23.03.2017

Monster catfish defeated at a water temperature of 8 degrees

Tostedt. At the beginning of March, angling guide and Black Cat brand manager Stefan Seuß headed to the Po along with tour guests Ludwig and Max Heller. Spring is a particularly interesting time of year on Italy’s longest river. The period when the water temperatures are slowly climbing towards 10 degrees is renowned for monster catfish activity.
At this time, Stefan Seuß likes to use small sub floats (10-gram Black Cat underwater float), which he mounts directly behind the baitfish on the leader. This causes the bait to hover just off the bottom, precisely where most of the prey of catfish are found at this time of year. The baitfish itself is presented on a hair rig since the experienced angler does not like to use treble hooks.
The chosen battleground on 8th March was the middle reaches of the Po, where the water is shallow with depths ranging between 2.5 and 3.5 metres. In one interesting swim, the sandy natural bank gives way to stone packing. Such areas are always hot spots on a river.
The first hours of fishing through the night passed without a bite. However, as the new day dawned around 7am, one of the taut rods suddenly bent double and the almost closed drag of the multiplier began to scream. Ludwig Heller took up the rod as guide Stefan Seuß steered the boat. The two anglers followed the fleeing cat in a 320-centimetre-long dinghy. And so began the fight of both of their lives. The hooked fish pulled the duo for more than two kilometers downstream, heading for an obstacle-ridden area of shallow water. There, the stubborn giant rooted itself to the bottom. It took Ludwig Heller 25 minutes to wrestle the monster to the surface, whereupon an enormous cranium and incredibly long body emerged in front of the boat. Finally, Stefan Seuß landed the catfish at the second attempt. The fish would barely fit in the boat, filling the entire interior of the dinghy. The sheer size of the fish was only truly realized once it was weighed and measured: 262 cm in length and a weight of 125 kg (276 lb). The catch of a lifetime for Ludwig Heller and, for guide Stefan Seuß, one of the longest and heaviest catfish he has landed in his career as an angling guide.
 
Equipment:
Rod: Black Cat Battle Cat Boat
Reel: Black Cat Long Ranger multiplier
Line: Black Cat Baitfishline 0.55 mm
Leader: Black Cat Mono 1.2 mm
 
Camp:
Wels Camp on the Po, Heiner family, Revere, Italy