WORLD RECORDS: hot catches January 2017

French angler Thomas Jeandot caught and released this impressive 98 cm payara (Hydrolycus scomberoides) on October 16th while fishing Brazil’s Xingu River with IGFA Representative Ian-Arthur de Sulocki. Jeandot played the payara for 15 minutes after the fish ate the jig head and soft plastic bait combination he was casting. Once landed, the fish was quickly photographed, measured, and then released alive. If approved, the catch will become the new All-Tackle Length world record, which currently stands at 88 cm.

On November 13th, while fly fishing Sandy Creek in New York, USA, angler Kandy Weader caught and released this quality 4.31 kg (9 lb 8 oz) brown trout (Salmo trutta) that could potentially earn her a new world record. Weader, and experienced fly angler, made short work of the big brown and landed the fish in under 5 minutes after it took the fly she was casting. After quickly documenting and weighing the catch, Weader released the fish alive. If approved, the catch will become the new women’s 4 kg (8 lb) tippet class world record, which currently stands at 1.13 kg (2 lb 8 oz).

Aussie angler Scott McAuley potentially set the new All-Tackle world record for golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus) with this 17.45 kg (38 lb 8 oz) specimen that he caught on October 27th while fishing out of Gladstone, Australia. McAuley battled the hard-fighting trevally for nearly 20 minutes after the fish ate the jig he was working. If approved, the catch will replace the existing All-Tackle record of 14.75 kg (32 lb 8 oz) that was set back in 2002.

More at: www.igfa.org