Newly Approved IGFA World Records
To see all newly approved IGFA World Records since September 2020, please view this PDF.
McCormack's Smallmouth Bass
Spencer McCormack has been on a wild ride of smallmouth bass record chasing in the past few months. In May, he caught what he suspected was his first IGFA World Record on 8-pound tippet, but the line ended up over-testing and the catch was not heavy enough for the 12-pound record category. Fast forward a couple months on August 6, 2020, he set the new IGFA Men’s 4-kg (8 lb) Tippet Class World Record with a 2.58-kilogram (5-pound, 11-ounce) smallmouth. Just five days later he beat his own record with this incredible 3.66-kilogram (8-pound, 1-ounce) smallmouth bass. Spencer caught and released both fish in Emmet County, Michigan, and enticed the fish to eat homemade mouse gurglers. Not only did Spencer earn his first two IGFA World Records, but just last week he caught another fish that is may potentially earn him the 6-kg (12-lb) Tippet Class World Record.
Webster's Pacific Bluefin Tuna
Robert Webster recently set his first IGFA World Record after tackling the IGFA Men’s 15-kg (30 lb) Line Class World Record with this impressive 97.52-kilogram (215-pound) Pacific bluefin tuna. On July 26, 2020, he set out off Southern California on his 40’ Cabo Yacht, Magellan, in search of bluefin. At approximately 10:15 a.m. he hooked up to a large bluefin that took a flying fish rigged on a kite. It was not until nearly two-and-a-half hours later that the crew was able to gaff the fish and bring the massive tuna aboard. Robert then brought the fish back to the Green Pier Tuna Club scale in Avalon where he got an official weight and secured a club and IGFA World Record. Congratulations, Robert, on a great catch and your first IGFA World Record.
Torok's Muskellunge
The Torok family had been trying to beat the IGFA Smallfry muskellunge records for the past few years, but couldn’t quite find a fish big enough to hit the mark. Currently in her last year as a Smallfry angler, Elizabeth Lauren Torok finally hooked into the right fish on a recent trip, catching this beautiful 10.43-kilogram (23-pound) muskellunge to set the new IGFA Female Smallfry World Record. Elizabeth was fishing with her family and Captain Michael Kable on Lake St. Clair, Michigan, and caught and released the record muskie in 20 minutes after it struck a Mason Muskie Killer lure that was being trolled. Congratulations, Elizabeth, on your first IGFA World Record and the first for the Torok family!
McCord's Lingcod
IGFA Representative Meredith McCord of Houston, Texas, recently returned from Alaska with an impressive batch of records that helped her reach another milestone in her fishing career. With 221 IGFA World Records, she now holds more than any other female angler in the history of the organization, as well as the second most ever to this point. On August 5, 2020, she caught and released this impressive 9.87-kilogram (21-pound, 12-ounce) lingcod to set the new IGFA Women’s 10-kg (20 lb) Tippet Class World Record. She was fly fishing out of Ketchikan, Alaska, and landed the lingcod in five minutes after it struck a pink sparkle minnow fly. This record defeated the previous one set 21 years prior by over five pounds. Congratulations, Meredith, on a great catch and on an incredible angling achievement.
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Greenman's Dusky Grouper
IGFA Representative Philip Greenman of Brazil recently took down an IGFA World Record that has been standing for the previous 30 years. Philip was fishing out of Angra Dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was jigging a large soft plastic shad when he hooked into the record catch. After a five-minute fight he started to see color and shortly thereafter, he pulled in the massive dusky grouper. Philip and the crew motored back to the port where the grouper weighed in at 24.40-kilograms (53-pounds, 12-ounces), defeating the previous All-Tackle Record record by nearly seven pounds. Congratulations to Philip on an incredible first IGFA World Record.