Gigantic catfish causes a stir: New catch records in the Werra Valley Lake!

Gigantic catfish causes a stir: New catch records in the Werra Valley Lake!

On Maundy Thursday, April 30, 2025, Armin Knigge and his sons Leon and Lukas managed to catch an impressive catfish in the Werra Valley Lake in Hesse. This had a weight of 60 kilograms and measure 1.84 meters in length. The anglers described this catch as their "catch of their life". Knigge, who has been a member of the Eschwege fishing club for over 30 years, had never caught such a big fish before.

The exciting experience lasted about 30 minutes, while the catfish pulled the boat in all directions. The fish bit on a heavy spinning rod that was designed for large fish. It is noteworthy that the catch took place near a swimming area, where bathers can usually be found. The catfish delivered around 20 kilograms of high -quality, bony -free fillet, about which relatives, friends and neighbors were happy on Good Friday.

records and surprises

The catfish is considered the largest freshwater fish in Europe, with an average size of 60 cm to 1.5 m and a weight of 15 to 45 kg. The hardest officially weighed catfish was caught in 2015 in the Italian Po-Delta and weighed 127 kg with a length of 2.65 m. In a remarkable incident, two anglers, Alexander Bischof and Wolfgang Schmidt, have set a new German record for the largest catfish. The captured Wels measure 281 cm and weighed 96 kg.

The anglers were originally looking for pike and used for this as bait fish. The catch took about an hour before the impressive fish could finally be pulled ashore. Unfortunately, the catfish had to be removed on the basis of association regulations, but could not be reset. However, a friend of the anglers found a way to use the catfish.

an extraordinary fish

The measurement of 281 cm was confirmed by a clear evidence photo with measuring tape. This catfish is the largest that has ever been officially reported to the turn signal. However, the record is not recognized as a world record, since a catfish of 281 cm and another of 285 cm were caught in Italy.

Armin Knigge and his sons continued their fishing trip and started further pike in the Werra Valley on the evening of the catch and the following day. These remarkable fishing experiences reaffirm the fascination of fishing and bone work that is necessary to grasp such masterpieces of nature.

summarizing [merkur.de] that both the outstanding catch of Knigge and the record of Bishop and Schmidt impressively show which giants swim in Germany's waters and what challenges and enthusiasm the fishing brings with it.