By Chad Love

Remember the Wels catfish gallery in F&S a few months back? Giant fish, skimpy bikinis, it's worth a look...
 
Many of the fish in that gallery were caught in Spain's Ebro River, but a potential IGFA world record was recently caught in in Italy's River Po. How big was it?

From this story on GoFishing UK:
This potential new IGFA world record Wels catfish weighing 250lb 5oz was caught from the River Po in Italy. Italian angler Roberto Godi tempted the colossal 8ft 2ins long specimen on a bream livebait and finally brought it to the net after a titanic 45-minute battle on the banks of the river, which runs through the north Italian city of Mantova. Roberto’s fish, which was returned to the water alive, has been submitted to the World Game Fishing Association as a claim for the all-tackle world record, currently held by Jakub Vagner’s 242lb 8oz fish, caught in February 2009. The previous biggest-ever verified Wels was a 246lb 14oz giant caught by Frenchman Christophe Dubreuil from Spain’s River Ebro in September.

Comments (12)

from jhunt2 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

I would have had the biggest fish fry ever... I love cat fish.

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from seneca_slabs wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

It's crazy how big they get!

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from uplander12 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Holy Santa Claus that's a big fish!

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from jbird wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Why don't we have these in American rivers???

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from fliphuntr14 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

you could probably ride that thing wow. the river monster guy said theres like a thousand different species of catfish this must be one of the biggest?

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from jcarlin wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

If that cat weighs 250, which I'm not doubting, is that guy a jockey?

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from MLH wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Brought it to the net? That is some net.

Darn! Was hoping to see another pic of that European catfisherwoman.

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from scott powers wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

holly crap what a big fish i wish i could hook some thing like that.WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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from muskiemaster wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

no kidding, these would be awesome in the U.S and just think you could have a block party fish fry with one that big.

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from stick500 wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

scientists can't settle on whether the European Wels or the giant Asian catfish is the king of the freshwater rivers as far as size goes- big specimens of giant Asian catfish are very rare so they can only go by historic measurments.

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from stick500 wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

ooops! I just double-checked my post above and that is from old info I read a while back- in 2006 a 646 lb. Mekong Giant Catfish was netted in Thailand- I'd say that's the biggest freshwater species in the world

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from cosplay wrote 1 year 41 weeks ago

ooops! I just double-checked my post above and that is from old info I read a while back- in 2006 a 646 lb. Mekong Giant Catfish was netted in Thailand- I'd say that's the biggest freshwater species in the world

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from seneca_slabs wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

It's crazy how big they get!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fliphuntr14 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

you could probably ride that thing wow. the river monster guy said theres like a thousand different species of catfish this must be one of the biggest?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jcarlin wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

If that cat weighs 250, which I'm not doubting, is that guy a jockey?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MLH wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Brought it to the net? That is some net.

Darn! Was hoping to see another pic of that European catfisherwoman.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from uplander12 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Holy Santa Claus that's a big fish!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jbird wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Why don't we have these in American rivers???

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from scott powers wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

holly crap what a big fish i wish i could hook some thing like that.WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jhunt2 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

I would have had the biggest fish fry ever... I love cat fish.

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from muskiemaster wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

no kidding, these would be awesome in the U.S and just think you could have a block party fish fry with one that big.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from stick500 wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

scientists can't settle on whether the European Wels or the giant Asian catfish is the king of the freshwater rivers as far as size goes- big specimens of giant Asian catfish are very rare so they can only go by historic measurments.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from stick500 wrote 1 year 47 weeks ago

ooops! I just double-checked my post above and that is from old info I read a while back- in 2006 a 646 lb. Mekong Giant Catfish was netted in Thailand- I'd say that's the biggest freshwater species in the world

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from cosplay wrote 1 year 41 weeks ago

ooops! I just double-checked my post above and that is from old info I read a while back- in 2006 a 646 lb. Mekong Giant Catfish was netted in Thailand- I'd say that's the biggest freshwater species in the world

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.