Ajka, Hungary angler Zsedely Attila, guided by Captain Kiss Jozset, landed a 135 kg (297 lb 9 oz) potential IGFA All-Tackle record wels (Silurus glanis) on March 11, while fishing Italy’s River Po. He was using a Rapala plug when the monster fish hit and needed the better part of an hour to bring this fish to the boat. Aside from the enormous size of the fish, what is even more amazing is that the River Po has produced three potential IGFA All-Tackle wels records within the past year, not to mention that all three have been released alive. The current IGFA record is 113.5 kg (250 lb 3 oz) caught and released a month earlier on Feb. 5, by Italian angler Roberto Godi of Arcole Veroma.
Here's another remarkable catch and release. Trading his Southern Hemisphere winter to fly fish in a Northern Hemisphere summer, Frank Bluch of Corio Victoria, Australia, landed a monster lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) August 7, on Great Bear Lake, in Canada's NW Territories. Using ultra thin 1 kg (2 lb) tippet Bluch fought the 13.83 kg (30 lb 8 oz) lake trout for over four hours after it hit his white dumbell strip tease fly. Great angling by Bluch, and boatmenship by guide Captain Mike Harrison, can be credited for this amazing catch and potential fly record. To make the story even sweeter, the fish was released alive after being weighed and photographed. The current IGFA record is 6.12 kg (13 lb 8 oz) caught in 1986 from Yukon Canada's, Wellesley Lake.
Two IGFA World Records might be going to junior angler Maximilian Hampl of Cartago, Costa Rica, for a single fish he caught on July 19. While fishing Boca Chica, Panama, guided by Captain Antonio Isaza, Hampl landed a beautiful 13.4 kg (29 lb 8 oz) mullet snapper (Lutjanus aratus) using a live blue runner for bait. Ten minutes after the fish hit, Hampl had the fish in the boat and was qualified for both the men's 15 kg (30 lb) line class record and the male junior record. The current IGFA line class record is 13.23 kg (29 lb 3 oz) recorded in 2006 in David, Panama.
Using just a bread ball for bait, Pamela J. Henry of Stuart, Florida, USA, landed a blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) on August 31, while fishing the Florida's South Fork River. She needed six minutes to land the 4.25 kg (9 lb 6 oz) potential IGFA All-Tackle record fish. The current IGFA record is 4.08 kg (9 lb 0 oz) caught in 2003 in Kissimmee, Fla.
Andres Fanjul of Palm Beach, Florida, USA, guided by Captain Douglass Heaton II, landed a potential All-Tackle roundscale spearfish (Tetrapturus georgii) on August 20, fishing the Baltimore Canyon, off Maryland, USA. Captain Heaton II was trolling naked ballyhoo when the 31.75 kg (70 lb 0 oz) spear came into the spread. Fanjul battled the fish to the boat 30 minutes later for a potential new IGFA All-Tackle billfish record. The current IGFA record is 31.2 kg. (68 lb 12 oz) caught in 2008 in Olhao, Portugal.
Angler Fiona Stallard, of Perth, Western Australia, guided by Captain Adrian Watt, landed a 21 kg (46 lb 4 oz) wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) on August 30, to qualify for the IGFA women's 3 kg (6 lb) line class record. Captain Watt was pulling a Halco Lazer Pro 160 when the toothy critter hit Stallard's line. Less than a half hour later the fish was on board and the boat was headed to the weigh station. The current IGFA record is 13.18 kg (29 lb 0 oz), caught in 2002 from Huon Gulf, Papua New Guinea.
Fishing this summer in Seward, Alaska, USA, junior angler Jace Heller of Seal Beach, California, USA, guided by IGFA Certified Captain Andy Mezirow, landed a yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) weighing 12.7 kg (28 lb 0 oz). The fish hit a herring being fished on the bottom and was landed in 20 minutes on August 27, qualifying Jace for a new male IGFA Junior record. The current IGFA record is 9.97 kg (22 lb 0 oz) caught in Waterfall Resort, Alaska, USA in 2001.
Danish angler Frank Jensen of Aabyhoej, landed a beautiful 11.2 kg (24 lb 11 oz) Atlantic salmon (landlocked) (Salmo salar) on June 25, while fishing Klaralv, Sweden. Jensen was using a nors flue for bait and needed 45 minutes to land the potential new IGFA All-Tackle record. The current IGFA record pulled from Lake Vaernern, Djoroe, Sweden in 2002, is 10.76 kg (23 lb 11 oz).
On July 11 of this past summer young small fry angler Jazmine Olivia Evans, of Melfa, Virginia, USA, guided by her father Capt. Wayne Evans, landed a 24.21 kg (53 lb 6 oz) bluefin tuna (Thunnus Thynnus). They were fishing out of Sams Hill, Virginia, trolling a Seawitch skirted ballyhoo when the bluefin hit her line. About 30 minutes later, Jazmine had the fish in the boat and a new potential female IGFA Smallfry record. The current IGFA record is 18.03 kg (39 lb 12 oz) caught July 2009, Wachapreage, Virginia.
