A kokanee caught in the Northwest region of the U.S. has fishing writers talking for a record that has stood for 22 years. Ronald A. Campbell of Pendleton, Oregon, USA, landed the potential all-tackle kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) on June 13, while fishing Wallowa Lake, Oregon, USA. Campbell’s beautiful catch weighed in at 4.39 kg (9 lb 10 oz), and was landed in five minutes after the fish took Campbell’s Shasta Peewee Hoochie. The current IGFA record is 4.27 kg (9 lb 6 oz) from Okanagan Lake in Bristis Columbia, Canada.
A dead flying fish was the bait New Zealand angler Rikki Williams of Mt. Albert in Auckland used to catch a 50.6 kg (111 lb 8 oz) southern yellowtail (Seriola lalandi), on March 13 while fishing Ranfurly Banks, Australia. This potential men’s 37 kg (80 lb) line class record took Williams 15 minutes to bring in and may beat a 48-year old IGFA record. The current IGFA record is 48.98 kg (108 lb 0 oz) caught off Cape Brett, NZ in January 1962.
Japanese angler Masamitsu Okayama of Iwanai-Gun, Hokkaido, landed a kitsune-mebaru (Sebastes vulpes) on May 22, while fishing Shiribetsu, Japan. This potential all-tackle record fish which weighed in at 2.8 kg (6 lb 2 oz) was landed in four minutes after it hit Okayama’s soft plastic bait. The current IGFA record is 2.7 kg (5 lb 15 oz) caught in May 2006 in nearby Setana Hokkaido, Japan.
A beautiful example of a silver redhorse (Moxostoma anisurum) was landed by Michael Romano of Hudson, Ohio, USA, on May 30 while he was fishing Michigan’s Muskegon River. Romano’s catch qualifies as a potential men’s 2 kg (4 lb) line class record on a weight of 3.74 kg (8 lb 4 oz). Romano was using crayfish for bait. The current IGFA record is 3.27 kg (7 lb 3 oz) caught in Sept. 1987 from Rainy River, Loman, Minnesota, USA.
Fly fishing off the coast of Capcana, Dominican Republic, Stacey G. Parkerson of Coral Springs, Florida, USA, landed a white marlin (Kajikia albida) on June 6 to qualify for the potential women’s IGFA 6 kg (12 lb) tippet record that’s currently vacant. After a 15 minute fight Parkerson’s fish was weighed in at 21.15 kg (46 lb 10 oz). The fish was caught on a custom tied fly and Stacey was guided by Scott Jones.
Massachusetts angler John M. Cole of West Newbury, guided by R. Andrew Cummings, landed a striped bass (Morone saxatilis) on June 17 while fishing off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. The potential men’s 2 kg (4 lb) tippet record weighed 10.43 kg (23 lb 0 oz) and took Cole 15 minutes to land after the fish hit his Chuleta Blanca fly. The current men’s IGFA tippet record is 8.84 kg (19 lb 8 oz) caught off Misquamicit Beach, Rhode Island, USA in August 1997.
Using ultra-thin fishing line, Jason Land of Florence, Kentucky, USA, caught a grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) on April 28 while fishing the waters in Boone County, Kentucky, USA. Land landed the fish in 20 minutes which weighed 17.35 kg (38 lb 4 oz), qualifying it for the 1 kg (2 lb) line class record. The current IGFA record is 9.29 kg (20 lb 8 oz) recorded in August 2005 from the Tamiami Trail in Florida, USA.
Finally we have three records of interest of anglers beating their former IGFA records. Lady angler Toquaiah Jackson Carter of Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania, USA may eclipse a women’s fly record she’s held since June 2007. Guided by Joey Dawson, Ms. Carter landed a yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) on June 18, while fishing Argus Bank, Bermuda. Her impressive catch qualifies for the potential women’s 10 kg (20 lb) tippet record after weighing in at 24.86 kg (54 lb 13 oz). Carter needed an hour to land her trophy after it took her custom “bad hair day” fly. The current IGFA record is 24.38 kg (53 lb 12 oz), and has been held by Carter for the past three years.
Another fisherman, junior angler Maximilian Hampl of Cartago, Costa Rica may also have broken his own IGFA fishing record. Guided by Edgar Montero, Hampl landed a monster sized almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana) on June 15 while fishing the Golfo de Papagayo, Costa Rica to qualify for the potential male-junior record which may beat his old record caught last year in the same waters. Hampl’s catch weighed in at 34.97 kg (77 lb 1.6 oz) and took him 20 minutes to land after the fish hit his live moonfish. His current IGFA record is 27 kg (59 lb 8 oz).
Multi IGFA record holder Roberta G. Arostegui of Coral Gables, Florida, USA, guided by legendary IGFA Certified Captain Bouncer Smith, may have recaptured an old IGFA record by landing a 1.25 kg (2 lb 12 oz) gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) on May 30, while fishing Bimini, Bahamas to qualify for the women’s 2 kg (4 lb) line class record . The fish fought for three minutes after hitting a live pilchard. The current IGFA record is 1.13 kg (2 lb 8 oz). Mrs. Arostegui had previously held the record with a 1.02 kg (2 lb 4 oz) gray snapper caught in the same Bimini waters in June 2008.
