Milestone River Po catfish is one of the biggest ever landed in Europe at 235lb
This is the awesome picture of one of Europe’s biggest ever catfish that weighed in at just over 235lb.
The specimen was landed by Peter Neubacher, who was guided by catfishing expert Stefan Seus of the famous Black Cat Guiding Tours during a session on Italy’s mighty River Po.
The colossal eight-foot predator took a bream hookbait at midnight and took over 40 minutes, plus all of the strength and skill of the duo, to finally get the better of the fish that’s estimated to be over 30-years of age.
“This monster literally took my breath away as I’ve never seen a fish like this up close,” said Stefan.
“We were both totally speechless and had to release the tension by letting out a huge whoop of delight as we’d defeated a big, and very old, warrior.
“This is without doubt one of the biggest cats landed in Europe and fish like this have accumulated so much experience over time that it is almost impossible to even hook one of these giants.”
For more information about Black Cat Guiding Tours visit: www.team-black-cat.com
20th catfish over 220lb for 'Black Cat' catfish guiding tours
German angler Sven Weide celebrated a special milestone for the popular ‘Black Cat’ catfish guiding tours by landing the company’s 20th specimen over the 220lb-barrier.
The huge predator was caught on a deadbait with the help of tour employees Stefan Seuß and Benjamin Gründer during a session on the middle reaches of the River Po in northern Italy. Weide said: "Just after we started to play it from the dinghy, the fish planted itself under a sunken tree and wouldn't move. Heavy mist added to the difficulty of attempting to land the fish. Finally, with the help of a second boat, Benjamin and I worked the fish free.”
The River Po is well known among specimen anglers for its massive wels catfish and produced the current IGFA record for the species of 297lb 9oz in March 2010.
176lb catfish on 40th birthday
Gareth Williams could not have asked for a better fortieth birthday present than this 176lb catfish from the River Ebro.
The County Offaly, Ireland-based rod had booked a long weekend on the famous Spanish waterway to celebrate and targeting a stretch at Benifallet he landed a number of catfish between 35lb and 45lb as well as carp to 22lb.
With just an hour of his session remaining Gareth received the bite he’d been hoping for. “The fish tore off on a 150 yards run. After over half an hour I netted a huge catfish which measured 220cm and tipped the scales at 176lb.”
New world record Albino catfish
A long battle on the mighty River Ebro ended with Bernie Campbell banking this world record 206lb albino catfish.
The Merseyside angler travelled to the Spanish mecca for his annual trip with his son Gary and decided to leger a huge ball of bait which was made up of five 22mm halibut pellets.
With midnight looming, the action began and although the skip hire manager initially took control, the specimen soon awoke and charged off, almost pulling him in on several occasions.
After 30-minutes it eventually gave up much to the delight of an exhausted Gary.
“I’ve never caught an albino catfish and I was determined to get one this time but I didn’t expect a new world record,” he said.
For more details on fishing the waterway email colin@catmastertours.com
169lb Ebro catfish
This is a picture of what is believed to be the biggest catfish ever caught from a float tube.
The huge predator, weighing 169lb, was landed by Gerard Smyth while fishing under the expert guidance of Dee Mason who runs Monster Tours on the famous River Ebro in Spain.
“It was the most exciting and nerve wracking thing I have ever experienced,” said Gerard. “The fish just dragged me up and down the river like a wet sock and at one point dived in to a 60ft deep hole and did its best to pull me with it. After well over an hour I eventually won the battle.
“I am sticking to float tubing for pike in Ireland from now on, though. Maybe one day when my heart stops racing and I stop shaking with joy I might have another pop."
Surprise 62lb catfish
Chris Lambert received a welcome surprise while carp fishing at Anglers Paradise in the form of this 62lb 3oz catfish.
The keen specimen angler, who recently joined owner, Zyg Gregorek's club the 5c's, was on the venue’s Main Lake when at around 3am the giant predator took his 14mm Paradise Baits Raspberry pop-up and a 40 minute battle commenced.
The fish is his biggest ever cat and was landed during a session which also included eight carp to 20lb 2oz. Chris lured all the fish with a small solid PVA bags filled with pellets and crushed Mainline Cell boilies along with rigs comprising 4inch 25lb Camotex Soft hooklinks, size 8 Arma Point hooks and a 3oz inline lead.
Devon cat a surprise
A carp fishing session took an unexpected twist for Simon Winters when he banked this 48lb catfish from Anglers Paradise.
The Manchester-based rod was on holiday at the Devon complex and set up on the Main Lake.
A scattering of boilies were fed over a silty patch and a 15mm Mainline Cell hookbait was cast over the top. Several carp to 35lb fell during the trip but he was forced to endure a nerve-wracking 30-minute battle before his new personal best slid over the net.
His angling companion Ryan Owen also got in on the action and used a similar attack towards the island for a pb 45lb cat.
For more details on the fishery visit www.anglers-paradise.co.uk
Monster cats are prowling in the Trent
Think of a river synonymous with catfish and the mighty Ebro in Spain will most likely be the first that springs to mind.
But Angling Times can this week reveal that a growing number of anglers are now targeting, and doing battle with, one of the world’s hardest fighting freshwater species on the River Trent.
The growing population of the predators throughout the Nottinghamshire waterway has for a long time been a closely guarded secret among local anglers, but catches are now being increasingly reported from Newark, Long Higgin and many of the tidal reaches.
In the last few weeks both tackle shops and venue regulars have seen an upsurge in the number of catch pictures, videos and posts on social network sites proving the capture of fish up to 40lb.
But many believe that there are much bigger predators lurking in the depths and the recent reports of huge catfish being washed up on the banks of the River Thames prove that this isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to the Trent.
Alan Dudhill, general secretary of the Pike Angling Club of Great Britain, is one of the dedicated few that has set his stall out for catching the UK’s running water catfish.
“There are people out there that are saying that we are mad, but I have customers who have caught fish over 30lb from the tidal reaches. The sheer numbers that are now being reported make them a viable target if you know where to find them,” Alan told Angling Times.
Stories of catfish being caught from the iconic river go back more than 30 years, however, Tim Aplin, owner of Matchman Supplies tackle shop in Nottingham, has seen the whispers and rumours develop turn into cold, hard evidence.
“The cats have always been talked about in the shop, but I’ve now had pictures and video footage brought in of guys that have landed them from the Trent,” said Tim.
“I know that anglers have been fishing for them at Long Higgin and someone lost a very big fish there earlier this month. I’ve also seen the pictures of a 30lb-plus fish that was caught from the boat moorings at Newark,” he added.
Trent legend Bob Roberts has done battle with a huge specimen while float fishing for barbel on the tidal reaches of the river and is adamant that the catfish are breeding successfully.
He said: “I had a massive catfish on for three hours. It took me almost a mile upstream and I’d almost got it to the net everything went slack and I reeled in a 4lb barbel that it had obviously grabbed hold of.
“There are also small cats being caught in the river, which shows they are breeding. I’m confident that most of the larger river systems in the UK now hold a population of the species.”
Leading fisheries management consultant Dr Bruno Broughton believes that catfish are more widespread in British rivers than most anglers would acknowledge:
"It’s only in the last few years that the extent of catfish colonisation of rivers has become apparent. This is mainly a consequence of severe flooding of adjacent lakes holding the species and, I suspect, some illegal introductions as well.
"The largest rod-caught, river catfish of which I am aware is in excess of 120lbs from the Thames, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if much larger fish are, or soon will be, present elsewhere.
"Their numbers are likely to increase by natural means because catfish are good parents - they guard their eggs and protect the newly-hatched fry - and they appear to have no problem spawning successfully in many British waters.”
**UK river catfish**
- In 2001, junior angler Oliver Parker-Grater banked a 40lb catfish from Kent’s River Darent.
- Reports of a dead body in the River Thames were dismissed earlier this year after officials attended the scene to find it was actually a huge catfish of over 50lb.
- The Great Ouse received a stocking of catfish several decades ago and specimens to over 40lb have been landed since the move.
- Catfish up to 20lb have also been landed and even bigger fish lost in recent years by match anglers fishing the Yorkshire Ouse.
Biggest British coarse fish landed
THE biggest coarse fish ever landed in Britain on rod and line has been taken from a popular day-ticket complex.
Keen specimen angler Adi White had been targeting Northamptonshire’s Bluebell Lakes complex when he hauled out the mammoth catfish that is estimated to have weighed over 120lb.
After selecting a renowned spot on Swan Lake, the Leicestershire-based rod decided to present a 15mm glugged CC Moore Meteor pop-up boilie 12 inches off the bottom and received a take on the first night of a four-day session. Not long into the battle, unfortunately the hook pulled, leaving Adi to reset the traps in the hope of another run. Shortly afterwards he was given a second chance following another violent take, and spent over an hour coaxing it into net.
“I always fish one rod for catfish when I’m at the venue, and when it screamed off I instantly knew it was my target species,” explained Adi.
“When I set the hook it was like a dead weight and it took a long time to even move it off the bottom before it began to strip line. It was then a case of very slowly drawing it towards me. Once in the net, a friend and I tried to lift it from the water but it was so heavy it was a real struggle. It was at this point we realised I could have landed the country’s biggest coarse fish.”
Although its true weight will never be known, he believes the specimen could have broken the 120lb barrier said: “The dial on the scales went past 110lb but it was too big to fit in the sling and a large part of its tail lay on the matt. It will always be a mystery but it’s a catch I’ll never forget,” he added.
Venue boss Tony Bridgefoot has removed a number of big catfish in recent years but was confident a triple figure specimen was still there for the taking. He said: “I always knew a fish of this size was possible and I think it will continue to pack on the weight quickly. Adi didn’t have any way of retaining the fish safely so that it could be rehomed and it was released back into Swan Lake to fight another day.”
Brace of personal bests fall at Todber Manor
A 24-hour session at the prolific Todber Manor Fisheries proved eventful for Joe Miller as he banked a brace of personal bests.
The venue regular decided to visit Paddock Lake at the Dorset complex and legered a plastic corn hookbait alongside small solid bags of pellet.
A pb slab of 10lb 8oz was the first specimen to the grace the net but action was taken up to another level on the next run which ended with a 36lb cat on the mat.
Several carp to 16lb 8oz helped capped off the outing and Joe said: “After such a horrific winter I’d have been happy with a few runs, never mind a brace of new pbs.”
Huge 270lb 7oz catfish caught from Italy
THIS is a picture of one of the biggest catfish ever caught using rod and line, anywhere in the world.
Weighing in at a colossal 270lb 7oz, it was caught from Italy’s River Po by German anglers David Otto and Mark Potschka, who were fishing with Black Cat guides Stefan Seuss and Benjamin Grunder.
With the venue running a couple of metres above its normal level and still rising, the group decided to position their bait in a ditch that ran alongside the main river, because they correctly forecast that the biggest predators would seek the sanctuary out of the main flow.
“In these conditions the catfish are drawn to the land and even lay up in the shallowest flooded grassy areas, so we cast into a ditch that was being filled by the floodwater” said Stefan.
“After the guys hooked the fish they tried to subdue it from the bank, but we ended up having to follow it in the dinghy because it was just so powerful!”
