Niles man catches new state record catfish, breaks Michigan record set in 1943

The Department of Natural Resources recently confirmed the catch of a new state record flathead catfish.

Caught by Rodney Akey of Niles, Mich., on Tuesday, May 22, on the St. Joseph River in Berrien County at 8 p.m., the fish weighed 49.8 pounds and measured 45.7 inches. Akey was still-fishing from shore with an alewife when he landed the record fish. Read more