Redtail Catfish (Pirarara)
Angler Gilberto Fernandes, of Mao, AM, Brazil netted a redtail catfish (pirarara) (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus) on Feb. 6, and possibly his 101st IGFA world fishing record. Fernandes was fishing Brazil’s Rio Amazonas, when he landed the fish weighing 51.5 kg (113 lb 8 oz). He caught it after a 35 minute fight using small baitfish on 24 kg (50 lb) class line. The current IGFA line class record is 88 lb 2 oz (40 kg) recorded two years ago on the same river.
Trahira (Hoplias Malabaricus)
While fishing Brazil’s Negro River this past November 24th, Ian-Arthur de Sulocki, of Manaus, Brazil, landed a trahira (Hoplias malabaricus), weighing 3.63 kg (8 lb 0 oz) for a possible IGFA All-Tackle record. The current IGFA record is 5 lb 4 oz ( 2.4 kg) caught last July on the Aruman Lake, in Amazonas, Brazil.
Black Grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci)
Fishing off Key West, Florida, USA, Ronald P. Glinski M.D., of Whiteville, N.C., USA, guided by Capt. Ralph Delph, landed a black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) on Dec. 30, weighing 8.16kg (18 lb 0 oz). He used live herring for bait on 10 kg (20 lb) class line and took one hour to wrestle the fish to the boat. The current IGFA men’s line class record is 2 lb 8 oz (1.13 kg) caught two years ago near Marathon Key also in the Florida Keys.
Tench (Tinca tinca)
Using worms for bait, junior angler Robbie Angus, of Kerikeri, New Zealand, landed a tench (Tinca tinca) on January 22, weighing 2.3 kg (5 lb 1 oz) while fishing the Waitangi River, in New Zealand. The current IGFA junior men’s record is 3 lb 10 oz (1.65 kg) caught in 2003 in Gruntensee, Wertach, Germany.
Barramundi (Lates calcarifer)
Mark Hope, of Yungaburra QLD, Australia, landed a barramundi (Lates calcarifer) on January 31, weighing 26.8 kg (59 lb 1 oz) on 37 kg (80 lb) class line. He landed the fish after 15 minutes from Lake Tinaroo while using a popular Australian made lure called a Reidy B52 Big. The current IGFA record is 51 lb 0 oz ( 23.13 kg) caught one year ago at the same Australian lake.
Blue Catfish (Ictalarus furcatus)
Richmond, Virginia, USA’s Fred Murray, landed a blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) on Feb. 10 while fishing the nearby James River. Using cut bait on 2 kg (4 lb) class line and following a five minute fight the fish was weighed in at 24.04 kg (53 lb 0 oz). The current IGFA line class record is 47 lb 9 oz (21.57 kg) pulled December 2000 from the same river.
Dogtooth Tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor)
A 33 year old record may be broken by Samatha Vale, of Port Vila, Vanuatu, who when guided by Herve Picarda, landed a dogtooth tuna, (Gymnosarda unicolor) on February 5. She fought the fish for 25 minutes while fishing off Vanuatu’s Shepherd Island, using 10 kg (20 lb) class line, baited with ballyhoo.The fish weighed in at 44 kg (97 lb 0 oz). The current IGFA women’s line class record is 66 lb 0 oz (29.93 kg) recorded from the Denis Island in the Seychelles, April 1977.
European Chub (Leuciscus cephalus)
On the European continent another longstanding IGFA All-Tackle record of 23 years may be broken by Dieter Linderman, of Lorrach, Germany. He landed a European chub (Leuciscus cephalus) on Dec. 14, weighing 3.05 kg (6 lb 11 oz) while fishing Rhein bei, Germany. The current IGFA record is 5 lb 12 oz (2.62 kg) set in 1987 in Helige, Gemla, Sweden.
Mandarin (Siniperca chautsa)
This past summer while fishing the Seibo Dam Reservoir, in China, Salvino A. J. Bernardes, of Macau, China, landed a mandarin (Siniperca chautsa) weighing 4.76 kg (10 lb 8 oz). The potential IGFA All-Tackle catch was made on July 26, with Bernardes using a popular Asian vibrating lure called a Bassday Range Vib-70. If accepted the mandarin would be a new species added to the IGFA’s All-Tackle records section.
Pacific barracuda (Sphyraena argentea)
Fly fishing Golfito, Costa Rica Feb. 8, IGFA Lifetime Achievement Award winning angler Martin Arostegui, Coral Gables, FL, USA, landed a Pacific barracuda (Sphyraena argentea) on 1 kg (2 lb) tippet, weighing .57 kg (1 lb 4 oz). He hand-tied and used his own creation an Arostegui Small Pilchard Fly to attract the fish. If approved Arostegui will be the first to achieve that tippet record for the Pacific barracuda which was added as a new species April 2009. Arostegui now has now over 300 IGFA fishing records.
