A potential new wels catfish record just came in to the IGFA in the All-Tackle category! On February 5, 2010, while fishing with IGFA Captain Alberto Bartoli on the River Po, Mantova, Italy, angler Roberto Godi was fishing with a live breme when an enormous wels (Silurus glamis) doubled over his rod. After a grueling 45 minute battle along the banks of the Po, Godi landed the monster wels.

What is most interesting and impressive about this giant catch, is that Captain Alberto and Roberto weighed and released the fish alive. They built a customized weighing tripod frame and weighing-mat designed to support the immense size of the wels. The 8.136 ft (248 cm) fish weighed an impressive 250.3 lb (113.5 kg). Godi’s catch challenges the previous wels catfish record set a year earlier on February 5, 2009 by Jakub Vagner on the same river with a 242.5 lb (110 kg) wels.

CATCH PROFILE:

Angler: Mr. Roberto Godi

Captain: IGFA Captain Alberto Bartoli

Catch Date: 02/05/2010

Place of Catch: River Po – Ostiglia, Mantova, Italy

Species: wels (Silurus glamis)

Weight: 250.3 lbs (113.5 kg)

Fight time: 45 minutes

Rod: Sportex Magnus

Reel: Shimano Cardiff A401

Bait: Breme

SPECIES PROFILE:

Catfish, wels  / Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758: SILURIDAE FAMILY; also known as wels, weller, siluro, som, European catfish, sheatfish, malle, Danube catfish

This species occurs naturally or has been introduced to most of central and eastern Europe, also found throughout Asia Minor and central Asia, England, Tunisia and Algeria.  The wels mainly inhabits deep-water lakes and rivers, though it enters brackish water in the Baltic and Black Seas and spawns in the salt water of the Aral Sea.

Typical of the family, its body is scaleless. The anal fin is very long and three pairs of barbels, one on the upper and two on the lower characterize the jaws.  The speckled body is brown or gray-black in color.  The wels is one of the largest of all freshwater fishes. It is said to exceed 16.4 feet (500 cm) in length and up to 675 lbs (306.0 kg) in weight. 

Wels stay close to the bottom during the day, seeking cover in hollows or buried in the soft bottom it prefers.  This species is active at night, often in quite shallow water.  It is a voracious predator, feeding mainly on fish, frogs and crayfish.  Occasionally it takes voles and waterfowl. 

    Angling for wels is highly valued sport both for its size and skill required.  The species can be caught by ledgering with live or dead fishes, by surface float fishing using a large float or even by trolling.  Spinners, plugs and imitations of mice and frogs are also frequently used.