HOMEDALE, Idaho — Brandi Holt didn’t set out to break a record when she cast her line into the Snake River on August 2. But by the end of the night, the Homedale angle landed a catch that would rewrite Idaho’s fishing record books— and, in a playful twist, dethrone her own husband in the process.
Fishing alongside her husband, Jared Holt, Brandi knew she'd hooked into something sizable as her rod tip went down hard toward the water. Once she began reeling it in, Holt immediately sensed the weight and resistance of something big.
Once aboard, the catfish stretched 44 inches from nose to tail — just enough to beat Jared’s previous catch-and-release state record of 42 inches, set in 2020.
"I was hesitant to even submit the record," Brandi said. "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."
The Holts, both experienced anglers, often fish the Snake River together. While Jared has long held bragging rights for his 2020 flathead catch, it was Brandi who walked away with the state title this time.
Flathead catfish can be found in sections of the Snake River and surrounding reservoirs in southwest Idaho. While they are less common than channel catfish, they can grow significantly larger, offering a unique trophy opportunity for persistent anglers.
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Most flathead catfish in Idaho are caught between C.J. Strike and Brownlee reservoirs, though they’re occasionally found in the lower reaches of tributaries like the Weiser and Payette rivers. The largest ever caught in the state weighed 58.4 pounds and measured 48 inches long, landed in Brownlee Reservoir in 1994.
Brandi’s catch may not have topped the scale in terms of weight, but it now stands as the longest flathead catfish ever caught and released in Idaho — and a memorable chapter in what has become a good-natured rivalry between two avid anglers.
