Bruce Midkiff, an Owensboro amputee and proficient fisherman, caught the heftiest blue catfish ever recorded in Kentucky. The thrill couldn't have gone to a nicer guy!

Bruce Midkiff and his big "catch".

For over 20 years, Bruce has been a repeat patient at Tom Watson's Prosthetics & Orthotics Lab. A substantial gentleman, Bruce leveraged his 6-foot-1, 260-pound frame to land the 104-pound trophy fish in August of 1999, just below the Ohio River's Cannelton Dam. While his physical stature helped the 52-year-old left below knee amputee hoist the monster catch into his boat, Bruce's formidable size has also made him a frequent visitor at our facility.

"Between the demands of his TVA job and his sports activities, Bruce really tears up his prosthesis," grinned Tom Watson, CP. "He needs a new leg just about every year."

A steamfitter for the TVA Paradise Power Plant in Muhlenberg County, Bruce often opts for 12 to 16 hour shifts and weekend overtime when outages demand it. Over the past two decades, his certified prosthetist has been equipping Bruce with the most advanced and durable technology available.

These days, Bruce's high-intensity lifestyle is accommodated by wearing a rugged Reflex VSP by Flex-Foot®, enhanced by a cushioned Alpha Liner. Their combination of comfort and strength help this active amputee answer the challenges he encounters in both job and recreation.

"Tom is something else! He's very professional — and he's always doing something for someone in the community, especially Veterans — He's a great individual," Bruce volunteered.

A 1967 encounter with a landmine in Vietnam as part of the 101st Airborne destroyed Bruce's left leg below the knee. Following his rehab, he had prostheses made in Augusta, Georgia, Evansville, and Louisville, but none of them, he noted, let him resume life without discomfort.

"I met Tommy in Nashville when he was still an apprentice. He made me the first leg that ever felt good. And he's been doing it ever since," Bruce emphasized.

Despite his amputation, this Kentuckian never lost his love of the outdoors. A specialist in catching oversized catfish, Bruce has spent the past ten years pursuing the ultimate trophy. The previous catfish record, set in 1970, was a 100-pounder nabbed in the Kentucky Dam tailwaters.

Bruce snared his 104 lb. title winner using a seven-foot, medium action rod and a bait-casting reel with 50 lb. monofilament line. Although the prize was hooked, the fight wasn't over. Equally as difficult was getting the giant specimen into the boat single-handedly. Gaffing would severely harm the trophy he meant to release following documentation. And a net was no match for its size. A ‘hands-on' approach was needed.

Wearing a rubber glove for protection, Bruce stuck one hand into the monster's mouth and, with the other, grasped a gill plate on the side of the fish's head, tugging his prize into the boat. Its large holding tank, equipped with an oxygen bottle and pumps, kept the catch alive and well. The sportsman then went in search of certified weighing scales and a Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources official to verify its 55 1/8" length and 37 1/4" girth.

After the paperwork was completed, Bruce returned his winner to the Owensboro boat ramp and released it. A touch of the boat paddle and the state's newest catfish titleholder was off down the Ohio River.
Although his trophy is on the loose again, Bruce plans to keep searching for an even larger "cat" in the deep holes below Cannelton Dam.

Acknowledging that an amputation hasn't impeded any area of his life, Bruce commented, "I felt sorry for myself in the beginning, but I've learned to accept it long ago. You can either pick yourself up and get going, or you can lie around and be miserable. I'd rather get going...."

That ought to be fair warning for those super-sized catfish in Kentucky's waters.

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