My Dream !!! My Passions !!! IGFA World Record for Giant Snakehead 2013.

My name is John aka BKKGUY as many fishing anglers know me by this nick name in FaceBook and my youtube channel.
I came from the tiny red dot Singapore. Thailand is my 2nd home , the country of smile is also home to the giant snakehead of asia. My love for snakehead fishing started 3 years ago. I was browsing through the IGFA world record book and was looking at the snakehead freshwater page. I noticed the last world record catch for this magnificent snakehead was back then in 23 aug 2005 by a Malaysia angler – Christopher S.G. Tan. The record weight was then 10KG (22 Ibs).

I know toman in the wild can grow up 20KG ( 44Ibs). I set myself a personal goal to attempt to break the IGFA world record of 10KG. In my 2 years of wild snakehead fishing, I have landed countless toman range from size 3KG to 9KG. A few occasions during my many wild toman trips, I ever landed a 10KG toman.. but that wasn’t my target. I wanted to break above the 11KG mark…then the record will be worth the efforts.

On 19th April 2013 in the far province of Northeast dam, history is rewrite and a new IGFA world record is rewrite.
I was fishing at my usual toman spot on the 19th April 2013. It was hot and the fishes are not active on my topwater buzz bait. Just then I spotted a few toman rises , popping their heads next to the fish farm. It was a dedicate cast. One wrong move my lure will land on top of the fish farm. Not only that, the minute the toman got hookup, it will definitely make a dive underneath the fish farm net. Not an easy way to fish.

With all the hazes and factors taken into consideration, I decided to lock my reel’s drag 90% tight. I was using the daiwa Ryoga 1016H then, the best BC for toman as far as I know.

As soon as the toman rises, I casted my evergreen combat crank bait 320 toward it. With slow retrieved motion then suddenly I felt a big thug. As fast as lighting, I strike the fish with all my might. I gave it 2 strong strikes then it fish on…

The fight was nothing I ever experience before. It was heavy and the snakehead keep diving down towards the fish farm. I quickly thumb and turned the fish head away from the net.
At one point, it remain stationary as if I felt like it has stuck in between the ropes. I pulled it upward for a while, it started to swim again. After a hard 3mins fights, I managed to bring the toman to the surface.

The sights of the monster toman, once floating on the water surface, made my heart beats faster than usual. It was the fattest and blackish toman I ever seen in my life..

Now the problem is to net it. I carefully instructed my boatman to slowly net the fish in. Once the fish was in the net, I know I have a record catch on my hand… It was at least a 10KG toman with it big fat belly. I took out my measuring tape and original USA boga grip. The length is 93cm, width 22 inch and weighted in 26 Ibs (11.79KG).

I know straight away I have a IGFA world record catch on my hand. After a few photo takings and measurement, I released the fish unharmed back to the water.
It will be a day I never forget. Snakehead fishing is always a big game fishing for asia anglers.
As a professional fishing guide in Thailand. Having the WR snakehead title belt under my name, it will be a great achievement for myself. I have one more extra memories bedtime story to tell to my future grandchildren… 

Rod : Major Craft – Beneyro 12-25 Ibs- 7ft rod.
Line : Variva no.4- 64Ibs braided 8 x strength
Reel: Bait cast reel Daiwa Ryoga 1016H
Lure: EverGreen Combat crank 320
Hook: Decoy hook size 1/0

IGFA world record weighted- 26 Ibs ( 11.79KG)- U.S.A Boga Grip 30 Ibs
Length of the fish- 93 cm- IGFA measuring tape.
Width- 22 inch.- IGFAmeasuring tape.
Any other supporting evident: 2 video clips- Go Pro and back view video cam.
Photos- All photos taken of the fish and measurements according to IGFA guidance.

The awesome fights !!!The full pack actions video clip !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8NSpCaDRLw

I have the IGFA WR on my hands.
Awesome feelings !!! Top of the world feelings !!!
It is the day I never forget for the rest of my life.

26 Ibs (11.79KG)- IGFA New World Record for Giant Snakehead (Channa Micropeltes)