Europe’s largest freshwater fish is a bottom-dwelling predator that goes by several names. Sometimes called soms, siluros, wellers, or sheetfish, these massive critters are the Old World’s answer to the blue, channel, and flathead catfish that American anglers are more familiar with.
To the American eye, the wels catfish is almost eel-like in its appearance, with a tapered body that flattens out completely at the tail fin. But its tell-tale whiskers and massive bucket mouth peg the wels as a true catfish—and one that grows to grows to gigantic proportions.
These fish get so big, in fact, that they’re known to engulf waterfowl and small mammals like voles, according to the International Gamefish Association (IGFA). There are even tales of enormous wels catfish “attacking and drowning dogs and … children,” the IGFA writes on its website, “but these are based on hearsay, rather than observation.”
Legends and horror stories aside, the wels catfish draws dedicated anglers from all over the Western world, and the IGFA holds upwards of 25 confirmed records for the species dating back to 2002. Here are a handful of the most impressive wels catfish ever caught.
1. Attila Zsedely
Weight: 297 pounds, 9 ounces
Current IGFA Standing: All-Tackle World Record
Tackle: conventional
Waterbody: River Po, Italy
Date Caught: March 11, 2010
2. Joachim Ochmann
Weight: 167 pounds, 2 ounces
Current IGFA Standing: 30-pound line class
Tackle: conventional
Waterbody: Rio Ebro, Spain
Date Caught: June 17, 2021
3. Joachim Ochmann
Weight: 140 pounds, 11 ounces
Current IGFA Standing: 16-pound line class
Tackle: conventional
Waterbody: Rio Ebro, Spain
Date Caught: October 1, 2022
4. Agnieszka Szelag
Weight: 130 pounds, 15 ounces
Current IGFA Standing: 50-pound line class
Tackle: conventional
Waterbody: Rio Ebro, Spain
Date Caught: September 6, 2024
5. Rudi Heger
Weight: 103 pounds, 13 ounces
Current IGFA Standing: 20-pound tippet
Tackle: Fly Fishing
Waterbody: Rio Ebro, Spain
Date Caught: April 10, 2006
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