Man Hauls Deadly 9ft Catfish After Epic 50-Minute Struggle
Jakub Vágner set a Czech record with an 8.8ft catfish after a near-deadly struggle. The Fish Warrior host battled for 50 minutes, was pulled into the water, but succeeded.
Celebrity angler Jakub Vágner has set a new Czech record after a near-deadly struggle with a giant 8.8ft catfish. He said that it was a fight so intense it left him bitten, soaked and nearly pulled under.
The 43-year-old fishing star, who hosts the National Geographic Channel's Fish Warrior, was on the Vranov Reservoir in southern Czech Republic on August 4 when he spotted the massive wels catfish gliding in the early morning light.
'I cast towards it, waited ten minutes, and suddenly, it turned and went straight into my trap," Vágner told What's The Jam.
What followed, he said, was 'the hardest battle I've ever had with a catfish in the Czech Republic." The enormous fish thrashed for almost 50 minutes, forcing him to call a friend for help just to hold onto the rod.
But the real drama came after the catch. As Vágner was unhooking the fish from his belly boat, it clamped down on his ungloved hand, rolled and yanked him into the water. 'Panic hit me in the eyes and I had to decide in a split second. I dove in after him… in a way, he caught me," he told the outlet.
Despite waders filling with water and his phone still in hand, he managed to wrestle the fish back to shore. Measuring at 2.68 metres (8.8ft) (which is four centimetres longer than his previous record) the catfish, Vágner said, was 'not only long, but brutally tall and broad… one of the biggest fish I've ever seen in Europe".
True to his conservation ethos, he released the fish after photographing it, saying that catching giants is 'not just about passion… it's about morale, dedication, and determination."
Fans have hailed the catch as legendary, with one jokingly calling Vágner the 'Final Boss" of fishing.
Wels catfish, the largest freshwater fish in Europe, can weigh over 200 kilograms and are known for their brute strength, making them a dangerous opponent for even the most seasoned anglers.
Who is an angler?
An angler is someone who fishes with a rod, line, and hook, often as a sport rather than for survival. In sport fishing, which can range from casual weekend casting to extreme, record-chasing expeditions, anglers aim to land large or rare fish, typically releasing them afterward. It's a test of patience, skill and sometimes raw strength, especially when battling giant species like catfish.
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