James RickardBig cats in the water
October 29th 2009 01:15
Tales of giant catfish both fascinate and appall. These behemoths unite us is a fear of the murky depths although we may live hundreds if not thousands of miles from the nearest shark--what we usually think of at the mention of "monsters of the deep."
Some catfish actually do grow to tremendous sizes. Weights of over 600 pounds or over 270 kilograms and 10 feet or three meters are documented so photographs of anglers displaying fantastic catches are not uncommon. However, it's when these photographs are coupled with bogus reports that trouble or even urban legends begin.
If you live around a dam, it's not uncommon to hear divers who have worked on the dam to say things like, "I saw something down there. It was at least as big as a man. It was probably big enough to eat a VW Bug." Without photographic proof, you can easily see how urban legends are born. And when you consider there are over 2,000 species of catfish in the world, the fodder for exaggerated stories only grows.
Some catfish actually do grow to tremendous sizes. Weights of over 600 pounds or over 270 kilograms and 10 feet or three meters are documented so photographs of anglers displaying fantastic catches are not uncommon. However, it's when these photographs are coupled with bogus reports that trouble or even urban legends begin.
If you live around a dam, it's not uncommon to hear divers who have worked on the dam to say things like, "I saw something down there. It was at least as big as a man. It was probably big enough to eat a VW Bug." Without photographic proof, you can easily see how urban legends are born. And when you consider there are over 2,000 species of catfish in the world, the fodder for exaggerated stories only grows.
A European angler displays a wels catfish.
One big cat that does exist is the WELS CATFISH. This is a European catfish which subsides, like most catfish, on crustaceans, small fish, frogs or even small aquatic birds. Most wels are only 4-5 feet long which comes out to only 1.3-1.6 meters. Given optimum living conditions, they can grow to two meters but, that's pushing it. However, according to Wikipedia, a specimen in Italy tipped the scales at 144 kg (320 lb) and 2.78 m (9 ft 1 in) long.
Stories of man-eating wels catfish go all the way back to the 15th century. However, a dramatic increase in attacks were seen in 2008 when a rash of aggression was noticed in Lake Schlachtensee outside of Berlin, Germany which was attributed to a 5-foot wels.
In Russia wels catfish have been captured with human remains in their stomachs! Investigators theorize (hope?) the victims were already drowned before being swallowed. Still, the wels catfish may exhibit aggressive behavior during its mating season which makes it very plausible that that it may be responsible for attacks against humans that venture into its territory.
In Russia wels catfish have been captured with human remains in their stomachs! Investigators theorize (hope?) the victims were already drowned before being swallowed. Still, the wels catfish may exhibit aggressive behavior during its mating season which makes it very plausible that that it may be responsible for attacks against humans that venture into its territory.
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Another catfish you don't want to tangle with is the GOONCH.
You'll find this cat in the India/Pakistan region moving on into Asia and South-Esast Asia. The goonch catfish, much like some other catfish, can grow to an enormous size and weight. The accompanying picture was taken at the Kali River between India and Nepal. One theory as to why fish in this area get so large is the Hindu custom of floating dead burning bodies down the river and the resulting forage for the goonch.
Locals consider goonch to be a nuisance fish but, anglers up for a challenge can relish in the fight the brutes provide. How big does the goonch get? The average guy is probably going to come away with a fish around 20-30 pounds but goonch have been recorded up to 200 Kilograms and that's about 220 pounds!!!!
If you're an adrenalin junkie, these kinds of fish can be right up your alley! Make sure your equipment is up to the task and use live bait. Fish--not minnows!
If you're an adrenalin junkie, these kinds of fish can be right up your alley! Make sure your equipment is up to the task and use live bait. Fish--not minnows!
Remember to take the hooks outta yer pocket before ya sit down!
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