A near-record catfish was caught recently at a Mississippi lake.Southern Boyz Grabbling guide service used a weighted wooden box to catch the 81.2-pound female flathead catfish by hand on July 19 at Arkabutla Lake, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District.The fish was 54.5 inches long with a 36.5-inch girth and was just 8.3 pounds shy of the current state record, state officials said. Fishermen Dalton Scott, Josh Bennett and Jacob Bennett were guiding a client through her first grabbling experience when the fish was caught. Scott discovered the catfish when he checked the box and quickly secured it with a stringer. "The catfish instantly hammered my hand as soon as I reached into the box," Scott said. "Her mouth went all the way up to my elbow, and she began to thrash around."Scott's client then retrieved the fish from the box and brought it to the surface. The group opted to swim the catfish to shore rather than risk losing it in an attempt to maneuver it into the boat. The fish was kept overnight in a large aerated tank and weighed on a certified scale the following day.The fish was released back into the lake the next day with the help of park rangers.The sport of hand-grabbing catfish, sometimes called noodling or grabbling, has existed for decades and grown in popularity from online exposure as well as advancements in technology and techniques, wildlife officials said.