World’s largest catfish caught in Rybnik Reservoir – new record

Poland has a new reason to be proud in the field of ichthyofauna – the world’s largest catfish lives in our country! The specimen caught last Sunday measures 292 cm in length, which is 7 cm longer than the previous record holder from Italy’s Po River. After being measured and photographed, the fish was released back into the water in excellent condition.

A historic triumph for Poles

It’s no surprise that huge catfish live in Polish waters. Just a few months ago, Wodne Sprawy reported on a 252 cm specimen caught in the Oder River near the Pioneers’ Bridge. This time, the giant fish was captured in Rybnik Reservoir during the weekend Mikado Cup fishing competition.

The lucky anglers are Krzysztof Pyra and Adrian Gontarz from the Polish Fishing Academy. The fearless fishermen spent an hour and a half reeling the massive fish to shore, but they learned of their historic success only after the official measurement showed 292 cm. The previous record, set by Italy’s Alessandro Biancardi in 2023, was 285 cm.

The world’s largest catfish was released back into Rybnik Reservoir, where it will likely continue to grow – as is the nature of this species.

A season for giant fish?

The Polish fishing triumph has made headlines in the international media. As it turns out, several other impressive catches have been reported recently. Just one day after the Rybnik record, British angler Josh Garrity caught a 274 cm, 117 kg catfish in Spain’s Segre River.

At the end of September, near the Czech city of Znojmo, Štěpán Pleva pulled a 215 cm catfish from the water – a particularly unique catch because the fish was an albino. A month earlier, Jakub Vágner broke the Czech record with a 268 cm specimen.

According to Dutch biologist Sophie Neitze, the most likely reason for the surge in record-breaking catches is the warming of inland waters. Higher river and lake temperatures lead to greater food availability, which is crucial for the growth of these long-lived catfish. While young individuals feed on larvae, insects, and small fish, adults willingly expand their menu to include frogs, snakes, small mammals, birds, and even other catfish.

The largest catfish lives in Rybnik for a reason

Rybnik Reservoir is a mecca for anglers from all over Poland. The artificial lake was created in 1971 for one specific purpose – to cool the turbines of the Rybnik Power Plant. As a result, for many years the water temperature (even in winter) remained at a dozen or so degrees Celsius, allowing fish to feed year-round. The world’s largest catfish clearly benefited from these conditions.

However, the conditions in Rybnik Reservoir are changing. In 2023, the local power plant shut down its oldest energy blocks, replacing them with new ones using cooling towers. Consequently, the water temperature in the reservoir has dropped significantly, and in winter the lake now freezes over, shortening both the fishing and sailing seasons.

Nevertheless, the relatively warm and artificially stocked Rybnik Lake still hides fish giants. Carp weighing 25 to even 30 kg are caught here regularly, and two-meter-long catfish are not uncommon. In 2006 and 2010, when the water temperature was still almost tropical, two piranhas were caught – released earlier by extremely irresponsible pet owners. However, Dr. Mirosław Kuczyński from the Department of Ichthyobiology and Fisheries Management of the Polish Academy of Sciences denied that these horror-movie fish could ever establish themselves permanently in Rybnik Reservoir.

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main photo: Polska Akademia Wędkarska