Die-hard anglers love to tell and re-tell the stories of the monster fish that got away. At Outdoor Life, we love to tell the stories of the record-breaking fish that didn’t get away. From young anglers to seasoned record chasers, there was no shortage of anglers recording noteworthy catches in 2024. With the 2025 fishing season fresh before us, we thought we would look back at some of the biggest record-breaking fish of last year.
Pending World Record Muskie
Traveling angler and world-record chaser Art Weston landed and released a massive 57.5-inch muskie from Minnesota’s Lake Mille Lacs in November. Weston, who already has 39 IGFA world records, teamed up with local fishing legend Nolan Spengler (who broke the Minnesota muskie record in 2021) to pursue monster muskies and potentially take the all-tackle length record. IGFA regulations for length records allow anglers to release fish after measuring, documenting, and photographing it, allowing the monsters to live and fight another day. Weston submitted the appropriate paperwork to the IGFA in November. If approved, it will be the angler’s 79th record book entry. Read the full story here.
Likely World Record Yellowfin Tuna
North Carolina angler Earl Gill IV landed a 443-pound yellowfin tuna while on a 10-day long-range charter trip out of San Diego in mid-November. He hooked the giant while “chunk” fishing in 150 feet of water. If certified by the IGFA, Gill’s fish will dethrone the current all-tackle record for yellowfin tuna set in 2012 by Guy Yocom. Yocom’s fish weighed 427 pounds and was caught near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Read the full story here.
Pending World Record Blue Marlin Caught on a Fly
Ian Keinath, a 37-year-old Montana fly fisherman, landed a 106-pound, 8-ounce blue marlin on Sept. 11, 2024, while fishing off the coast of Hawaii. He fought the fish for 3 hours using a 12-weight Hardy Marksman fly rod, a Mako 9700 reel, and 12-pound test tipper. It took several gaff attempts to get the fish in the boat. If approved by the IGFA, Keinath’s impressive catch will replace the standing 104-pound, 2-ounce fish caught by Enrico Capozzi off the Costa Rican coast in 2007. Read the full story here.
World-Record Sized Carp
Polish angler Kacper Stępień landed a massive common carp while fishing in September in Euro Aqua, a private fishing lake and renowned carp fishery in Hungary. The monster fish weighed 104.5 pounds, which would easily break the IGFA all-tackle world record set in 1987 by Leo van der Gugten with his 75 pound, 11 ounce catch. The IGFA is still reviewing Stępień’s application. However, many social media critics believe the fish should not be considered for world record status because it was caught in a private lake. While the organization does consider applications for fish caught in private waters it does not qualify “fish caught in hatchery waters, sanctuaries or small bodies of water that are stocked with fish for commercial purposes.” Read the full story here.
Potential World-Record Carp Turned to Fertilizer
Stępień wasn’t the only angler to land massive carp in 2024. Missouri angler George Champ also caught a monster bighead while bank fishing the Mississippi River with a crankbait near St. Louis in March. Champ’s fish weighed 97 pounds and was officially recognized as the Missouri state record the same month. His catch is still under review by the IGFA, but it could replace the current world record bighead, which weighed 90 pounds and was caught by Jeffrey J. Rorex from Guntersville Lake, Tennessee, in 2005. Since they are considered an invasive species, the Missouri Department of Conservation encourages anglers to kill the bighead carp they catch. Chance turned his into fertilizer. Read the full story here.
Record-Class Blackfin Tuna Wins Big Payout
Robert Kowalski holds a pending IGFA all-tackle world record for the 50-pound, 1-ounce blackfin tuna he caught in Florida in June. Kowalski, who lives in Chicago, landed the fish during Fins Weekend, an annual fundraiser tournament held by the Miami Dolphins. His catch took first place in the heaviest tuna division, landing a $30,000 prize. If approved, the fish would take the title from the current record-holder, a 49-pound, 6-ounce blackfin caught by Matthew E. Pullen in 2006. Read the full story here.
Pending World-Record Hybrid Bass Caught by Accident
Professional videographer Michael Kaal was fishing with Tennessee fly-fishing guide Patrick Fulkrod in February. After the duo had no luck trying for stripers, they decided to fish for trout when Kaal “accidentally” hooked a whiterock bass (a hybrid cross between a white bass and a striped bass). The fish measured 26.38 inches long with an impressive 26-inch girth. After having the 16.1-pound fish weighed on a certified scale, Kaal and Fulkrod released it back into the South Holston River. Although Kaal’s fish was disqualified from the IGFA catch-and-release length category because it wasn’t measured with a certified tape measure, it could set a new tippet class weight record. Kaal posted the fight on his YouTube channel. You can also read the full story here.
Seventh Grader Lands Two Record-Size Fish in One Day
In January, Florida 12-year-old Julia Bernstein caught both a state-record cobia and a state-record mangrove snapper while fishing the Florida Keys. The cobia, which measured 42 inches and weighed approximately 30 pounds, was released and could be a new IGFA all-tackle junior length record, pending application approval. Despite her young age, Bernstein currently holds 11 IGFA world records. Read the full story here.
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