Fisherman Caught Record-Smashing 9-Foot Wels Catfish

Jul 14, 2020

When fishing, you never know what you are going to catch. A typical day at the lake or river usually brings the same results. On special days, however, you may find yourself reeling in a big catch. Few expect to break world records, but as Benjamin Gründer can attest to, it happens. In 2018, Benjamin caught a Wels catfish in Italy's River Po that was around 9 feet long, unofficially setting a new record.

Benjamin Gründer knows records get broken because he unofficially did so himself. On a trip to the River Po in Italy, Benjamin hooked a large catfish. Okay, "large" is an understatement. The massive catfish was about 9 feet in length and roughly 284 lbs, according to The Epoch Times. Photos of Benjamin and the catfish look like something made with CGI. The fish is far bigger than the man who reeled him to shore.

Benjamin hooked the fish like we would any other one. The massive fish did seem a little different to him when he first started reeling. Benjamin assumed the hook grabbed onto a tree, according to his interview with Anglers Mail. Likely, the tremendous weight made moving the fish difficult, and he thought he snagged his line on something immobile. And then the "immobile" object started moving.

Surprising, the amount of time it took to reel the fish to the boat wasn't long. Within 45 minutes, the fish reached the boat. Benjamin and the fish launched into a photo op session. Thankfully, someone had a camera available. Who would believe the story without such an impressive photo?

So, why is this an unofficial record-breaking catch? Benjamin let the catfish go. No one weighed the fish or performed any official steps to claim a record. In a way, that is a good thing. The magnificent creature lives to fight another day.

Do you know anyone who loves to hear about incredible fishing stories? Have you ever caught anything surprising while fishing? Let us know and pass this hard-to-believe story on to friends and family members.