84+ pound catfish is new bowfishing world record

Stuart Vandyke’s 84+ pound blue catfish is a bowfishing world record.

Stuart Vandyke arrowed the fish on Jan. 6, 2023

Stuart Vandyke of Eutawville, SC was happy for his friend David Ard, who arrowed an 80-pound catfish at Santee on Dec. 22, 2022. That fish set the new bowfishing South Carolina State and World records according to the Bowfishing Association of America.

But Vandyke wasn’t about to let that record go unchallenged. So on Jan. 6, 2023, despite having his right leg in a cast, he set out to challenge the record his friend had set just weeks earlier.

Vandyke beat the record that night, with a blue catfish weighing 84 pounds, 12.8 ounces.

The big fish was 54 inches long, had a girth of 37 inches, and was quite a tussle to get on the boat. But Vandyke and his friends finally got it loaded, called a friend with a certified scale, and got the fish weighed and entered into the record book.

To see other bowfishing state and world records, visit www.bowfishingassociation.com.

About Brian Cope 2746 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.

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