German angler catches a 2.92-meter catfish in Rybnik, Poland

Catching a giant

34-year-old Oliver Schäfer from North Rhine-Westphalia caught a catfish measuring 292 centimeters at a predator fishing tournament in the Polish city of Rybnik, where he competed together with his partner from the Netherlands, Kevin Kremers. According to BILD, cited by Euronews, 70 teams took part in the competition on October 10 and 11 — around 150 anglers from all over Europe. Schäfer used a special rod for large catfish and a soft plastic lure.

The fight and the weighing

The angler only realized how big his catch was when the catfish surfaced for the first time. The fight lasted more than 30 minutes: Kremers held the boat against the wind while Schäfer reeled in the fish. On shore, the tournament's judging panel measured the catfish — 292 centimeters — after which the fish was returned to the lake, as the rules require. According to Schäfer, catfish are brought to shore on a tarpaulin so as not to damage their protective layer of mucus.

Second place and a possible 'record-holder in his second year'

The catch did not bring victory in the overall standings: the final result was determined by the total score, and the pair of Schäfer and Kremers took second place with 28,930 points — according to Berliner Zeitung and the results list of the fishing association PZW Katowice. According to media reports, participants believe this is the same catfish that was caught at the tournament in October 2025: back then, Polish anglers Krzysztof Pyra and Adrian Gontarz also measured 292 centimeters. Berliner Zeitung notes that since then the fish has not grown in length, but has become noticeably plumper.

Context: records and ecology

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) records catfish records by weight; there is no official list by length. According to Welt, in 2023 the Italian Alessandro Biancardi caught a catfish measuring 2.85 meters from the Po River, which is why in the angling community Rybnik in Silesian Voivodeship is considered the place where the longest known catfish was caught. According to the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the European catfish is the continent's largest freshwater fish, it can reach three meters and 150 kilograms; in 2026 it has been chosen as 'Fish of the Year' in Germany. As a warmth-loving species, the catfish benefits from warming: biologist Jürgen Geist told Focus magazine that populations are growing noticeably. The warm water in Rybnik also plays an important role: the reservoir serves as a cooling pond for a coal-fired power plant, and, according to Schäfer, catfish, carp and zander grow faster there. Experts note that the danger to humans is minimal; the exception was an incident in June 2025, when a catfish about two meters long in the Brombachsee reservoir in Middle Franconia bit several swimmers, causing minor injuries.

Why it matters

The event confirms Rybnik's status as a place where the longest known catfish are caught, and shows how the warm water of a power plant's cooling pond accelerates fish growth. For the angling community, this is a practical guide: tournaments based on the 'catch and release' principle make it possible to preserve such giants, and Schäfer himself, according to BILD, is now only 'a hand's width' away from his dream of a three-meter catfish. At the same time, there are no official records by length — the IGFA only recognizes weight, so the status of this catch remains an unofficial achievement.