A huge blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) was Greg Bernal’s goal on June 20 while fishing the Missouri River, out of North County, Missouri, USA and he indeed landed one, with an impressive 58.97 kg (130 lb 0 oz) specimen. The monster catfish that Bernal, of Florissant, Mo., caught qualifies for a new IGFA all-tackle record. It took him 20 minutes to land using an Asian carp to entice the catfish. The current IGFA record is 56.24 kg (124 lb 0 oz) caught five years ago by Timothy Pruitt from the Mississippi River near Alton, Ill.

Less than a year ago Michigan’s Tom Healy made headlines in the fishing world by catching a new IGFA World Record brown trout weighing (18.8 kg) 41 lb 7 oz. And this past July 16, Roger Hellen of Franksville, Wisc., USA stirred a great deal of talk after landing an equally big brown trout (Salmo trutta) weighing 18.82 kg (41 lb 8 oz). Hellen was fishing Lake Michigan, off the Wisconsin coastline trolling a Fishlander spoon when the monster hit it taking him 30 minutes to land. Though Hellen’s fish is one ounce heavier than the current all-tackle record set by Healy on Sept. 8, 2009, according to IGFA World Record requirements, to replace a record fish weighing 11.33 kg (25 lbs) or more, the replacement must weigh at least one half of 1 percent more than the existing record. Bottom-line, Healy and Hellen might be sharing an IGFA World Record tie for their two fish.

Guided by her uncle while fishing out of Key West, Fla., USA, on June 3, smallfry angler Brielle Bennett of Cinnaminson, N.J., USA, landed an African pompano (Alectis ciliaris) weighing 5.7 kg (12 lb 9 oz) to qualify for the female-smallfry record. The uncle Brian Bennett said Brielle needed eight minutes to land her potential record catch after the fish hit her live pinfish. The current IGFA record in the junior division is vacant.

While flyfishing the Ur River in Mongolia on June 7, Marles H. Frankman of Golden Valley, Minn., USA, guided by Ganpurev Enebish, landed a 21.55 kg (47 lb 8 oz) taimen (Hucho taimen). The exciting fish took 30 minutes to land after hitting Mrs. Frankman’s Dairiki streamer fly to qualify her for the 8 kg (16 lb) tippet record. Frankman released the fish after documenting and photographing it. The current IGFA record is 12.7 kg (28 lb 0 oz) pulled from Mongolia’s Eg River in 2001.

Miami, Fla., USA angler Xavier Casal guided by Rafael Moran, landed the potential men’s 37 kg (80 lb) line class record for broomtail grouper (Mycteroperca xenarcha) on June 6, while fishing Isla Santa Clara, Ecuador. Casal’s grouper weighed 23.13 kg (51 lb 0 oz) and took 18 minutes to land after the fish hit Casal’s Rapala X-Rap 30 lure. The current IGFA record is vacant.

IGFA Representative Peter F. Binaski of Costa Mesa, Calif., USA, guided by Valentin Giusto, landed a beautiful dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) on July 1, while fishing Bolivia’s Pluma River, to qualify for the 3 kg (6 lb) tippet record. After taking Binaski’s fly and a 15 minute fight, Binaski’s dorado weighed in at 7.48 kg (16 lb 8 oz). The current IGFA record is 2.84 kg (6 lb 4 oz) held by IGFA Lifetime Achievement Award recpient Capt. Jay Wright Jr., of Hollywood, Fla. from Argentina’s Uruguay River near LaZona two years ago. Binaski released the fish after documenting its vitals such as weight and length and photographs of the bright and colorful fish.

World traveler and multi-record holder Stan Nabozny of The Woodlands, Texas, USA, guided by Andy Nicholson, landed a 3.03 kg (6 lb 11 oz) barbel (Barbus barbus) on June 24, while fishing out of Holme Lacy, United Kingdom. Nabozny landed the fish in five minutes, after it hit his marine halibut pellet, to qualify for the 10 kg (20 lb) line class record. The current IGFA record is 2.21 kg (4 lb 14 oz) set by Nabozny last year in the same waters. Nabozny released the fish following documentation and photos.

Hilton Head, S.C. USA Captain Brian Vaughn of Hilton Head Island, SC, USA was guiding clients off his home town on July 9 when he took some time to cast a fly and landed a sizeable tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis) to qualify for the men’s 10 kg (20 lb) tippet record. Vaughn’s fish weighed 7.6 kg (16 lb 8 oz), and was landed in six minutes on a Lefty's Deceiver fly. The current IGFA record is 7.42 kg (16 lb 6 oz) is 15 years old and was recorded in Barra del Colorado, Costa Rica.

Trolling a Rapala X-Rap lure behind his jet ski out of Umkomaas, South Africa on May 23, Craig Oliver of Pinetown, South Africa, caught a talang queenfish (Scomberoides commersonianus) and two potential IGFA World Records. Oliver’s catch weighed 17.9 kg (39 lb 7 oz) and took him 15 minutes to land. His fish qualifies for both the all-tackle record and the men’s 24 kg (50 lb) line class records. The current IGFA All-Tackle record is 16.5 kg (36 lb 6 oz) recorded in Karachi, Pakistan and the line class is 14.5 kg (31 lb 15 oz) from Mozambique, South Africa

P.C. Ouwendijk of Ouderkerk Aan Den Ijssel, Netherlands, guided by Les Lozowski, was fishing Hollands Diep, Netherlands on June 6 when a 6.54 kg (14 lb 6 oz) zander (Sander lucioperca) hit his lure. This potential IGFA 15 kg (30 lb) line class record was caught using a Culprit Shad on a jig head. The current IGFA record is vacant.