From breakwalls and remote mountain ponds to massive southern rivers and legendary bass lakes, 2025 delivered an unforgettable run of giant fish across the country. Young anglers, seasoned pros, and everyday fishermen have shattered state records, flirted with world records, and in many cases chosen conservation over recognition by releasing once-in-a-lifetime catches. These moments weren’t confined to one region or species — they happened everywhere, proving that you never can tell where the next trophy-class fish might show up.
This roundup highlights some of the biggest, boldest, and most remarkable fish that Wired2fish covered in 2025, from record-breaking bass and panfish to monstrous catfish, carp, trout, and hybrids. Some of these fish rewrote record books, others swam away to fight another day. Here’s a look at the catches that defined the year and reminded us why we chase giants in the first place.
Boy, 10, Catches, Releases Likely Illinois Record Smallmouth Bass
During a spring break trip to Chicago, 10-year-old Bennett Gotland landed the fish of a lifetime while fishing Lake Michigan’s Burnham Harbor breakwall with his older brother Noah. Targeting coho salmon with a stout baitcasting setup and a bright orange plug, Bennett instead hooked an enormous smallmouth bass that made long, powerful runs and drew a crowd of onlookers. With no net available, he managed to haul the bass up the five-foot breakwall using heavy braided line, revealing a massive 24-inch fish that stunned everyone present.
After a few quick photos, Bennett released the bass back into the lake, meaning it could not be certified as an official Illinois record. Based on length-based estimates, however, the fish likely outweighed the current state record smallmouth. The catch highlighted the improving smallmouth fishery along the Chicago lakefront, where clear water and abundant forage are producing trophy bass. Though no record book will reflect it, Bennett’s catch remains a memorable milestone, and his family is considering a replica mount to commemorate the remarkable experience.
Biggest Perch in 46 Years Sets Maryland Record!
Maryland’s yellow perch record has fallen after more than four decades, thanks to a 2.3-pound, 16-inch fish caught by Thomas Dembeck Jr. on Feb. 7, 2025, in the tidal lower Susquehanna River. Dembeck was fishing deep water with a light spinning setup and a double-jig rig designed to reach bottom in strong current. Initially unaware of the fish’s size, he realized its significance only when it neared the surface, calling on his fishing partner to net what was clearly an outsized perch.
Suspecting a record, Dembeck and his co-angler weighed the fish on a hand scale before taking it to a certified scale at Gibby’s Seafood, where Maryland DNR staff confirmed the species and official weight. The catch surpassed the previous state record of 2.2 pounds set in 1979, making it Maryland’s new benchmark yellow perch. State officials used the moment to remind anglers that Maryland tracks records across multiple divisions and encourages anyone with a potential record fish to promptly contact fisheries staff and properly preserve the catch for certification.
Brook Trout Caught in Remote Pond Breaks 12-Year-Old Record
Two experienced Adirondack anglers, Benjamin Ferguson of Lowville and Shawn Widrick of Croghan, backpacked deep into the remote St. Regis Canoe Area over the July 4 weekend, hauling heavy gear and ultralight canoes to an unnamed mountain pond. Using a traditional paddle-trolling method with light spinning tackle, Ferguson hooked a massive brook trout late on July 5 after a slow start to the trip. Following a dramatic multi-minute fight and several missed net attempts, he finally landed the fish, which weighed more than 6 pounds on a hand scale — immediately signaling it could be a record.
The pair carefully preserved the trout during their long hike out, later confirming its weight at 6 pounds, 3 ounces on certified scales, with state biologists verifying it as a female brook trout. The catch officially surpassed New York’s previous 12-year-old state record. While Ferguson plans to have the fish mounted as a keepsake, he says the experience has only fueled his desire to explore more remote Adirondack waters, convinced that even larger brook trout may still be swimming in hidden ponds.
118-Pound, 10-Ounce Oklahoma Carp New World Record?
Oklahoma guide Bryan Baker landed an enormous 118-pound, 10-ounce bighead carp on April 26 in Grand Lake of the Cherokees, surpassing his own 118-pound, 3-ounce catch from the same area two years earlier. Baker, who primarily targets paddlefish, turns to bighead carp when conditions allow, using forward-facing sonar to locate the invasive fish in the lake’s dark, deep water. After spotting the nearly five-foot-long carp, he snagged it — an encouraged removal method for the invasive species — and had it weighed by state officials, with approval for a new Oklahoma state record now pending.
Although the fish is believed to be the largest bighead carp ever taken by hook and line, it cannot qualify for an International Game Fish Association world record because snagging is not considered a conventional angling method. Baker regularly finds these massive carp within a small stretch of the lake near Miami, Oklahoma, often at depths of 20 feet or less. After capture, the fish are turned over to state biologists, who study their otoliths to determine age and life history, contributing valuable data to ongoing fisheries research and invasive species management efforts.
Idaho Lake Trout Record Broken by Angler From Utah
Utah angler Aaron Goettsche, an experienced lake trout troller from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, trailered his boat nearly 500 miles to Idaho’s Payette Lake for an annual family trip, intent on applying his deep-trolling expertise to new waters. After initially slow fishing, Goettsche and his family began catching large lake trout, releasing more than a dozen estimated at over 20 pounds. As the week progressed, they realized Payette Lake was producing fish that rivaled or exceeded the state record, prompting closer attention to size and documentation.
On June 19, Goettsche hooked a powerful lake trout while trolling alone in 80 feet of water, battling the fish for 15 minutes before successfully netting it. He measured the trout at 42 inches, photographed it, and released it back into the lake before submitting the documentation to Idaho Fish and Game. The fish was later confirmed as Idaho’s new catch-and-release state record, surpassing the previous mark by half an inch. State biologists say the record reflects Payette Lake’s improving forage base and recovery of trophy lake trout, and Goettsche plans to commemorate the catch with a replica mount while continuing to pursue giant lakers back home.
Record Black Crappie Caught in West Virginia
West Virginia’s exceptional fishing season continued on May 7 when Jerry Porter landed a new state-record black crappie at East Lynn Lake in Wayne County. The 3.6-pound, 17.7-inch fish marked the fourth state fishing record broken in the Mountain State this year. East Lynn Lake, a 1,005-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir managed for flood control and stocked by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, is known for its diverse fishery and popularity among anglers.
Porter caught the record crappie while fishing a minnow-tipped jig on 6-pound-test line. After being notified, West Virginia DNR officials verified the catch and formally announced the new record on May 12. The fish surpassed the previous state record by roughly half a pound, though the earlier record holder still retains the mark for length. The milestone underscores both the productivity of East Lynn Lake and the strong start to West Virginia’s fishing season.
Same 14-Pound ShareLunker Bass Caught Twice in 2 Years
Texas angler Ross Gomez experienced a rare fishing feat when he landed a 14.78-pound largemouth bass from Lake Alan Henry on February 12 — only to learn it was the exact same fish he had caught nearly two years earlier. The bass was first caught by Gomez in February 2023 while he was crappie fishing, weighing 13.22 pounds at the time. That fish became part of Texas Parks and Wildlife’s ShareLunker selective breeding program, during which it was tagged, bred, and released back into the lake. Thanks to the program’s tracking chip, biologists were able to later confirm the fish’s identity.
Remarkably, Gomez caught the bass again from the same spot, in the same month, using similar light crappie tackle and soft-plastic lures. Despite challenging conditions and minimal sonar activity, he recognized the familiar heavy pull and carefully played the fish before landing it. After obtaining a certified weight and placing the bass in a holding tank, TPWD confirmed it was the same ShareLunker bass, now grown even larger. The back-to-back catches highlight both Gomez’s unlikely luck and the success of Texas’s trophy bass conservation and breeding efforts.
New WI Record Yellow Bass Caught on Lake Mendota!
Wisconsin anglers have a new state-record yellow bass after Vairin Meesouk landed a massive 2-pound, 13.8-ounce fish from the shore of Lake Mendota on April 22. The 16.5-inch bass has been confirmed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as the new hook-and-line record and will surpass the previous mark set in 2013 by nearly 2 ounces once finalized. Meesouk realized the fish might be special after comparing it to a smaller white bass he had already caught, then had it weighed on a certified scale and inspected by DNR biologists, who verified the species — an uncommon catch in a lake better known for white bass.
Though Meesouk has stayed quiet about the achievement, news of the record spread quickly online after a friend shared the story on social media. DNR officials noted that yellow bass are relatively rare in Wisconsin waters, making the catch particularly noteworthy. While the fish falls short of the current IGFA world record, it highlights the potential for outsized specimens in Midwestern lakes. For now, Meesouk remains out of the spotlight, with even DNR staff unsure whether the record fish was kept for a mount or filleted after certification.
Potential Tennessee Record Hybrid Bass Released
Jefferey Hubbard, fishing on Cherokee Lake in East Tennessee on March 27, hooked what he believed was a potential state-record Cherokee bass, a hybrid of striped and white bass. Fishing a rock wall in about 40 feet of water, Hubbard spotted a school of fish pushing bait to the surface and switched to a large artificial shad lure. After a tense battle on his Ugly Stik and Penn Slammer setup, he landed the plump, roe-filled bass, which weighed between 23 pounds, 3 ounces and 23 pounds, 6 ounces — just over the current state record. Recognizing its importance, Hubbard opted to release the fish so it could survive and potentially spawn, despite knowing it likely surpassed the record.
Cherokee bass, stocked hybrids valued for their tolerance to warm, low-oxygen waters, rarely reproduce successfully outside controlled environments, so releasing such a trophy ensures it contributes to the fishery. Hubbard’s careful handling highlights a conservation-minded approach to record-setting catches, and though he may not officially claim the record, he expressed satisfaction knowing the fish swam away healthy. The encounter underscores both the excitement and responsibility involved in targeting trophy hybrids in managed fisheries.
8-Pound Smallmouth Bass Caught and Released in Michigan
Veteran Michigan anglers Steve Schwartz and Tom Remington landed a truly extraordinary pre-spawn smallmouth bass during the first weekend of May while fishing a productive but unnamed inland lake in the Upper Peninsula. Targeting shallow rock piles in cold, clear water, the pair had already caught and released dozens of quality smallmouths when Remington hooked a fish that immediately stood apart. Using a crayfish-colored square-bill crankbait, he quickly brought the bass to the net, revealing a massively built female with an unusually distended belly, likely heavy with roe.
The anglers weighed the smallmouth twice on a handheld scale, recording 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and measured it at 21 inches long before releasing it immediately to protect the spawning fish. Though well short of Michigan’s 9.98-pound state record, the bass ranks among the largest either angler had ever seen. The catch proved their theory that early May is prime time for trophy pre-spawn smallmouths and ensured they’ll return next spring, hoping for another encounter with the giant bass they now know is out there.
Striped Bass Eats Earthworm, Breaks 32-Year-Old Ohio Record
Ohio anglers George Bruggeman and his son Nathan experienced an unforgettable day on the water when a routine fishing trip turned into a record-setting event. After catching some bluegills, yellow perch, and a large carp, George hooked a massive fish on a half nightcrawler using an 8-pound test spinning outfit. Initially mistaking it for a carp or catfish due to its size and strength, the fish dragged their boat around the lake for over 20 minutes before they were able to net it. Once in the boat, they realized it was a striped bass of extraordinary size.
The father-and-son team carefully measured and weighed the fish to ensure it could qualify as a record. On certified scales at a feed store and later verified by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the striper measured 41.81 inches long with a 27.36-inch girth and weighed 37.375 pounds, surpassing the previous Ohio record of 37.10 pounds set in 1993. The catch has been officially recognized as the new state record, and Bruggeman plans to have the impressive fish mounted, possibly as a display piece in his home.
Giant Largemouth Breaks 20-Year-Old Record
Clay Butler of San Angelo, Texas, and his friend Hunter Crossland had an unforgettable post-Thanksgiving outing at Champion Creek Reservoir when Butler hooked a massive largemouth bass. While trolling flooded timber in 18 feet of water, Butler marked a large fish on his sonar and carefully presented a 10-gram roundhead jig with a 7-inch soft plastic minnow. After a tense few minutes of the bass moving up and down in the water column, the duo managed to net it, realizing immediately that it was a truly giant fish. The bass never jumped but fought strongly, requiring careful handling to get it safely into their 21-foot Skeeter.
Once they suspected the fish was a record, Butler transported it to a state-sanctioned scale in Bronte, Texas, where it officially weighed 12.55 pounds with a 26.75-inch length and 21.5-inch girth, surpassing the previous Champion Creek record of 11.8 pounds set in 2005. Following Texas regulations for record bass, Butler had a replica mount made but released the fish back into the reservoir immediately after weighing, ensuring the healthy bass returned to its natural habitat.
Record Spotted Bass Caught on the Apalachicola River
Florida has a new state-record spotted bass, caught by angler Joe Durden of Blountstown during the Fifth Annual Liberty County Bulldog Booster Bass Tournament on the Apalachicola River on June 28, 2025. Durden’s fish weighed 3.93 pounds and measured 18.25 inches, surpassing the previous record of 3.75 pounds set in 1985. Using a crankbait and LiveScope sonar technology, Durden immediately recognized the catch’s significance, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed the species and weight with a certified scale, officially certifying the record on July 9.
The Apalachicola River, known for its rich biodiversity and strong bass populations, continues to be a premier location for freshwater anglers in Florida. Spotted bass, smaller relatives of largemouth bass distinguished by dark lateral spots and a rough tongue patch, are prized for their fighting ability and typically weigh 1-3 pounds, making Durden’s catch especially remarkable.
121-Pound Blue Catfish Smashes 13-Year-Old Record
Night fishing on the Missouri River in mid-May, Daniel Mayer of Agency, Missouri, landed a massive 121.1-pound, 59.75-inch blue catfish while using carp for bait. Fishing alone and nearing the end of his outing, Mayer initially struggled to lift the fish aboard, only realizing its true size once it sprawled across much of his boat. Recognizing the potential significance of the catch, he determined he was on the Kansas side of the Missouri River and arranged to have the catfish weighed on certified scales.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks later confirmed the fish as the new Kansas state-record blue catfish, surpassing the previous 102.8-pound record set in 2012. A dedicated tournament catfish angler, Mayer called the fish the catch of a lifetime and plans to have it mounted. Although he attempted to keep the fish alive for release, it ultimately died from exhaustion, with state officials estimating the giant blue catfish was more than 20 years old.
Angler Breaks 34-Year-Old Record for NY White Perch
Brooklyn angler Yongfeng Tian landed a surprising and historic catch while fishing alone on New York City’s Cross River Reservoir on November 23. Targeting bass and crappies from a small rowboat, Tian used light spinning tackle and a 1/8-ounce red plastic-tail jig to fish deep water he had marked on his sonar. After catching a couple of white perch, he hooked a much larger fish that repeatedly dove back to the depths, making the fight especially challenging on 6-pound test line. When he finally netted the fish, Tian was initially unsure of the species due to its size, eventually realizing he had landed an unusually large white perch.
After sharing photos with a friend, Tian had the fish weighed on certified scales at a Brooklyn supermarket, where it registered 3 pounds, 4 ounces — three ounces heavier than New York’s previous white perch record set in 1991. The fish was later re-weighed and officially verified by state conservation officials, confirming it as the new white perch state record. This fish shows the trophy potential of white perch and the quality fishing opportunities available within New York City’s historic water-supply reservoirs.
Texas Boy, 12, Catches 3 Lake Fishing Records In One Day
March 11 proved to be an unforgettable day for sixth-grader Kenton Mabry of Crawford, Texas, who set three junior fishing records in a single outing at Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir near Waco. Fishing alongside his father, Brad, Kenton first landed record-setting white and black crappies using jigs he tied himself, then capped the morning by hooking a massive largemouth bass on a weedless swimbait near a deep rock pile. The bass measured 25 inches and weighed 7.85 pounds — more than doubling the previous junior lake record — while the crappies established both a new white crappie record and the reservoir’s first-ever black crappie record.
The father-and-son duo rushed their catch to a nearby Bass Pro Shops, where certified scales and witnesses documented all three fish for official submission to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Though still pending certification, the records are expected to stand. An avid outdoorsman, Kenton already ties and sells his own jigs and flies and has ambitious goals that include tournament fishing and catching a Texas Legacy ShareLunker bass. His record-setting day underscores both his dedication and a promising future in competitive angling.
Multiple Records Set in Santee Cooper Bass Tourney
Santee Cooper Lake in South Carolina delivered a historic day of bass fishing on February 22 during a Major League Fishing Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournament. Boater Brent Riley dominated the event with a staggering five-fish limit weighing 35 pounds, 3 ounces — one of the largest bags in BFL history — despite one fish weighing only about 3.5 pounds. Riley caught multiple bass in the 8-pound range across several spots and secured the win, while James Gibbons followed with an impressive 31-pound, 3-ounce limit, further underscoring the lake’s exceptional productivity.
Adding to the remarkable day, Gary Pope landed a 13-pound, 6-ounce largemouth to claim the Berkley Big Bass Boater award, tying the largest bass ever recorded in BFL history. Although Riley’s massive limit stole the spotlight, Pope’s trophy fish highlighted Santee Cooper’s potential for producing truly giant largemouths. Together, the catches cemented the lake complex’s reputation as one of the nation’s premier bass fisheries and a destination anglers should keep high on their list for trophy potential.
West Virginia Angler Sets State Record with 12.55-lbs Tiger Trout
A rainy spring outing at Mannington Lake turned into a memorable milestone for Robert Riggs of Grant Town and his son when Riggs landed a massive tiger trout that set a new West Virginia state weight record. Fishing from a small jon boat on March 28, the pair were trolling with casting spoons when one rod bent under the weight of an unexpectedly powerful fish. After realizing it was too large for their net, Riggs’ son helped secure the trout by hand, allowing them to safely bring the fish aboard.
The tiger trout measured 27.6 inches and weighed 12.55 pounds, surpassing the previous state weight record, though the length record remains unchanged. Caught on light 6-pound test line during West Virginia’s Gold Rush stocking season, the big trout illustrates the excitement of pursuing hatchery-raised tiger trout, a sterile hybrid known for its aggressive strikes and cool coloration. State officials praised the catch as a testament to West Virginia’s strong fishing opportunities and encouraged anglers to get out and fish during the spring season.
Polish Anglers Shatter World Record with 9.6 Foot Wels Catfish
Two anglers from Poland’s Polish Angling Academy, Krzysztof Pyra and Adrian Gontarz, have landed what is being hailed as a potential world-record Wels catfish during a tournament at Rybnik Reservoir in southern Poland. Measuring an astonishing 292 centimeters (9.6 feet), the fish surpassed the previous world mark of 285 centimeters and shattered Poland’s national record. After a grueling 90-minute battle, the anglers carefully documented the massive catfish with photos and measurements before releasing it back into the reservoir, though its official status with the IGFA remains uncertain due to shared angling rules.
The record-setting catch highlights Rybnik Reservoir’s reputation as a premier trophy fishery, where warm water discharged from a nearby power plant accelerates fish growth and allows Wels catfish to reach extraordinary sizes. As Europe’s largest freshwater predator, the Wels thrives in deep, warm, food-rich waters and can live for decades, making such giants possible under ideal conditions. The catch has sparked widespread attention across Europe, highlighting Poland’s growing prominence in record-class catfish angling and marking the 292-centimeter Wels as one of the most remarkable freshwater fish ever documented.
