In fact, his expectations were considerably smaller.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICK OUTDOORSThe Ravenswood, W.Va., angler had gotten the urge to hit the Ohio River late in the day, so he brought his son, Walker, and his father, Rodney, along.Fresh catfish caught in a landing net on a wooden fishing deck.(Getty Images)The mission was to find something small enough for Walker to catch himself."We were just kind of out there hoping to catch a small catfish for my boy to reel in," Harmon told Jackson County, West Virginia’s 13 News.Instead, they ended up with a 72.75-pound monster.The Harmons set up in a familiar stretch of the Ohio River near Ravenswood, with four catfish rods spread behind their 18-foot aluminum boat.
Tyler had previously found submerged trees and brush in the area, and the water was roughly 25 to 30 feet deep.GEAR UP FOR FALL WITH LABOR DAY DEALS ON HUNTING, FISHING AND CAMPING ESSENTIALSThey hadn't been fishing long when things got interesting.A barge rolled through, its wake pulling the boat's anchor loose and sending the Harmons drifting.Around that time, one of the rods doubled over.At first, Rodney thought they were snagged.
Then, the line started moving upriver."It just started stripping drag," Tyler said."I was like, ‘We’re not stuck on anything.
That’s a fish.’"And not a small one.Close-up of a fisherman preparing his bait on a fishing rod at sunset.(Getty Images)Tyler spent roughly 20 minutes battling the blue catfish, trying to keep his 40-pound test line away from submerged brush and the boat's anchor line as the fish repeatedly worked around the front of the boat."Whenever it surfaced the first time, my boy saw it and started flipping out thinking it was a shark," Harmon said.Close enough.CHARTER CAPTAIN JONATHAN MOSS EXPLAINS HOW TO GET KIDS HOOKED ON FISHING FROM AN EARLY AGERodney grabbed the landing net, but the catfish was so heavy it bent the aluminum handle.
They eventually managed to hoist the fish into the...