The record-breaking fish, caught by Krzysztof Pyra and Adrian Gontarz during a competition on Sunday, surpassed the previous world record of 285 cm, held by Italian angler Alessandro Biancardi.
The catch also establishes a new Polish record, with the previous national record measuring 261 cm.
According to Pyra, the struggle to reel in the massive catfish lasted over 90 minutes.
“When we finally saw it, we couldn’t believe our eyes - a huge, enormous fish, a real monster,” he said. After measuring and photographing the fish, it was released back into the water.
The Rybnik reservoir is known for producing exceptionally large catfish due to warm water discharged from a nearby power plant. Pyra described the catch as proof that these creatures can reach truly extraordinary sizes.
New Catfish World Record : 292 cm from Poland Krzysztof Pyra Adrian Gontarz Mamy tooooo !! We did it !!! Polska Akademia Wędkarska
Opublikowany przez Polska Akademia Wędkarska Niedziela, 19 października 2025
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Source: Polish Angling Academy