2 lb channel catfish (on magic bait) - lost weight

I still have my 'must be at least 2 lb or maybe 3 lb somedays' before I clean a catfish - so this AM when I got a 2 lb 5oz channel catfish - I was thinking that I MUST clean this one.

But when I was taking the treble hook out of it's mouth I had a difficult time cause one barb/hook was in top lip and one in bottom - so that his mouth was sorta held open and it took two set of pliers to get the hook out - and that is when I noticed / heard a slouching sound - it sounded like his belly was full of water and it was slightly bulged out.

Bottom line when I saw that it was slightly over 2 lbs - I figured it was full of water and actually weighted less than my 2 lb rule (limit) - so I could let it go but I didn't think of this loop hole until I had already put it on a stringer.

BTW: I also saw that it was looking health and not likely to die e.g. I never throw back one that might die - no matter what the size.

Then I remembered a new neighbor that I met that might want this fish - so I may have got lucky - may have someone that is hungry enough to 'save my 2 lb rule'. e.g. I may not have to use the water filled belly excuse reason to let this one go.

For the record, got this one on a cheese cloth / magic bait ball. I used a strip cut out of cheese cloth to wrap up 8 magic bait cubes (chicken liver / chicken blood) i.e. used a good size cheese cloth / magic bait ball to make the turtles have a harder time stealing the bait - and to go with the theory - that bigger bait equals bigger fish

BTW: still catching 1 - 1.5 lb channel on 3 magic bait cubes in a ball - on fairly regular basis.