The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is one of the largest species of North American catfish. Blue catfish are istributed primarily in the Mississippi River drainage including the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas rivers. These large catfish have also been introduced in a number of reservoirs and rivers, notably the Santee Cooper lakes of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie in South Carolina and the James River in Virginia also in Powerton Lake in Pekin Illinois. The current angling world record is 124 pounds and was caught by Tim Pruitt on May 22, 2005, in the Mississippi River.