Have a hypothetical question for the diehard blue catters. What if there was a SMALL lake close to your home that was an excellent blue cat lake and nobody else had any idea what was swimming in those waters? Most of us would keep it a closely guarded secret so that we could continue to enjoy it without people over fishing it and ruining it. What if you caught a state record fish in that lake? Would you turn it in and decimate the fishery with all the pressure it would receive or would you quietly get a replica made to hang on your wall and never tell anyone where it came from? I am leaning toward that latter.

Do what I did with my lake record crappie.
Eat it before you learned it was a record

Snitches get stitches!

The nice replica for sure.

had a client tell me "ain't nuthin but a piece of paper ,you and me will always know " & it was not a blue cat .

I don't do replicas - Id take a bunch of pictures, CPR it, skip the record and post it and say it was Joe Pool.............

Keep it quite, get a replica and enjoy the memory. If some one ask where you caught it, tell them at a garage sale.

You know better than anyone how much enjoyment, effort, blood,sweat, and tears you put into getting to that point. Is it important for everyone else to know about it? If you feel the need to share the location tell a friend or two and fish it together. Swear them to secrecy first though. Some pics would be in order too.

Let that cat out of the bag

I had the same problem a couple of months ago. Have not regretted turning him back. Didn't need my name on anything to prove I had caught a record. Take pictures and keep it quiet. Small lakes can't take that kind of pressure.

Now I get the picture:
Someone showed you the spot and gave you directions on how to catch the fish in this small lake. This was not something you discovered on your own. Do whatever you choose but remember do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

this right here lol Joe pool has had a lot of big fish caught in it over the years lmao

If I were you , since I am only 10 minutes from Longview, I would have me over to said private lake and talk about it in person. LOL

I traded the Toledo Bend Bluecat record for a scrambled egg sandwich assuming the record was much larger.

IDK Bro. I'd probably turn in the state record and keep the lake quiet if possible.

You should be nicer to me. You are forgetting who put you on the biggest catfish you've caught in the last year.

I never said I caught the state record. I said it was hypothetical. We should get together soon though. Hypothetically.