifth cast of the day. Then a bluefish bit off my rig. Three people arrived and started fishing to my left and one of the local regulars started fishing to my right. We had three big bluefish hookups simultaneously. I caught, tagged and released my biggest bluefish for this year at 31” 9.10 lb with a plain hook Ava A-17. Missed a fluke and lost a bluefish then quit early because of the intruders. Birds were working the mouth of the inlet.

just completed the annual spring fishing trip. We went to Winnipesauke and stayed at the lake house. The fishing was good but not great. Had success in catch and release Smallmouth bass. Total of nine over 14 inches. largest 18.5 inches. Caught and ate pickerel, white perch and yellow perch. Weather was cold, had a little rain, great fun with my two buddies from Iowa who drove out.

We could not find the crappie, just a few white perch and yellow perch. the pickerel were thick. We eat them when they hit 19 inches. Marlin, my Buddie from Iowa, can clean away the wye bones.

This is an annual trip began in 1987 when I moved out to New England from Iowa. The participants have changed, the location has changed but most times has been to Lake Champlain.

Great tradition.

Since most of my time is now taken up mowing,
My pome time is in the back seat.
But yesterday, pooped out, I just felt like going,
And this trip turned out pretty sweet.
The fishies were up top the first hour or so,
Then crankin was catchin a few.
I think I caught 20, and let em all go,
And one scary thing happened, too.
With darkness upon me, got caught on a stick,
Til then I'd been havin good luck,
I yanked like we all do, it happened so quick,
But dork that I am, didn't duck.
The Hoodler came flying, as fast as a race,
With 3 treble hooks all a swingin,
I froze like a dork, got smacked in the face,
And felt my cheek startin to stingin.
I looked at the Hoodler stuck tight on my vest,
Just knew there'd be blood every place.
But there wasn't any, I felt very blessed,
The heavy lure bounced off my face.

Moral of the story - duck. Just duck. Or don't jerk so danged hard on a heavy, 9 hook lure at dark. Duh.
Have an awesome week, Stage Family.