Angler lands giant 2.5-metre catfish and breaks record

By Faupel Lutz

Published on 01/06/2026 - 18:37 GMT+2

In the Dutch town of Dodewaard on the River Waal, an angler has just set a new record. Mohammed Massaoudi was rewarded for his carefully planned hunt for the biggest catfish in the Netherlands. He even used an echo sounder. At the weekend a 2.49-metre-long catfish finally took his bait, and Mohammed hauled it ashore.

The twist: the previous record holder was Mohammed’s friend and fishing partner, Paul Breems, who had most recently landed a 2.47-metre catfish. After that catch, Paul had wanted to go one better, but his friend beat him to it. According to a report by bild.de, which in turn cites the fishing magazine Blinker, Paul helped his friend carry the catfish onto dry land. Over the past few years, Paul had steadily improved his personal bests, from an initial 2.42 metres to 2.47 metres.

Dutch newspaper De Gelderlander reported that Mohammed will now be officially registered as the record holder. Paul apparently took it well and congratulated his friend.

The catfish, incidentally, did not remain on land but was released back into the River Waal so it can continue to grow. That means Paul could reclaim the record in future.

Last year, a 90-kilo catfish in the Brombachsee lake in Bavaria bit several bathers. The fish was eventually shot dead by police. According to the officers, the animal had been acting aggressively.