Fisherman Dino Ferrari pulled in a 280-pound man-sized catfish last week along the Po River in Italy, setting a world record for the biggest catfish ever caught with a rod and reel.
Ferrari's catch measured out at 8.75 feet long, Davide Valle, Ferrari's sponsor company Sportex, told
CNN.
While Ferrari's catfish is the largest caught by a rod and reel, it is not the biggest catfish caught ever. In 2009 a nearly 342-pound catfish called a lau-lau (or piraiba) was snatched in Brazil's Amazon region, noted the International Game Fish Association.
"The fish has a ferocious appetite and will consume anything it comes across,"
reported The Mirror. "They have been filmed eating pigeons that get too close. … "
In December, 14-year-old Sam Lee caught a 15-stone catfish while on holiday in Spain.
"The Chester schoolboy was with dad Peter when the 2.5 meter carnivorous fish snatched the live bait at the end of his line. It immediately bolted 100 meters downstream, but Sam hung on – and eventually landed it after a 35 minute battle," The Mirror noted.
Ferrari's catch brought shock and awe comments from social media.
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