HOT Catches from the IGFA

November 2007

 By Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications – IGFA PR counsel

Click here to check out November's HOT News

The world records department of the International Game Fish Association provides monthly highlights of selected documented fish catches made across the globe submitted for world records. The IGFA world records coordinator Rebecca Wright provided the following information on these 15 recent submissions now before the world records committee.

IGFA International Representative Dr. Iain Nicolson who holds numerous line class and fly fishing records for the giant African threadfin (Polydactylus quadrifilis) landed a huge specimen weighing 39.1kg (86 lb 3 oz) on 8 kg (16 lb) class tippet while fishing Barra Do Kwanza, Angola. The catch made on July 21 took Nicolson of Wirral, Merseyside, United Kingdom one hour and10 minutes to land.  He was guided by Hakan Ekberg.  The current record on that men’s tippet class is 15 lb 13 oz caught last year.

A fish many consider a common species but an obscure catch for a record was landed by Gary A. Carter, of Duluth, Ga., USA, when he hooked a Pacific needlefish agujon (Tylosurus pacificus) on August 26, weighing 7.17 kg (15 lb 13 oz). He used a goggleye for bait while fishing Panama’s Pinas Bay, and was guided to the potential IGFA All-Tackle record by Yoan Alcala. The current record for the species is 11 lb 4 oz caught in Golfito, Costa Rica in 2004.

Swedish angler Bjorn Olovsson, of Ensuede, landed an ocean perch (Sebasties marinus) weighing 8.8 kg (19 lb 6 oz) on August 6 using a fish filet for bait.  The potential IGFA All-Tackle class record, was caught while fishing Soroya, Norway. Gamlembankien Norway was the site of the current record ocean perch of 18 lb 15 oz caught in 2004.

Fishing Everglades National Park out of Flamingo, Florida, USA, 15 year-old Martini Arostegui, Coral Gables, Fla., USA, landed a gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) on October 6 using a live pinfish as bait. The catch weighed .91kg (2 lb 0 oz) on 10 kg (20 lb) class line. Guided by Capt. Eric Hersted he released the fish after documenting for a record that is currently vacant.

Using 6 kg (12 lb) tippet, while fly-fishing Brazil’s Iriri River, Peter A. Gibson, of Amersham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom, landed a trahira (Hoplias spp.) on August 10. The fish took eight minutes to catch and weighed 6.35 kg (14 lb 0 oz). Gibson released the fish after documenting. The current record is 13 lbs.

An angler who holds numerous IGFA world fishing records, Theda C. Little, Baton Rouge, La., USA, guided by Jack Little, landed a crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) while fly fishing 8 kg (16 lb) class tippet on Sept. 1. The fish weighed 12.11 kg (26 lb 11 oz). She used a Theda Bunker fly while fishing the waters around Grand Isle, La. The current IGFA record for the tippet class is 23 lb 1 oz caught in 2002 in Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA

Guided by Fernando Roca Barva, while fishing the Mamore River in Bolivia, Alejandro Linares, of Medellin, Columbia, landed a red piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) on Sept. 5. Caught on 6 kg (12 lb) class line using an X-Rap lure for bait, the toothy fish weighed .91 kg (2 lb 0 oz). The line class record is currently vacant.

Fishing Flamingo Beach, Costa Rica, Canadian TV fishing show host Henry Waszczuk, of Campbellville Ontario, BC, guided by Luis Ruis, landed an almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana) on July 23.  Using bonita for bait on 15 kg (30 lb) class line it took Waszczuk 20 minutes to land the fish which weighed 25.06 kg (55 lb 4 oz). The current IGFA men’s record is 53 lb 1 oz caught in 2003 on the Argus Bank in Bermuda.

Using a streamer fly, young angler Yukio Takata, 11, of Yonago Tottori, Japan, landed a madai (Pagrus major) on Sept. 14, weighing 3.1 kg (6 lb 13 oz) on 10 kg (20 lb) class tippet. The youngster was guided by Toru Arahiki while fly fishing Uragou Bay, Okinoshima, Japan.  The current men’s tippet record is 4 lb 11 oz caught last year in Akashi, Japan 

Fishing the Norfolk Canyon along the Virginia, USA coast angler Dr. Julie Ball of Virginia Beach, Va., guided by Robin Ball, landed a blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) on March 31, weighing 8.48 kg (18 lb 11 oz for an IGFA All Tackle class record. She used squid for bait and took five minutes to land.

Junior angler Jody Purnell, 10, of Birmingham, Al, USA, guided by Jody Purnell, landed a spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) on August 25 that weighed 1.25 kg (2 lb 12 oz). They were fishing Lewis Smith Lake, Alabama, with the youngster using a charteuse Zoom lure for his bait and released the fish for another day. He has applied for the IGFA’s male smallfry class record which is currently vacant.

Perry C. Peace of Pawleys Island, S.C. USA found himself catching and releasing a toothy predator when he hooked a tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) on August 30 while fly fishing the Kilombero River Tributary in Africa.  Guided by Ryan Wienand, Peace took six minutes to land the aptly named fish which weighed 10.21 kg (22 lb 8 oz) and was caught on 10 kg (20 lb) class tippet.  The current record for that IGFA tippet class is 16 lb 5 oz at the Tiger Camp, Zambia 10 years ago.

Twelve year old Christina Smith, of Park Rapids, Minn., USA, guided by Daniel Smith, landed a muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) on Sept. 8, weighing 12.93 kg (28 lb 8 oz) while fishing Big Lake, Minn. She used a Le Lure Front Thumper for bait and took 10 minutes to land the muskie for a pending female junior class record.  The fish was released after documenting.  The current IGFA mark is 22 lb caught in 2004 on Lake St. Clair, Michigan, USA. 

Fishing Saint Gilles, France, Renaud Milliet of Notre Dame de Riez, France, guided by Fournier Jean Yves, may beat the current IGFA men’s 24 kg (50 lb) line class record by nearly three times the previous weight after landing a meagre (Argyrosomus spp.) on September 8. Using mackerel for bait and a 10 minute fight, the fish weighed 34.5 kg (76 lb 1oz). The current record is 27 lb 12 oz set in Vila Real, Santo Antonio, Portugal last year. 

John Walters of Flin Flon Manitoba, Canada, landed a brook trout (Salvelinusfontinalis) while fishing Barbe Lake, Canada, October 21. He was using a steelhead for bait on 6 kg (12 lb) line and after battling the fish for 15 minutes it weighed in at 5.19 kg (11 lb 7 oz).  The current mark for the IGFA line class is 7 lb 10 oz in 1993 on Saskatchewan Canada’s Round Lake.