Posted by A ‘monster’ catfish could be the largest ever caught at a staggering 9ft 4 1/4 inches, after an Italian angler fought with the bottom-dwelling beast for 43 minutes before eventually reeling it in.
What started as a normal day of fishing on the river Po for Alessandro Biancardi soon turned into the stuff of dreams for the keen angler.
He managed to hook the record-breaking catch after just a few casts, but was ‘sent into a panic’ after he realised he was facing the biggest fish of his 23-year career completely alone.
The pro fisherman, who is part of the with MADCAT fishing team, did not realise the scale of the wels catfish until it started to breach the surface, and struggled to haul it in from his boat and on land.
Alessandro said that while he was curious about the weight of the behemoth, he didn’t want to distress it too much, and decided to release it ‘hoping it could give another angler the same joy he gave to me.’
Italian angler Alessandro Biancardi managed to catch a record-breaking catfish in the river Po
Catch of the day! Alessandro was ecstatic at reeling in his ‘dream’ fish, which is over 9 ft 4 inches in length