New All-Tackle World Record Wels Catfish Caught in Italy’s Po River

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.