10 Biggest Catfish Ever Caught

Catfishes are one of the most wanted fishes by humans when it comes to fishing because they can be found in different sizes, species, temperatures and places around the world. These fishes can vary in length from 1 inch to very scary dimensions like 6.5 feet!

It is known that these water creatures feed on phytoplankton but it is also known that they are carnivorous, with the night being the best time to eat. Besides, the catfish has some amazing features that make it the most amazing animal in the whole world. The electric catfish lives in the Nile river and is capable of giving electroshocks even greater than the electric eel.

Another species known as the walking catfish, which can be found in the southeast part of Asia, can walk around as if it were an athlete. It does so by using its strong fins as if they were arms.

10. Redtail Catfish

Weight: 123 pounds
Year Caught: 2010
Caught By: Gilberto Fernandes
Location: Brazil’s Amazon River
Length: 4.62 feet
Species: Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)

One of the biggest catfish ever caught, this redtail catfish was caught in 2010 by Gilberto Fernandes in Brazil’s Amazon River. This huge catfish weighed 123 pounds and was 4.62 feet (1.408 meters) long. Gilberto used a fiberglass Sportex rod to land this huge catfish.

Although there is not much information available about this mighty catch, according to some news reports, Gilberto does have over 100 IGFA world finishing records. In fact, just about a month ago, he had caught a redtail catfish that weighed 113 pounds.

9. Blue Catfish

Weight: 127 pounds
Year Caught: 2021
Caught By: Rocky Baker
Location: Johnston County
Length: Not Known
Species: Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)

A man named Rocky baker with the help of his friend Justin Clifton caught a 127 pounds blue catfish at Roanoke River in Johnson County. The duo caught this catfish using a fishing rod which they reeled in and netted in the boat. By catching this catfish, the two friends broke the previous state record for biggest blue catfish caught in North Carolina by five pounds.

However, after being weighed, the duo released the catfish back into the waters hoping it to grow much bigger in the days to come.

8. Blue Catfish

Weight: 141 pounds
Year Caught: 2020
Caught By: Dale Lowe
Location: Virginia
Length: 4.75 feet
Species: Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)

This record blue catfish was caught in Virginia in 2020 that weighed 141 pounds. This mighty beast was caught at Kerr Lake that is home to many different species of fish. Weighing in at 141 pounds, this catfish was just two pounds shy of the catfish world record.

7. Blue Catfish

Weight: 143 pounds
Year Caught: 2011
Caught By: Nick Anderson
Location: John H. Kerr-Buggs Island Lake
Length: 4.75 feet
Species: Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)

Weighing in at 143 pounds, this blue catfish was caught by Nick Anderson in 2011 at Buggs Island. This mighty catfish was caught using an Ugly Stik fishing rod, a Shimano fishing reel, and a 30 lb test fishing line. It took an estimated forty-five minutes for the anglers to wrestle this monster into their pontoon boat.

The massive size of this mighty catfish surprised the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries chief Gary Martel. Nick Anderson wanted this beautiful creature to survive and be stored in a tank at a local Bass Pro Shops retail store. However, despite his efforts, this catfish died.

6. Wels Catfish

Weight: 245 pounds
Year Caught: 2011
Caught By: Jonathan Avery
Location: Somerset
Length: 8 feet 3 inches
Species: Wels Catfish (Silurus glanis)

While on a holiday in Spain, Jonathan Avery, an angler, caught a huge 245 pounds wels catfish on a fishing trip on the River Ebro, near Barcelona. After catching this mighty beast that measured 8 feet and 3 inches, Jonathan said that he had never hooked onto something this big ever in his life and that catching the catfish was like landing a small car.

Catching this huge catfish took Jonathan only 10 minutes of his time. The locals said that it was the biggest catfish to have been caught in Spain and the biggest to have been caught by a Brit. The catfish was very docile and happily posed for pictures before it was let back into the waters.

5. Monster Catfish

Weight: 275 pounds
Year Caught: 2017
Caught By: Four men
Location: Uttarakhand
Length: 5.15 feet
Species: Goonch, devil catfish, or dwarf goonch (Bagarius bagarius)

This huge catfish, weighing a massive 275 pounds, was caught illegally in the Ramganga river near Corbett national park in Uttarakhand. Although this mighty beast could not be weighed as the locals ate it soon after catching it, the officials said that it could have weighed 125 kilograms after looking at its photos and videos.

One of the biggest catfish to have ever been found in the Himalayan rivers, this catfish was hauled by two men on their shoulders in Almora district’s Manila village. The fish was tethered to a bamboo pole with a thick plastic rope. After the videos and photos of these four men carrying the catfish and making it struggle for breath by poking their fingers into its nostrils, they were charged with unauthorized fishing in the river. However, they could not be traced.

4. Catfish God

Weight: 280 pounds
Year Caught: 2015
Caught By: Dino Ferrari
Location: Po River
Length: 8.75 feet
Species: Wels Catfish (Silurus glanis)

This huge catfish was caught by an Italian fisher named Dino Ferrari in 2015. The catfish weighed a massive 280 pounds and was dubbed as Catfish God. this fish was one of the biggest species to have ever been seen by humans. This fish was hunted in Po River near the Adriatic Sea. This big river in northern Italy is known for having an incredible quantity of fishes. It is very common for fishing fans from Europe to travel to this location in search of their biggest catch.

3. Monster Catfish 2.0

Weight: 286 pounds
Year Caught: 2018
Caught By: Benjamin Grunder
Location: Po River, Italy
Length: 8 feet 8 inches
Species: Wels Catfish (Silurus glanis)

Benjamin Grunder is a fishing guide who spotted the massive fish on his fishfinder no less than 21 times over a span of a year while fishing at River Po in Italy. This massive catfish measured 8 feet, 8 inches and weighed an estimated 286 pounds.

Initially Grunder thought that there was a tree stuck in the sea but later realised that it was a monstruous cafish. This epic catch concluded in 45 minutes.

2. Lau Lau (Piraiba)

Weight: 341 pounds
Year Caught: 2009
Caught By: Jorge Masullo de Aguiar
Location: Rio Solimoes, Brazil
Length: 6.53 feet
Species: Lau-Lau or Piraiba (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum)

Weighing a massive 341 pounds, this Lau Lau (Piraiba) was caught by Jorge Masullo de Aguiar in 2009 at Rio Solimoes in Brazil. This monster catfish measured over 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. This species of catfish is native to South America.

While Jorge’s Lau Lau holds the title for being the largest, Piraibas can weigh upto 450 pounds. In fact, the Piraiba is the largest of the catfish species found in the Amazon. These fishes are so huge that they even eat up monkeys, cats, dogs and birds.

1. Mekong Giant Catfish

Weight: 646 pounds
Year Caught: 2005
Caught By: Thai fisherman
Location: Thailand
Length: 9 feet
Species: Mekong Giant Catfish (Pangasianodon gigas)

A Thai fishermen caught a 646-pound catfish which is believed to be world’s biggest catfish ever caught. This monster Mekong catfish weighed 646 pounds and measured 8Since Thailand started keeping records of the biggest catfishes caught in 1981, this one was the biggest.

The villagers had hoped to sell the fish to environmental groups, which planned to release it to spawn upriver, but it died before it could be handed over. The catfish was later sold in pieces to villagers to be eaten.

This giant catfish was the size of a grizzly bear and it took five men almost an hour to pull it in and 10 men to lift it when they reached the shore in a remote village in northern Thailand. It was only after their catch had been chopped into pieces and sold that they learned how special it was.