HOMEDALE, ID – A Homedale angler has broken Idaho’s catch-and-release flathead catfish record, surpassing a mark previously held by her husband.

According to Idaho Fish and Game, Brandi Holt landed a 44-inch flathead catfish on August 2 while fishing the Snake River. The catch measured two inches longer than the 42-inch catfish caught by her husband, Jared Holt, in 2020.

Brandi said she was initially reluctant to submit the catch, but her husband encouraged her to move forward. “My husband puts in so much time and effort all year trying to beat his own personal best, and it was really his encouragement that convinced me to go ahead and send it in,” she said in the release.

Flathead catfish are found in the Snake River and nearby reservoirs in southwest Idaho, with the highest numbers closer to Brownlee Reservoir. Idaho’s largest flathead catfish on record weighed 58.4 pounds and stretched 48 inches when it was caught in 1994 at Brownlee Reservoir.

Idaho Fish and Game has confirmed Holt’s 44-inch catfish as the new state catch-and-release record.