World cod record broken

THE world cod record has been broken with the capture of the first ever 100lb-plus example of the species.

Weighing a staggering 47kg (103.6lb), it was landed by German angler Michael Eisele who struggled to hold the immense fish aloft after boating it from the famous Soröya fishing camp in Norway.

It is the pinnacle of a run of over-sized spring time ‘skrei’ cod from the area over the past two years, which also included a then European record of 91lb in May 2012.

Heiligenhafen-based Michael battled the cod for over 30 minutes after it took his 375g Horminator Puffin lure which was fished 70m deep in 94m of water out of Breiviksfjorden.

He said: “I’ve not had a really large cod before. My previous biggest was a 30lb North Atlantic but this was just unbelievable. The fight was very tough but thankfully the drag on the reel helped control its runs.

“I was using 40lb line and a 100lb leader - anything less would have been dangerous and I could have easily lost this fat fish. It felt like a big cod but not 47kg, and when it came up I was just crying and shouting ‘what a beast’!”

The fish was accurately weighed at a shore side factory and an official claim has now been filed to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Michael, who is a director of Dieter Eisele Fishing, beat the previous Atlantic cod best of 98lb 12oz, set way back in June 1969 in New Hampshire, USA.