Die-hard anglers love to inform and re-tell the tales of the monster fish that received away. At Out of doors Life, we love to inform the tales of the record-breaking fish that didn’t get away. From younger anglers to seasoned report chasers, there was no scarcity of anglers recording noteworthy catches in 2024. With the 2025 fishing season recent earlier than us, we thought we’d look again at a few of the largest record-breaking fish of final 12 months.
Pending World File Muskie
Touring angler and world-record chaser Artwork Weston landed and launched an enormous 57.5-inch muskie from Minnesota’s Lake Mille Lacs in November. Weston, who already has 39 IGFA world information, teamed up with native fishing legend Nolan Spengler (who broke the Minnesota muskie report in 2021) to pursue monster muskies and probably take the all-tackle size report. IGFA rules for size information permit anglers to launch fish after measuring, documenting, and photographing it, permitting the monsters to dwell and struggle one other day. Weston submitted the suitable paperwork to the IGFA in November. If authorised, it is going to be the angler’s 79th report guide entry. Learn the complete story right here.
Possible World File Yellowfin Tuna
North Carolina angler Earl Gill IV landed a 443-pound yellowfin tuna whereas on a 10-day long-range constitution journey out of San Diego in mid-November. He hooked the enormous whereas “chunk” fishing in 150 toes of water. If licensed by the IGFA, Gill’s fish will dethrone the present all-tackle report for yellowfin tuna set in 2012 by Man Yocom. Yocom’s fish weighed 427 kilos and was caught close to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Learn the complete story right here.
Pending World File Blue Marlin Caught on a Fly
Ian Keinath, a 37-year-old Montana fly fisherman, landed a 106-pound, 8-ounce blue marlin on Sept. 11, 2024, whereas fishing off the coast of Hawaii. He fought the fish for 3 hours utilizing a 12-weight Hardy Marksman fly rod, a Mako 9700 reel, and 12-pound check tipper. It took a number of gaff makes an attempt to get the fish within the boat. If authorised by the IGFA, Keinath’s spectacular catch will exchange the standing 104-pound, 2-ounce fish caught by Enrico Capozzi off the Costa Rican coast in 2007. Learn the complete story right here.
World-File Sized Carp
Polish angler Kacper Stępień landed an enormous frequent carp whereas fishing in September in Euro Aqua, a non-public fishing lake and famend carp fishery in Hungary. The monster fish weighed 104.5 kilos, which might simply break the IGFA all-tackle world report set in 1987 by Leo van der Gugten along with his 75 pound, 11 ounce catch. The IGFA continues to be reviewing Stępień’s software. Nonetheless, many social media critics consider the fish shouldn’t be thought of for world report standing as a result of it was caught in a non-public lake. Whereas the group does take into account functions for fish caught in non-public waters it doesn’t qualify “fish caught in hatchery waters, sanctuaries or small our bodies of water which can be stocked with fish for business functions.” Learn the complete story right here.
Potential World-File Carp Turned to Fertilizer
Stępień wasn’t the one angler to land huge carp in 2024. Missouri angler George Champ additionally caught a monster bighead whereas financial institution fishing the Mississippi River with a crankbait close to St. Louis in March. Champ’s fish weighed 97 kilos and was formally acknowledged because the Missouri state report the identical month. His catch continues to be beneath overview by the IGFA, nevertheless it might exchange the present world report bighead, which weighed 90 kilos and was caught by Jeffrey J. Rorex from Guntersville Lake, Tennessee, in 2005. Since they’re thought of an invasive species, the Missouri Division of Conservation encourages anglers to kill the bighead carp they catch. Probability turned his into fertilizer. Learn the complete story right here.
File-Class Blackfin Tuna Wins Huge Payout
Robert Kowalski holds a pending IGFA all-tackle world report for the 50-pound, 1-ounce blackfin tuna he caught in Florida in June. Kowalski, who lives in Chicago, landed the fish throughout Fins Weekend, an annual fundraiser event held by the Miami Dolphins. His catch took first place within the heaviest tuna division, touchdown a $30,000 prize. If authorised, the fish would take the title from the present record-holder, a 49-pound, 6-ounce blackfin caught by Matthew E. Pullen in 2006. Learn the complete story right here.
Pending World-File Hybrid Bass Caught by Accident
Skilled videographer Michael Kaal was fishing with Tennessee fly-fishing information Patrick Fulkrod in February. After the duo had no luck attempting for stripers, they determined to fish for trout when Kaal “by chance” hooked a whiterock bass (a hybrid cross between a white bass and a striped bass). The fish measured 26.38 inches lengthy with a formidable 26-inch girth. After having the 16.1-pound fish weighed on a licensed scale, Kaal and Fulkrod launched it again into the South Holston River. Though Kaal’s fish was disqualified from the IGFA catch-and-release size class as a result of it wasn’t measured with a licensed tape measure, it might set a brand new tippet class weight report. Kaal posted the struggle on his YouTube channel. It’s also possible to learn the complete story right here.
Seventh Grader Lands Two File-Measurement Fish in One Day
In January, Florida 12-year-old Julia Bernstein caught each a state-record cobia and a state-record mangrove snapper whereas fishing the Florida Keys. The cobia, which measured 42 inches and weighed roughly 30 kilos, was launched and may very well be a brand new IGFA all-tackle junior size report, pending software approval. Regardless of her younger age, Bernstein at the moment holds 11 IGFA world information. Learn the complete story right here.
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