KERR LAKE — KERR LAKE -- Nick Anderson won't describe his tackle beyond a "rod and reel," or his bait beyond a "family secret," but whatever he's using, it landed a 143-pound blue catfish – likely a world record.

His monster fish measured 57 inches long and 43.5 inches around, bigger than the typical Great Dane.

"My dad netted him by the head, my brother grabbed the tail and I grabbed his body," said Nick Anderson, a 29-year-old football coach at Kinston High. "We were just shocked."

Anderson, who lives in Greenville, N.C., snagged his catfish on the Virginia side of Kerr Lake, where his father and brother compete for an annual family catfish trophy.

If certified by the International Game Fish Association, Anderson's catfish will shatter the previous world record – a 130-pounder caught in the Missouri River in 2010, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Lee Walker, spokesman for the Virginia department, said he has no doubt the fish will set a new state record and get certified sometime next week, triggering the national record process.

"Blue cats are considered one of the top game fish out there," he said. "There's a huge following. There's a tournament circle. This will bring national headlines."

The fish, meanwhile, waits in a freezer to be mounted.