David Kent, a 54-year-old Welsh angler, now holds the all-tackle record for the largest species of freshwater fish in the world. He earned his record by hauling in a 260-pound Giant Mekong catfish from a lake in Thailand last November.
His catch was made official by the IGFA this week, according to WalesOnline.
Kent (pictured left) is a retired Royal Navy Commander and was on vacation at a fishing resort with his wife when he hooked this monster fish using sweetcorn as bait. The battle lasted about an hour, and at one point Kent had to wade into the lake so the fish wouldn’t spool him.
Even though Kent’s catfish measures more than 7 feet long, it’s by no means the largest member of its species. Mekong catfish have been estimated to grow up to 660 pounds and 9 feet long.
“I usually catch bass weighing four or five pounds off the Pembrokeshire coast so this [fish] was a bit bigger than I’m used to,” Kent told WalesOnline.