Fishing Fury » IGFA

World Record Blue Catfish

Clive Mathias — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:05:27 +0000

Recently a massive 79 pound (35.8 kg) blue catfish was caught by Jayson Zerda of Unadilla, New York, setting a new Maryland state record. This amazing catch beat the old state record by more than ten pounds!

The fish was 49.5 inches long with a girth of 38 inches.

As impressive as Mr. Zerdas record catfish looks, its not even remotely close to the current world record blue catfish – just have a look at this!

Caught by Tim Pruitt, this world record blue catfish weighed 124 pounds (56.2 kg) and was caught on May 22 2005 near Alton, Illinois in the Mississippi River.

The fish measured a staggering 58 inches in length and was 44 inches around! Just last month an even larger blue cat was caught, weighing 130 pounds. It is currently under review by the IGFA and may take the world record title from Tim Pruitt.

Caught by Greg Bernal, of Florissant, Missouri – July 20 2010.

Of course, these big cats look like babies when compared to the largest catfish ever caught – the Mekong catfish – which can grow over nine feet long and reach over 600 pounds!

World record Mekong catfish weighing 646 pounds (293 kg)!

New Wels Catfish World Record

Clive Mathias — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:33:40 +0000

I love reading about new world records, especially when its a freshwater fish that exceeds 250 pounds! This enormous wels catfish is nearly 8 pounds more then the current world record!

Guided by IGFA Certified Captain Alberto Bartoli and using shrimp forbait, Roberto Godi of Arcole Veroma, Italy landed a potential IGFA All-Tackle record after catching a wels (Silurus glanis) on February 5. The giant fish weighed 113.5 kg (250 lb 3 oz) which Godi caught while fishing Italy’s River Po. He said the fish fought for 45 minutes before he was able to pull it to shore onto a smooth surfaced mat where it was weighed, photographed and released alive. The current IGFA record is 242 lb 8 oz (110 kg) caught February 2009 also from the River Po.

New All-Tackle Brown Trout World Record!

Clive Mathias — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:11:00 +0000

The IGFA recently announced a huge brown trout caught in September is officially a record! The massive fish weighed 41 lbs 7 oz (18.8 kg) and measured in at 43.75 inches with a girth of 27 inches. The trout was caught in the Manistee River, Michigan, USA.

Caught on September 9, 2009 by Tom Healy.

Healy was using a #8 silver Rapala Shad Rap.

via IGFA

Lake Biwa Bass New All-Tackle World Record!

Jonathon Marshall — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:08:11 +0000

That’s right, it’s now official! The bass caught in July of last year by Manabu Kurita of Aichi, Japan is the new record holder of the All-Tackle World Record as recognized by the IGFA.

via IGFA Official World Record Announcement

World Record Mako Shark

Clive Mathias — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:40:36 +0000

The mako shark is one of my all time favorite sharks. It looks mean, its super fast, and it has been known to jump 20 feet into the air when hooked. They aren’t the biggest shark, but they sure act like there are. Many people call them the bully of the ocean!

The current IGFA world record mako is 1221 pounds, but a 1324 pound and 1530 pound mako have also been caught that do not qualify as world records according the the IGFA rules.

Caught off Chatham Massachusetts, USA on July 21, 2001 by Luke Sweeney.

More giant makos at New England Sharks

Check out these amazing jumps!

March IGFA Records

Clive Mathias — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:26:13 +0000

There are some great looking fish on this months edition of hot catches from the IGFA, including a golden trevally and a Japanese sea bass!

Fly fishing with a streamer off Fraser Island, Australia, Haruyuki Shimada of Arakawa-Ku, Tokyo, Japan, landed a golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus) on Dec. 30, weighing 7.2 kg (15 lb 13 oz). Shimada was guided by Mark Bargenquast and was using 8 kg (16 lb) tippet for the presently vacant men’s fly record.

Using a minnow plug, Japanese angler Kentaro Iwakiri, of Oita-Shi, Oita, landed a Japanese seabass (Suzuki) (Lateolabrax japonicus) on Nov. 27, weighing 9.4 kg (20 lb 11 oz) with 6 kg (12 lb), line while fishing the Ono River in Japan. The current IGFA men’s line class record is 20 lb 0 oz (9.1 kg.), caught on Nov. 2, 2002 from the same river.

via IGFA

World Record Nile Perch

Clive Mathias — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:52:44 +0000

This monster fish was reluctantly added as an IGFA record at 230lbs. Legend has it that the fish weighed much more, but the scale it was weighed on only went up to 230lbs!

Caught by Willliam Toth, this record Nile perch weighed more 230lbs (104kg) and was caught in Lake Nasser, Egypt.

The Largest Marlin Ever Caught On a Rod and Reel

Clive Mathias — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:16:22 +0000

The only possession I have left that belonged to my father is his fishing album. He spent a lot of time on the water and was a fishing charter captain in the Caribbean for many years. In the 1970′s, long before I was born he was helping people catch marlin, tuna, sailfish and more. My father knew a lot of fishermen, but perhaps none as renowned as Capt. Cornelius Choy. Choy was one of Hawaii’s greatest sport fishermen and holds the record for largest blue marlin caught on a rod and reel, weighing an incredible 1805 pounds!

As any good fisherman would, Choy took the opportunity to brag to my pops about record fish…

This massive fish was never acknowledged as a record by the IGFA since it was reeled in by more than one person. The only marlin ever caught that was larger than Choy’s Monster, was caught by a commercial fisherman. This giant marlin is said to have weighed over 2200 pounds!

It’s sad to think that the likelihood anyone will ever catch a marlin over 2000 pounds on a rod and reel is basically non-existent. Overfishing of these incredible fish by commercial fishermen could easily lead to their extinction in the not so far off future.

Record Catfish On a Fly

Clive Mathias — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:10:59 +0000

Using an eel fly tied to 2 kg (4 lb) tippet while fly-fishing the nearby James River, William L. Nicar, of Richmond, Virgina, USA, landed a flathead catfish on July 27, weighing in at 13.38 kg (29 lb 8 oz). It took Nicar 24 minutes to pull the fish to shore and he now has hopes of beating the current IGFA record of 21 lb. 8 oz ( 9.75 kg.) caught on January 13, 2004.

via IGFA

IGFA Records For September 2008

Clive Mathias — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:09:38 +0000

The biggest news at IGFA last month (as far as I’m concerned) was a record striped bass caught within a few hours of where I live. I had heard about this huge fish on the local news a couple months ago, but I wasn’t able to find a picture until today.

Armed with a Rapala Magnum lure while fishing Canada’s East Bay, Christian LeVatte, of Sydney Forks, Nova Scotia, landed a striped bass (Morone saxatilis) on May 25, weighing 26.25 kg (57 lb 14 oz). It took the young man 30 minutes to land the fish for a possible boy’s junior class record. The current boy’s junior record is 57 lb 0 oz caught off Isabella Beach, NY 10 years ago.

Click here to see the rest of the IGFA records for September.