IGFA Hot Catches December 2011

What a month for breaking records! This month’s report shares the fish that may break a 13 year old standing record from France; the third All-Tackle record for a species set by the same man; and potential records for two of the most popular fresh and salt water species - northern pike and Atlantic sailfish. These catches in Angola, Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, France, Mexico and in Florida, USA are currently being reviewed by the IGFA World Record committee, and if approved will set a new bar for anglers around the world.

Fishing the Uruguay River in Concordia, Argentina on November 7, 2011, Lithuanian angler Darius Petrauskas landed this massive dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) while casting a Lindy MG Spinnerbait. Petrauskas was fishing with local guide Enzo Rico when the massive fish hit, and the angler needed 15 minutes to bring the dorado to the boat. The 97 cm dorado qualifies for the potential new All-Tackle Length record which currently stands at 93 cm. As required with every All-Tackle Length record, the dorado was released alive after being photographed and measured.

Angler Mark "Doc" Hatton of West Milford, NJ, USA recently took a trip to Canada to target some of the fantastic northern pike fishing the country has to offer; Hatton did not leave disappointed. Fishing with guide Chad Beck on September 26, 2011, Hatton landed and released this huge northern pike (Esox lucius) while casting an Eppinger Husky on the Taltson River, NW Territories, Canada. Measuring 118 cm, Hatton’s monster pike qualifies for the potential new All-Tackle Length record. The current IGFA record is 90 cm and was set three months prior by Stan Nabozny in the United Kingdom’s Avon River.

Four-time tippet class record holder Kate Burke, of Tavernier, FL, USA, landed another potential record for a new (for her) species on October 21, 2011. With three tripletail and one Spanish mackerel records in the past two years, the 19.42kg (42 lb 13oz) cobia (Rachycentron canadum) she caught while fishing Lanark Village, Florida, USA with local captain W. Camp Walker would bring her record total to five. After the cobia ate Burke’s WCW pilchard pattern fly, it took the experienced angler five grueling hours to land this potential women’s 8 kg (16 lb) tippet class record. The current IGFA record is 14.74 kg (32 lb 8 oz).

angler Carlos Moran was fishing off his home town of Luanda, Angola with Dr. Iain Nicholson on November 12, 2011 when he hooked into a fish of a lifetime and the potential new men’s 15 kg (30 lb) line class record for Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus). Weighing in at a whopping 60.9 kg (134 lb 4 oz), Moran needed one hour to best this potential record sail after it ate the skirted ballyhoo being trolled for bait. The current IGFA record is 55.2 kg (121 lb 11 oz) and was set by fellow Luandan Hakan Ekberg in February of 1996.

French angler Guillaume Fourrier of Belleville-Sur-Mer, France was fishing off Dieppe, France with local guide Emile Couvrevr on November 15, 2011 when he may have broken the 13 year old standing record for the men’s 2 kg (4 lb) line class for European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Fourrier needed 22 minutes to land the 6.16 kg (13 lb 9 oz) fish after it ate the Jackall Dart he was casting. The current IGFA record is 5.99 kg (13 lb 3 oz) and if approved, this will be Fourrier’s first fishing world record.

Dr. George Bogen is aiming to break the All-Tackle record for gulf coney (Epinephelus acanthistius) for a third time! While bottom fishing off San Jose del Cabo, Mexico on October 22, 2011, Dr. Bogen, of Los Angeles, CA, USA, challenged his own standing record for the species with a 11.2 kg (24 lb 11 oz) catch. Bogen was fishing with frozen squid, and needed 8 minutes to land the new potential All-Tackle record fish. The current IGFA record is 5.78 kg (12 lb 12 oz) and was set by Dr. Bogen in the same waters in March of 2008 – and before that with a 5.32 kg (11 lb 12 oz) catch in February of 2006.

Guayquil, Ecuador is well known for producing quality IGFA records for broomtail grouper, and more records for this species coming from Guayaquil than anywhere else in the world. However, Guayquil native Veronica Martinez de Sola had snook on her mind when she went fishing in Isla Puna, Ecuador on November 19, 2011. Using a live shrimp for bait, de Sola landed this beautiful 2.49 kg (5 lb 8 oz) Pacific snook (Centropomus spp.) in only 10 minutes to qualify for the potential new women’s 2 kg (4 lb) line class record. The current IGFA line-class record is vacant, but if approved, de Sola’s record will be the fifth world record set for the species this year.

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