Giant Catfish

[mottyman]

From www.smh.com.au

Fishermen in northern Thailand have caught the biggest catfish on record -- a 293-kg giant the size of a grizzly bear -- and eaten it, the WWF and the National Geographic Society said today.

The giant catfish, believed to be the largest freshwater fish ever found, was caught along the Mekong River, home to more species of massive fish than any river on Earth.

Wow - now that's some catfish

Evidently it was netted.

cheers,

[Narralakes]

Its some fish alright, I feel sorry for it though, being that big it would have had some years on it.

[Tony Soprano]

I agree Narralakes, it probably would have tasted like shit too...

Oh well, would have fed a lot of people...

[mottyman]

Hi Narra,

Yeah, the article mentions the local greenies and government officials were trying to negotiate its release with the local villagers.

It died during that time and they ate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They say it's quite a rare fish as well.

Must have been like a thousand xmas' come at once for them.

[the_lure]

Cmon Guys lets not harass the guy with talk of catch and release

[Spanker]

Holy cow batman!!!

I wonder what a fish that size would eat? Being eaten by a giant catfish would be the biggest insult in the world I reckon

[kevvie]

Imagine if a cattie that big existed in the hawkesbury.... i'd stop fishing there altogether. Imagine trying to release the sucker...

Still it amazes me what exists in the worlds waterways

[Spanker]

Old family friend once told me a story about fishing for black bass in PNG, said they grow absurdly large and are monstrously powerful fish. On the first day he was running a lure throw the water on the river bank to watch it's action. He said he didn't understand what had happened until 10 seconds after it happened and then he went into shock but a vast shape emerged from the deep and sucked the lure + 6 foot of line out of his hand, reckon had he tipped over into thr water the fish could have swallowed him whole.

[damariboyz]

If you look just in front of the dorsal you should see my fisheries tag. Yep that was one great fight let me tell ya.

Hope to get back to thailand real soon.

Yeah I know, im goin im goin

[Hooch]

I reckon a fish that size... you either eat it or it eats you!

[Jewhunter]

Now that would've gone hard on 4lb Fireline... 

55897[/snapback]

Not wrong Swoffa!

I saw a photo of one bigger than that in a guest house in Northern Thailand just before you cross the Mekong to go into Laos. There was about 20 American G.I's holding it & I reckon it would've gone 500kg's plus some. I've fished that river with some pretty primitive gear & been busted up on nylon cord that we wrapped around a tree after I realised it would have cut my hand off. Thing is no-one really targets these beasts. I honestly don't think they are that rare. They've got a similar fish in Africa that I think the locals call a Voondoo. They are also bloody enormous!

Cheers, .Grant