Rocksweeper // Shutterstock For thousands of years–well over 100,000 by some estimates–humankind has fished the world’s waterways and oceans. Scientists have identified evidence of the practice in everything from cave paintings to archeological finds. While initially used as a means of survival, fishing has evolved into a hobby, a sport, and a huge commercial industry. In fact, today, some 600 million people globally depend on fishing for their livelihoods. It is also among the most popular outdoor hobbies in the U.S. As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in 2020, more Americans went fishing than in any year in the previous decade. According to a 2022 study, many first-time anglers tried fishing to spend more time with friends and family in a socially distanced way. Others sought to replace hobbies they could no longer do because of the pandemic. Although some competitive people compete aggressively in fishing tourneys and derbies, you don’t have to be a professional angler to catch a record-breaking fish. Marinas and tackle shops around the country allow anglers to weigh their catch on a certified International Game Fish Association scale and compare stats in the IGFA’s online records database. Sport-fishing enthusiasts can even have their scales certified by the IGFA for a $40 fee. Stacker compiled a list of the top 50 record-breaking fish caught in the U.S. by weight using data from Land Big Fish. Sharks are not included in this roundup. The fish pictured below are not the actual record catch. You may also like: Why do giraffes have long necks? Answers to 25 animal evolution questions #50. Channel catfish: 58 pounds Aleron Val // Shutterstock – Location: Lake Moultrie, South Carolina – Record set by W.H. Whaley in 1905 #49. Pallid sturgeon: 60 pounds U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service // Wikimedia Commons – Location: Yellowstone River – near Sidney, Montana – Record set by Gene Sattler in 1979 #48. Lake trout: 63 pounds, 1.92 ounces Pi-Lens // Shutterstock – Location: Lake Superior, Ontario – Record set by Hubert Hammers in 1952 #47. Muskellunge: 69 pounds, 15 ounces M Huston // Shutterstock – Location: St. Lawrence River, New York – Record set by Arthur Lawton in 1905 #46. White amur (Grass Carp): 70 pounds Peteri // Shutterstock – Location: Guntersville Reservoir (Nickajack tailwater), Tennessee – Record set by Chad A. Killian in 2005 You may also like: 30 best nature documentaries of all time #45. Grass carp: 73 pounds Vladimir Wrangel // Shutterstock – Location: Guntersville Reservoir, Alabama – Record set by Bradley D. Bridges, Sr. in 2012 #44. Bigmouth buffalo: 73 pounds, 2 ounces Alus164 // Wikimedia Commons – Location: Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin – Record set by unknown in 2004 #43. Carp: 74 pounds Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock – Location: Pelahatchie Lake, Mississippi – Record set by Curtis Wade in 1963 #42. Longfin albacore: 74 pounds, 10.5 ounces Alessandro De Maddalena // Shutterstock – Location: Atlantic Ocean, New York – Record set by John Maguire in 2000 #41. Red drum: 75 pounds Realest Nature // Shutterstock – Location: Atlantic Ocean – Murrells Inlet, South Carolina – Record set by A. J. Taylor in 1905 You may also like: 50 species that no longer exist in the wild #40. Channel bass: 75 pounds
50 record-breaking fish caught in the US
