Common catfish is a mustachioed fish. The largest catfish caught by fishermen The largest catfish caught by man

Fans of world records will be interested to know about the size of the largest catfish ever caught by man, because it is no secret that this river inhabitant is inferior in size only to such a representative of sturgeon as the beluga, which is also found in Russian reservoirs. At the same time, the mustachioed predator can be found not only in large rivers and lakes of the Eurasian continent, but also in almost all other regions of the planet, albeit not on such a scale.

In size, the catfish is second only to the beluga.

Habitat and potential threat

The favorite habitat of fish with large whiskers is warm water bodies, so its largest populations can be observed precisely in the central and southern parts of Eurasia. In appearance, a completely harmless river inhabitant, catfish is not as simple as it seems and, to our great regret, situations are not uncommon when it is not people who hunt this fish, which has delicious white meat, but vice versa.

Scientists have been observing this unique animal for a long time, as a result of which they managed to compile a rather entertaining selection of the most interesting facts about them:

In this case, do not rush to get catfish with bare hands, underestimating the threat that this freshwater monster carries with it, because you can hear a lot of terrible stories from real life, in which catfish became the main participant.

The danger of large representatives

It should be recognized that small specimens of these fish do not pose a serious danger to humans, as well as representatives of the catfish family, which have an average size. However, this cannot be said about huge catfish, the mass of which exceeds 100 kilograms.

Very large individuals can be dangerous to humans

For example, in a small Turkish settlement back in 1970, fishermen managed to catch a two-meter monster, in the womb of which was not a small fish, but the corpse of a woman who disappeared a few days ago. After some time, two more people disappeared in the same area, and residents of nearby villages hastened to blame the giant catfish that live at the bottom of the reservoir for what happened.

But despite the fact that cases of finding human remains in fish stomachs are not isolated, some scientists are rather skeptical about the theory of man-eating catfish that hunt those who dare to swim in the depths. As for the corpses in the womb of the fish, the researchers suggested that the catfish ate them like carrion, that is, in fact we are talking about the drowned, and not at all about the victims of the river predator.

Notable world records

Despite the fact that it is not so easy to catch a big catfish from the river, as it may seem initially, some professional fishermen and ordinary amateurs still managed to do this.

Top 10 river giants

Every year people manage to set new records in the unspoken rating of "The Biggest Catfish Caught". Currently, the following ten unique specimens fall into this list, which belong to the heaviest weight category:

1. The absolute record holder today was a giant monster caught back in the 19th century in the waters of the famous Issyk-Kul Lake, which at that time was part of the possession of the Russian Empire. Surprisingly, the weight of the largest catfish caught in Russia was as much as 347 kilograms, while its length exceeded 4 meters. In honor of the giant, the locals decided to build a small arch in the form of fish jaws, from which not the slightest trace remains today.

   The largest catfish reached 4 meters in size

2. The second in the top "The largest catfish in the world" was a giant from the Polish Lake Oder, which has the same length as the previous specimen, but one and a half times less weight, which amounted to 200 kg. Apart from heavy weight, this catfish attracted the attention of researchers with two more characteristic features, the first of which indicated the impressive age of the animal (over 100 years), while the second boiled down to the fact that a corpse was found in its belly. However, after carrying out all the relevant analyzes, it was found that the deceased first choked and only then was swallowed by a huge predator.
3. "Bronze" went to another largest catfish in Russia, which was pulled out of the river Seim, spread among the banks Kursk region. This fish also weighed 200 kilograms, but its growth only slightly exceeded the mark of 3 meters. The story of the capture is also amazing, because the fishermen managed to shoot the fish under water from a harpoon, but they could not raise it to the surface, as a result of which they had to call for help from a local tractor driver along with his equipment.

   The weight of a huge catfish can reach 200 kg and more

4. Another mustachioed giant, whose distinguishing feature was the white color, was caught from the waters of the Mekong in exotic Thailand. At that time (2009), a fish weighing 275 kilos with a length of more than two meters was considered the largest in the world, which allowed it to get into the famous Guinness Book of Records, however, it was not possible to save the life of this record holder, as he could not stand the stress and died almost immediately after the measurements.
5. In 2007, in the Kazakh river Il, local fishermen were lucky enough to catch a really large fish weighing 130 kilograms. It is noteworthy that the length of the predator, like that of the Mekong albino, reached 2.7 meters.
6. Another record was set by a Russian amateur sport fishing Yuri Grizendi, who went to explore the river waters of France. As a result, a gambling tourist managed to pull a huge fish weighing 120 kilos and a length exceeding two and a half meters onto the banks of the Rhone River.

   A huge catfish weighing 120kg was caught in France

7. A catfish of the same length was pulled out by an Italian named Godi, although the weight of this animal was only 113 kilograms. It is difficult to predict how this situation could have developed if not for six friends of an avid fisherman who went with him to the river for bream. As in the previous case, the prey was measured, weighed, photographed and sent back to free swimming.
8. Eighth place goes to a catfish with a unique yellow color, which no one had to catch, since we are talking about an honorary resident of the central park of one of the Dutch cities. This fish, which received the funny nickname “Big Mommy” from the locals, is protected by law and all that is known about it today is a height of 2.3 meters.
9. In 2009, another albino was caught in the Spanish Ebro River by British tourist Sheffield Chris, whose live weight reached 88 kilos. It took half an hour to pull out the monster beating in the river waters and, most likely, the Briton would not have been able to cope with the task if not for his faithful friends.
10. The top 10 is closed by a two-meter catfish weighing 60 kilograms, which has more modest dimensions. He was caught by a Belarusian amateur fisherman, who spent an hour to ensure that rare prey could not slip out of his nets. This time the animal did not manage to go back to the bottom and the satisfied fisherman gladly let him go to the roast and meatballs.

One can only guess whether all the largest specimens of river fish that people have ever managed to catch got into this rating, because many records are simply not recorded, remaining only in the memory of happy fishermen.

Catfish fishing

There are several useful secrets, the knowledge of which will help even a novice fisherman to pull a rather large catfish ashore, quite suitable for making delicious stew and many other fragrant and rich dishes:

Going to fish for catfish, you need to remember how dangerous and uncontrollable this huge predator can be. And in order not to suffer from his actions, it is recommended to go fishing in a large company of friends and not swim to great depths, even if you want to look at the fish closer.

Catfish is one of the biggest predators among fish. More than it in freshwater reservoirs, only representatives of sturgeons are found, catching of which is currently prohibited. What are the dimensions and weight of the largest catfish in the world, and what trophies do happy anglers take with them?

The largest catfish according to Guinness

In the spring of 2011, the Guinness Book of Records recorded the case of the capture of the largest specimen. The length of the fish turned out to be 250 centimeters, and the weight was 114 kilos. You can see this freshwater giant in the photo. Such a wonderful catch went to the Italian Robert Godi, who fought the fish for almost an hour. And he did it not alone, but with the help of several adult men. This largest catfish in the world was also the largest freshwater predator in Europe, the catch of which was recorded.

The previous record holder - one of the largest catfish - was caught shortly before the capture of the previous trophy. The weight of the fish shown in the photo was 111 kg, which is only 3 kilos less than the real world record. This giant fish was caught in Spain on the Ebro River. But unlike the trophy caught in the spring, which was decided to be released into the wild, this trophy was not lucky.

The largest catfish were caught about a century ago. Predatory fish living in the Eurasian reservoirs can reach a length of up to 5 meters, and in weight - up to 300 kilograms or more. In Uzbekistan, about 100 years ago, a catfish weighing 430 kilograms was caught. And in the first half of the 19th century, a fish weighing 400 kilograms was caught. The length of these giants was just 5 meters, but there are no facts confirming these cases of catching.

Other records

Representatives of catfish can reach very large sizes. Young individuals are often caught, the weight of which is comparable to the weight of a trophy pike. But more and more anglers are trying to just take a photo and make a video with their trophy, and then release the fish back. If the largest specimen weighed 114 kilograms, then other trophies weigh slightly less:

• In 1998, in France, an individual of 110 kilograms was caught on the Rena River. At the same time, its length was a little more than 2.5 meters. You can see the photo below;
• On the same river in 2009, fishing ended with a monster of 120 kilograms being pulled out of the water. This is more than the current record, but the fact of capture was not registered. Therefore, it cannot be argued that this miracle fish really weighed so much. According to some sources, the length of the fish was 255 centimeters;
• In the same place in 2005, fishing ended with the capture of a specimen weighing 106 kilograms. The length of the trophy is 241 centimeters. Catfish were caught on live bait. In the photo you can see the happy faces of the anglers;
• In 2008, a representative of catfish was caught in Germany at 96 kg and 238 centimeters. This is the largest predator that was caught in the waters of the German country;
• A year earlier, a Russian fisherman caught a giant weighing 95 kg and 236 centimeters long in Germany;
• In 2004, fishing ended with the capture of a giant of 83 kilos and 217 centimeters;
• On the Ili River in Kazakhstan (2007), a woman caught a fish measuring 274 centimeters;
• A German tourist in Kazakhstan caught a giant weighing 130 kilos and measuring 2.69 meters (2004);
• On the river called Ili, a real giant was caught at 96 kilos and 2.72 meters;
• A large freshwater predator was caught on the Syrdarya River. Its mass was equal to 110 kilos, the size - 2.44 meters.

There are many cases of catching truly gigantic individuals, the mass of which is one and a half times the weight of the fish from the Guinness World Record. However, each of these cases was not registered. And it is not possible to determine the mass and length of a fish from photographs or videos. In Russia, the largest catfish is found only in deep rivers, and the mass of such fish rarely exceeds 50 kilograms. Below is a video about the capture of a large catfish in Russia.

Russian records

In Russia, for many years there have been no cases of catching representatives of the ichthyofauna of gigantic sizes. All record specimens were caught in the 18th and 19th centuries. There is information about them in printed sources. So, the largest trophy from the catfish family was caught 2 centuries ago. He weighed 347 kilos, his size was equal to 4.5 meters. Since then, it has not been heard that predators of this size have been caught yet.

Currently, anglers from all over the country are hunting for giants. But they are constantly haunted by failure. The most frequent trophies are fish from 30-40 kilos. But in the European part of the country, cases of catching quite large individuals are known - about 70-80 kg. It is very difficult to pull such giants out of the water. One angler is unlikely to cope with a fish. You will need at least a pair of strong male hands.

The fact that there are few large representatives of the ichthyofauna in Russia is influenced by several factors:

• Poor environmental conditions;
• Active activity of poachers;
• Unfavorable climate: reservoirs freeze strongly in winter;
• Decline in the population of fish that catfish feed on.

All this greatly affects the fish size. Most often, the largest specimens are found in forgotten by man places. This suggests that human activity is the main factor influencing the growth and reproduction of fish.

Such a predatory fish as catfish is one of the largest species freshwater fish. Information has repeatedly appeared about giant catfish that fishermen were lucky to catch, among them there are the largest in the world. Such giants can be called a miracle fish, they were caught in different countries of the world and this is evidenced by the photos that capture the size of the largest catfish.

Catfish in size from freshwater fish species second only to beluga that lives in Russia. Its length and weight are related to the reservoir where it is found, as well as to the food of the fish. Most often, catfish live in large rivers and lakes in southern and central Europe. Fish love warm waters, so they live all over the world, but not so numerous. Individuals settle in the deep places of reservoirs, and rarely change their usual habitat.

They feed mainly on carrion and freshwater living creatures, while the fish are still small, they feed on insects and larvae, but as they grow, they switch to frogs and mollusks. Adult individuals begin to hunt fish, for example, pike, facts speak about this. Often, the belly of a large catfish can be found there different kinds not small fish.

According to experienced fishermen, a giant river monster can drag a person under water when he swims there at a depth. There are cases when individuals of large sizes dragged animals into the water living on dry land.

Many who love to catch this type of freshwater fish dream of catching a giant catfish, but this is not easy to do, because with a large fish it is not easy to pull it out, even when it is on the hook. Often the fishing line breaks, the hooks break or unbend, and the gear is damaged.

Giant catfish, their photo

1. Such fish as catfish can weigh up to 300 kg, and according to scientists, fish with such a mass are 80-100 years old. For example, in Russia back in the 19th century, a giant catfish weighing 347 kg was caught, but unfortunately, then the data on its catching were not officially recorded and a photo of the catfish was also not taken. In honor of the largest catfish in history, people built an arch in the form of a fish jaw on the Issyk-Kul River, where it was caught.
2. Huge catfish 2.3 meters long was caught in the Netherlands, after it was caught, the individual was placed in the lake of a local park so that people could sometimes watch a rare specimen. Many divers, not being afraid of a predator, swim in the lake to see it. A huge fish feeds on swimming ducks when they forget about the danger while swimming in the lake. The reservoir is surrounded by a fence on all sides, but this does not prevent local poachers from entering the lake at night, and the guards always detect them.
3. A large catfish was also caught in Italy, its weight was 114kg and its dimensions were 2.5 meters. The same monster was caught in France, only with a weight of 120 kg, and in Uzbekistan with a weight of 130 kg, it happened on the Ili River in 2004. There are photos of these catfish, so everyone can see the largest freshwater fish if they wish.
4. In Ukraine, a catfish 4 meters long and weighing 299 kg was caught on the Dnieper River, but such data has not been officially confirmed anywhere, and there is no photo of the fish.
5. There is also information that local fishermen managed to catch a supergiant in Uzbekistan, it weighed record number kilograms - 430, but this fact has not been recorded anywhere.

Everyone knows that catfish is a predatory species of freshwater fish, but few people know that this fish can pose a danger to people. More than once, cases have been described when in the belly of the largest catfish were found human bodies or parts of them.

In Turkey, several cases were recorded when people were found in giant catfish after their stomachs were ripped open. For example, in 1970, a catfish was caught in this country and the corpse of a woman was found in it, and a few years later the bodies of two children were found in the monster caught. Scientists say that catfish do not attack living people, but only find drowned or dead people who have had an accident in the water and feed on them.

Features of fishing for catfish

Very large specimens are no doubt strong, and can resist, capsize the boat, bite, or cause injury, which is very dangerous, especially when children are near them.

Experienced craftsmen fishing can easily catch catfish, but if there are no such skills, then the first time it will not be possible to pull out a predator, you must always be careful with large freshwater ones. For centuries, this fish has surprised and frightened many people with its size, weight and unpredictable behavior. Despite all the danger of river monsters, people still want to catch the largest catfish in the world, whose parameters will beat all previous records.

Photos of the largest catfish

1 place

The largest catfish of which anything is known was caught in the Oder River, which flows through Germany. It happened a long time ago - in 1830. Witnesses claimed that the weight of the fish was more than four centners. True, this impressive record was not officially documented, but history still retained information about it. On the same line, you can put a 430-kilogram catfish caught in Uzbekistan.

2nd place

In the 19th century, a giant of 347 kilograms was caught in Lake Issyk-Kul. Its length was more than four meters, and in the open jaws an adult man could stand, almost without bending over. This record was also not recorded, but a monument in the form of a huge fish jaw, erected not far from the place where such an impressive catch happened, remained in memory of it.

3rd place

Closes the top three Thai catfish, caught in 2005 on the Mekong River. This reservoir has always been famous for its large inhabitants, but in Lately the fishermen had little cause for rejoicing. Due to unfavorable ecology, catfish have almost disappeared. And then such luck weighing almost three centners! More precisely, the weight of the fish was 292 kilograms. This result was included in the Guinness book and is considered an official record, which so far no one has been able to surpass.

4th place

A huge catfish 2.3 meters long lives on the territory of the National Recreation Park in Holland. This is the most big fish in Europe and the largest of those that survived after their captivity. Soma is affectionately known as Big Mommy. The poachers sleep and see how to catch the national treasure in their nets, but the guards are not asleep and so far have successfully repulsed all attempts to assassinate Mommy.

5th place

This line rightfully belongs to the Turkish som. There is no information about its exact dimensions, but it is known for certain that during the autopsy, the corpse of an unknown woman was found in it. It happened in 1970. A few years later, in the same places, two little girls were attacked by a catfish. In general, this fish often attacks unlucky bathers, but most people, fortunately, manage to fight back and survive.

6th place

Catfish of monstrous size was caught from the river Seim. The fish weighed more than two centners. To kill the giant, the fishermen had to use a harpoon, which is actually designed to hunt large marine predators. However, such a catfish may well be compared in strength and danger with the real shark itself.

7th place

Signor Antonio Frisero was very lucky here. His catch pulled one and a half centners of live weight! The man tried to pull the prey ashore for almost an hour. When he succeeded, Antonio did not kill the giant, but only took a picture with him as a keepsake and released him into his native element.

8th place

This record also belongs to the Italians. They are lucky for catfish! Before the Frisero catch, it was Robert Gody who was considered the man who managed to catch the largest catfish in the whole country. The length of the prey was about two and a half meters, and the weight was 114 kilograms.

9th place

A catfish weighing 100 kilograms was shot and pulled ashore in Dnepropetrovsk. Against the background of the rest of the results, it does not look so impressive, but rest assured that the lucky fishermen were in seventh heaven. Surely they will remember this catch for the rest of their lives!

10th place

Closes the top of the largest catfish caught by man, a copy of 97 kilograms. But it is not so much the weight of the fish that is interesting, but the fact that the record belongs to a woman. Fortune smiled on the brave fisherwoman on the Ebro River (Spain). I wonder if she pulled out the catfish herself or someone helped her?

Catfish, due to its prevalence and large size, is a coveted object of catch for many anglers. Catfish weighing up to fifty kilograms are considered normal. But large specimens can no longer be lifted by one person - their mass is calculated in centners, and some representatives of this species of fish can reach three meters in length. Quite a few cases of catching catfish of extraordinary size are known, but fishermen are in no hurry, usually

to somehow fix such a fact, therefore it is simply not possible to reliably determine which largest catfish was caught and where. I must say that the freshwater catfish in the world is very large - it loves temperate and warm latitudes, but it does not occur at all in the northern regions.

Officially, the Guinness record holder is a Thai inhabitant. The mass of the giant was 292 kilograms. Since the catch was recorded in the presence of witnesses, this one is the largest catfish in the world. It is also curious that almost ten years have passed since the capture of the giant, and no one has yet overcome this record.

Ichthyologists assure that giant catfish are not such a remarkable phenomenon, it's all about the purity of the water and abundant food. By the way, catfish are predators. The main diet - crayfish, leeches, does not shun carrion. Giants prefer ducks and other birds, do not disdain squirrels and any gaping small animal.
But, according to historical sources, modern catfish are small compared to their predecessors. For example, in the German Oder at the beginning of the nineteenth century, a catfish weighing from 400 to 450 kilograms was caught! This is to the fact that the modern largest

catfish of Europe weighed only 150 kilograms. The lucky owner of the catch was the Italian Armando Frisero.
Native spaces are also famous for their giants. The largest catfish in Russia was caught in the nineteenth century. Its weight was 347 kilograms with a length of four and a half meters! Currently, there are no recorded cases of catching huge Russian catfish, alas. And the point is not that the fish has been transferred - on the Volga, for example, two-meter-long catfish are the most common occurrence. Most likely, the whole point is that the certification of the catch is a rather troublesome business, and the fishermen do not consider it necessary to waste time on such trifles. Or maybe just modesty gets in the way. One way or another, but the record holder of the Russian scale currently does not officially exist.

In addition to gigantic sizes, catfish can also have an unusual color. For example, albino catfish are found in the British river Ebro. The largest catfish with a lack of melanin was caught by Chris Grimmer.

The weight of the albino was 88 kilograms.
Presumably, the largest catfish is an inhabitant of the Dutch lake in the Centerparcs recreation park. The giant, up to three meters long, is a local landmark and bears the name Big Mommy. By the way, this lady has a good appetite, because every day, in addition to her usual food, she eats two or three

Despite the fact that the catfish is not able to grab prey with its teeth due to their smallness, it bites painfully. There are also known cases of catfish attacks on people. All this makes the reservoirs in which these unusual creatures live unsafe for swimming.