Wels Catfish: 250.3 lb (113.5 kg)

Enigma

Moderator
Italy! Record Application for Potential All-Tackle

Wels Catfish: 250.3 lb (113.5 kg)

A potential new wels catfish record just came in to the IGFA in the All-Tackle category! On February 5, 2010, while fishing with IGFA Captain Alberto Bartoli on the River Po, Mantova, Italy, angler Roberto Godi was fishing with a live breme when an enormous wels (Silurus glamis) doubled over his rod. After a grueling 45 minute battle along the banks of the Po, Godi landed the monster wels.

What is most interesting and impressive about this giant catch, is that Captain Alberto and Roberto weighed and released the fish alive. They built a customized weighing tripod frame and weighing-mat designed to support the immense size of the wels. The 8.136 ft (248 cm) fish weighed an impressive 250.3 lb (113.5 kg). Godi’s catch challenges the previous wels catfish record set a year earlier on February 5, 2009 by Jakub Vagner on the same river with a 242.5 lb (110 kg) wels.

CATCH PROFILE:
Angler: Mr. Roberto Godi
Captain: IGFA Captain Alberto Bartoli
Catch Date: 02/05/2010
Place of Catch: River Po - Ostiglia, Mantova, Italy
Species: wels (Silurus glamis)
Weight: 250.3 lbs (113.5 kg)
Fight time: 45 minutes
Rod: Sportex Magnus
Reel: Shimano Cardiff A401
Bait: River Bream

SPECIES PROFILE:
Catfish, wels / Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758: SILURIDAE FAMILY; also known as wels, weller, siluro, som, European catfish, sheatfish, malle, Danube catfish

This species occurs naturally or has been introduced to most of central and easternEurope, also found throughout Asia Minor and central Asia, England, Tunisia and Algeria. The wels mainly inhabits deep-water lakes and rivers, though it enters brackish water in the Baltic and Black Seas and spawns in the salt water of the Aral Sea.

Typical of the family, its body is scaleless. The anal fin is very long and three pairs of barbels, one on the upper and two on the lower characterize the jaws. The speckled body is brown or gray-black in color. The wels is one of the largest of all freshwater fishes. It is said to exceed 16.4 feet (500 cm) in length and up to 675 lbs (306.0 kg) in weight.

Wels stay close to the bottom during the day, seeking cover in hollows or buried in the soft bottom it prefers. This species is active at night, often in quite shallow water. It is a voracious predator, feeding mainly on fish, frogs and crayfish. Occasionally it takes voles and waterfowl.

Angling for wels is highly valued sport both for its size and skill required. The species can be caught by ledgering with live or dead fishes, by surface float fishing using a large float or even by trolling. Spinners, plugs and imitations of mice and frogs are also frequently used.
 

Cpt. Hook

Sealiner
That is huge... I fished that river about 3 yrs ago and caught some Pike, had no idea such monsters lurked in thise waters.
 

Wernerbloem

New member
Vader land dis n groot vis daai moet se ek het respek vir die man wat daai vis gevang het. Enigma se my is die tipe vis groot figthers en hoe oud moet daai vis nie wees om daai size te raak nie.
 

Skuimkop

Sealiner
Manne wat die vangs soveel meer impressive maak is die feit dat die man die cat met 'n baitcaster, ja 'n baitcaster gevang het wat 'n max van 11 lb drag het. Die katrol se Line Capacity is maar 20/165 lb/yds). Sure hy het seker braid gebruik maar kan jy jouself indink hoeveel benoude oomblikke moes hy gehad het tydens die feight van 45 min? Very impressive indeed!!!

En die thread is gepost vir my op die beste moontlike oomblik (thanx Enigma) want nou weet ek watse katrolle ek vir my baber boot stokke gaan koop. Dit lyk my ook ek sal hulle vir onder 'n R1000 elk kan optel. Nou is dit shopping doen vir my. hahaha
 

adam5016

Sealiner
so ver soos wat ek verstaan is die visse redelik onlangs in die waters ingeplaas en dat hulle nog nie hulle maksimum grote in die area bereik nie. So jaarliks raak die visse net groter en groter.

hulle verwag ook dat hulle heelwat groter gaan raak in die nuwe habitat in Spanje - meer kos, warmer klimaat, ens.
 

Enigma

Moderator
Wels have been in the river Po for at least 100 years as have they been in the UK and nearly as long in the River Ebro

They are indiginous to large lakes in central to eastern Europe and and now that the Po and the Ebro have such huge dams they are providing larger bodies of water and food sources.

Largest net caught Wels was recorded at 600lbs and it is believed the large freshwater lakes in Russia (over 670km long and 300km wide) hold Wels of over 1000lbs)

http://www.farnhamanglingsociety.com/species/catfish.php
 

Exavier

Senior Member
a 1000lb catfish.... that catch will be ayoba. Thanx for the interresting info Enigma. I wonder what the biggest barbel is we going to see in the next 5 jrs coming out of the lower Orange...
 

Skuimkop

Sealiner
I would say between 50 & 60 kg monsters is lurking there. Enigma what do you think since you have been down there?
 

adam5016

Sealiner
Enigma wrote:
Wels have been in the river Po for at least 100 years as have they been in the UK and nearly as long in the River Ebro

They are indiginous to large lakes in central to eastern Europe and and now that the Po and the Ebro have such huge dams they are providing larger bodies of water and food sources.

Largest net caught Wels was recorded at 600lbs and it is believed the large freshwater lakes in Russia (over 670km long and 300km wide) hold Wels of over 1000lbs)

http://www.farnhamanglingsociety.com/species/catfish.php

sry man, thought it came from ebro, spain. introduced there in the late 70s
 

Enigma

Moderator
I have seen a Cat over 60kg in the vineyards along the river after flooding and there are many reports of 2.5m cats.

One as recently as this past weekend in the Keimoes area but was caught for food, cut up into chuncks and head etc tossed back into the river.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if fish over 80kg are lurking there and more likely below the Gariep waal or in the Gariep itself.

Joe Lategan, Joe "Catfish" has already caught 60kg+ fish in the Orange.
 

adam5016

Sealiner
also saw some pics of joe with big cats in stywe lyne i believe.

read somewhere on an american site of monster catfish attacking divers next to the dam wall. strange to think that almost every catfish holding dam world wide has similar stories. I wonder where that story originated.
 
Top