TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Virginia angler's 67-pound catfish caught by hand on the Alabama River has claimed the top prize in the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association's inaugural Big Catfish Contest.
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Emily Horst, 33, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, earned the most online votes with a photo of herself holding the massive catfish she caught while noodling in Alabama's Black Belt.
The winning image made her the contest's first Big Catfish Photo Contest champion.
Horst described the as "a doozy of a fish" and said the catch came during only her second-ever noodling trip.
"I didn't realize how special this fish was," Horst said. "When that fish clamped down on my arm, I was like, 'This is the greatest feeling ever.'"
As the contest winner, Horst will receive a two-person, half-day guided noodling trip with Bama Noodling in 2027.
Horst said she first discovered Alabama's catfishing opportunities while visiting her sister, who previously lived in Atmore.
She now regularly travels south in search of trophy-sized catfish.
"I have to travel to find these bad boys," she joked.
Jonathan House finished second with a photo of a giant flathead catfish caught on Lake Demopolis, while 10-year-old Owen Patterson of Pickens County placed third. Patterson said his late grandfather inspired his love of fishing.
The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association said the inaugural contest was designed to showcase the region's fishing opportunities while supporting the Alabama Catfish Trail, a statewide promotion launched by the Alabama Tourism Department in June.
"We decided to launch the Big Catfish Contest to put a new twist on our annual Best Fish Contest and support the new Alabama Catfish Trail promotion," Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association Director Pam Swanner said. "It was a resounding success."
Swanner said the contest highlights not only trophy fish but also the outdoor recreation opportunities available throughout Alabama's Black Belt.
The Alabama Black Belt spans 23 counties, including Greene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Dallas, Marengo, Perry, Wilcox and Montgomery counties.
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