There’s just something about big catfish. Sure, world-record bass get all of the glory, big brown trout get the glamour, and the biggest alligator gar grab the headlines. Nothing grabs our attention quite like a mean, toothy monster muskie, and few gamefish can match the pound-for-pound frenzy of catching a slab crappie. But folks just love giant cats. And who could blame them? They’re fun to catch—and even more fun to fight. And while you probably don’t want to fry the fillets off of a trophy catfish, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more delicious fish than the smaller keepers.
But this story isn’t about small cats. It’s about giants—specifically, the biggest world-record catfish of all time. Our friends at the International Game Fish Association were kind enough to open their record book and share the photos and catch details of these 10 all-tackle and line-class records. Some of these trophies have lasted for decades—but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beat. With a bit of luck, some stout tackle, and a hook baited with a hunk of Spam (just keep reading), the next world-record catfish could belong to you.
All Tackle World Record Blue Catfish
Anderson’s record blue cat weighed 143 pounds. IGFA
Angler: Richard Nicholas Anderson
Species: Blue catfish
Weight: 143 pounds
World Record Line Class: All Tackle
Location: Kerr Lake, Buggs Island, Virginia
Date: June 18, 2011
Lure or Bait Used: Chicken
All Tackle World Record Flathead Catfish
Paulie’s world-record flathead weighed 123 pounds. IGFA
Angler: Ken Paulie
Species: Flathead catfish
Weight: 123 pounds
World Record Line Class: All Tackle
Location: Elk City Reservoir, Kansas
Date: May 19, 1998
Lure or Bait Used: Live minnow
Junior World Record Blue Catfish
Landon Evans shows off his 117-pound, 8-ounce blue. IGFA
Angler: Landon N. Evans
Species: Blue catfish
Weight: 117 pounds 8 ounces
World Record Line Class: Junior
Location: Lake Gaston, North Carolina
Date: June 11, 2016
Lure or Bait Used: Cut shad
16-Pound Line Class World Record Blue Catfish
Ashley caught his record blue cat with”¦Spam. IGFA
Angler: Charles Ashley Jr.
Species: Blue catfish
Weight: 116 pounds 12 ounces
World Record Line Class: 16-pound
Location: Mississippi River, Arkansas
Date: August 3, 2001
Lure or Bait Used: Spam
Eight-Pound Line Class World Record Blue Catfish
Lovelady’s giant blue weighed nearly 110 pounds. IGFA
Angler: Zachery R. Lovelady
Species: Blue catfish
Weight: 109 pounds 12 ounces
World Record Line Class: 8-pound
Location: Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee
Date: March 31, 2005
Lure or Bait Used: Cut bait
12-Pound Line Class World Record Blue Catfish
Rohrbach caught this record blue cat on a live shiner. IGFA
Angler: Roger Rohrbach
Species: Blue catfish
Weight: 101 pounds
World Record Line Class: 12-pound
Location: San Vicente Reservoir, California
Date: March 12, 2000
Lure or Bait Used: Live shiner
20-Pound Line Class World Record Flathead Catfish
Small’s giant flathead has remained in the record books since 1987. IGFA
Angler: Stacy Small
Species: Flathead catfish
Weight: 84 pounds 6 ounces
World Record Line Class: 20-pound
Location: San Jacinto River, Texas
Date: May 27, 1987
Lure or Bait Used: Shad
130-Pound Line Class World Record Blue Catfish
Maurer duped this monster blue with herring. IGFA
Angler: Eric Maurer
Species: Blue catfish
Weight: 84 pounds
World Record Line Class: 130-pound
Location: Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
Date: March 18, 2007
Lure or Bait Used: Herring
80-Pound Line Class World Record Flathead Catfish
Davis proudly stands beside his 69-pound flathead. IGFA
Angler: Edward Davis
Species: Flathead catfish
Weight: 69 pounds
World Record Line Class: 80-pound
Location: Cape Fear River, North Carolina
Date: July 27, 1994
Lure or Bait Used: Perch
Read Next: 10 of the Biggest World Record Pike Ever Caught
Eight-Pound Line Class World Record Flathead Catfish
Sealy’s record flathead tipped the scale at 66 pounds. IGFA
Angler: Darrin Sealy
Species: Flathead catfish
Weight: 66 pounds
World Record Line Class: 8-pound
Location: Hartwell Lake, Georgia
Date: May 3, 2010
Lure or Bait Used: Unknown
THE 1871 CLUB
