Newly Approved IGFA World Records

Mark Alexander Foster set the new IGFA Men’s 24-kg (50-lb) Line Class World Record for flathead catfish with this impressive 22.03-kilogram (48-pound, 9-ounce) fish that he caught on October 9, 2023, while fishing the Ohio River in West Virginia, US. Foster was fishing with cut bait on the bottom when the record catfish hit. After a 10-minute fight, Foster landed the fish and quickly documented it, before releasing it alive.

On October 1, 2023, Andrea Beuter was fishing out of Horta, Azores, Portugal, when she landed this massive 132.50-kilogram (292-pound, 1-ounce) Atlantic bigeye tuna to set the new IGFA Women’s 24-kg (50-lb) Line Class World Record for the species. Beuter was fishing aboard the Sensei captained by Diogo Pavia, and she boated the record bigeye after a grueling 1-hour 40-minute fight. Andrea’s impressive catch tops the previous record by nearly 10 pounds!

On September 9, 2023, Pamela Wendhausen Salles was fly fishing the Rio Marie in Brazil when she caught and released this incredible 8.73-kilogram (19-pound, 4-ounce) speckled peacock after it crushed the baitfish pattern fly she was casting. With this impressive catch, Pamela set the new IGFA Women’s 10-kg (20-lb) Tippet Class World Record for the species, which she released safely into the waters of the Rio Marie after properly documenting the record claim. 

Craig Williams landed this 3.32-kilogram (7-pound 5-ounce) snubnose pompano on August 9, 2023, to set the new IGFA Men’s 3-kg (6-lb) Tippet Class Record for the species. Craig was fishing the inshore flats of Dampier, Australia, when this record fish took his crab imitation fly. After a tense 15-minute fight, Craig was able to successfully land and document the fish, before safely releasing it.

Jackson Barnes was fishing the Caney Fork River in Silver Point, Tennessee, US, on September 9, 2023, when he landed this 107-centimeter landlocked striped bass to set the new IGFA All-Tackle Length Fly World Record for the species. The record striper struck a streamer fly and tops the previous record by 16 centimeters! After recording the length on his official IGFA Measuring Device, Jackson was able to release the fish safely.