Biggest fish ever to be caught on a pole?

GIGANTIC 200lb-plus catfish has been caught – on the pole! 

This is the eye-opening image of possibly the biggest fish caught on the tactic – it certainly sets a new personal best for captor Sebastian Nash.  

The 36-year-old from Parcieux, France, hooked into the beast, along with a string of giant sturgeon to 190lb and koi to 40lb, during an adrenaline-fuelled seven-day trip at a private lake in Italy.

The Colmic-backed angler told Angling Times what it was like to catch monsters on a method usually associated with taming fish under 20lb. 

He said: “It’s absolutely exhilarating – for me there isn’t a bigger adrenaline rush than playing a big fish on the pole. 

“The fight of the biggest sturgeon (190lb) was mental, as it took me 90 minutes to tire out and bring to the bank.

“It nearly snapped me off twice as it swam round a big rock in the water!”

To cope with the powerful surges from every giant hooked, Seb had to step up his gear, and fitted his 13m Colmic Karper pole with 5mm solid latex elastic – which he quadrupled in his top kit to help fight against the power-packed predators. 

His mainline was braid with a breaking strain of more than 165lb, and this was attached to a large hook carrying herring, sardine or anchovy deadbaits.

 “I caught steadily throughout the week, but found that mornings were the most productive, so I planned to be up extra-early for the last couple of days,” Seb added.

“That next morning I had a very positive take, followed by a mad 30-minute fight when the fish took me all over the swim and stayed deep.

“When I finally got it to the bank I had to call my friend over to help me hoist this monster on to two large unhooking mats – a monster that turned out to be a new personal-best catfish measuring nearly three meters in length. 

“I couldn’t believe it. 

“Later that day I hooked a smaller catfish which eventually broke my pole! 

“I think that was a clear sign that I’d caught too many big fish that week,” he added.