‘Everybody was looking’: 11-year-old reels in an extremely rare albino catfish with his father

An 11-year-old boy in East Tennessee turned a normal weekend fishing trip with his father into a story they will likely be telling for years after he reeled in an extremely rare albino catfish from the Tennessee River.

WVLT News reporter Jared Austin said Oliver Stinnett caught the unusual fish while fishing with his father, Dalton Stinnett, at Suttree Landing Park in South Knoxville. The father and son fish together often, usually when the weather is good, but this trip quickly became different from the others.

Austin reported that the catch drew attention from people nearby, with the rare white-colored catfish surprising not only Oliver and Dalton, but also others gathered at the park.

A Weekend Routine Turns Unusual

According to Austin, fishing is already a major part of life in East Tennessee, especially with the Tennessee River running through Knoxville and major fishing events drawing professional anglers to the area.

But even with all that fishing activity, Oliver managed to do something most people never will.

Dalton told Austin that he and his son try to fish about every weekend when the weather allows. One of their usual spots is Suttree Landing Park, a popular riverfront area in South Knoxville where they can cast a line and spend time together.

For Oliver, the reason for going is simple.

“It’s just fun and nice hanging out with my dad,” Oliver told WVLT.

That is part of what makes the story work so well. The rare fish is the headline, but the heart of it is really a father and son doing something they already love, then getting a surprise neither of them expected.

A Fish That Looked Different Right Away

Dalton said the day had already been productive before the rare catch.

“We caught a couple before it and next thing you know, we got another bite,” he told Austin.

But when they started reeling in that next fish, Dalton said they knew almost immediately that something was unusual.

“Reeling it in, we knew it was something weird right away because of the colors,” Dalton said.

The fish turned out to be an albino catfish, a pale, almost ghostly-looking catch that stood out from the typical darker coloring people expect from catfish in the Tennessee River.

Austin reported that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said the fish is most likely an albino blue catfish. The agency also said it is a rare occurrence for that type of catfish, especially because TWRA does not stock them.

That makes the moment even more impressive. This was not a hatchery fish placed there for someone to catch. It appears to have been a natural rarity, surviving in the river long enough for an 11-year-old to meet it at the end of his line.

The Whole Park Noticed

Oliver was not the only one stunned by the catch.

Dalton told Austin that other people were at the park for what appeared to be some kind of garden event, and they noticed the fish too.

“Just shocked,” Dalton said. “There were other people up here. They were having some kind of garden thing going on and they were shocked too. Everybody was looking.”

That reaction makes sense. An albino catfish is not something people expect to see in a normal weekend outing, and the color alone would be enough to make strangers stop and stare.

There is also something fun about a rare catch happening in public. If Oliver had been fishing somewhere alone, the story would still be special, but having other people there to see the fish gave the moment a little more energy. It became a shared surprise, not just a private one.

When Austin asked Oliver what he thought about catching such an unusual fish, the 11-year-old gave the kind of answer only a kid could make perfect.

“It’s good bragging rights,” Oliver said.

He is right, of course. Some fishing stories get stretched over time, but this one came with a photo and witnesses.

Why Albino Catfish Are So Rare

Austin reported that the Institute for Environmental Research and Education called this one of the rarest forms of catfish.

The organization said albino catfish are especially sensitive to sunlight and more vulnerable to predator fish. Their pale coloring makes them easier to spot in the water, which can make survival harder compared with normally colored fish that blend more easily into their environment.

That is one reason this catch is so fascinating. A fish like this does not just have to be born with a rare condition; it has to survive long enough in the wild to grow, feed, avoid predators, and eventually reach someone’s fishing line.

In that way, the fish’s rarity is not only about its color. It is about everything that had to go right before Oliver ever hooked it.

For many anglers, catching any large or unusual fish is exciting, but catching one with a genetic trait that makes survival harder adds another layer to the story.

A Proud Dad Moment

Austin reported that Dalton was still smiling about the catch days later.

“Oh, I was cheesing,” Dalton said. “It was a proud dad moment.”

That response may be the most relatable part of the whole report. Parents often remember the first time their child catches a fish, hits a ball, rides a bike, or does something that makes them light up with pride. In this case, Dalton watched his son reel in a fish that many lifelong anglers will never see.

It was not just a rare wildlife moment. It was a memory made between a father and son who already spend many weekends together by the river.

Those kinds of moments are why outdoor traditions matter to families. Fishing is not always about catching something big. Most of the time, it is about showing up, waiting, talking, and sharing the quiet time between bites.

But when the big moment does come, it becomes part of the family story.

Catch, Photo, Release

Austin reported that the Stinnetts practice catch and release, and that is what they did with the albino catfish.

They took a photo, shared the moment, and then put the fish back into the Tennessee River.

When asked whether the fish became dinner, Austin said the family told him they always do catch and release. The fish, he reported, is back in the river and could possibly be caught again someday.

That ending feels fitting for a catch this rare. The photo gives Oliver proof of the moment, while releasing the fish gives it a chance to keep living in the river where it surprised everyone in the first place.

It also leaves open the possibility that another angler, maybe even another kid, could one day feel the tug on the line and pull up the same pale catfish.

For now, Oliver has the picture, the story, and the bragging rights. And for Dalton, he has the kind of father-son memory that does not need much exaggeration because the truth is already good enough.