The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

10.1 kg. , 22.2 lbs.

Catfish, Channel ictalurus punctatus

Record Category: Women Speargun

Diver:		Karena Ferguson
Date:		6/30/2019
Location:		UNITED STATES

My hunt took place right from the shore of our camp spot. The lake was high enough to flood the trees right up to our camp. As soon as we arrived my son and his friends were right in the water spearing carp in the trees. The water was clear with a depth of 10-15 feet at the edge of the tree line. After getting camp set up and us settled I decided to take the kayak out and follow the kids around filming them spear carp. After lunch I decided to join the kids and hunt the trees and see if there was anything else but carp. I went further into the trees then the kids had and I came across a school of carp suspended under some branches and that’s when I saw the white tips of a nice sized Walleye hanging at the bottom. Wow, was my husband excited when he saw me bring that 26incher on shore! The hunt was on then! Over the next few days we were lucky to spear a few nice Walleye , Crappie and Bass. We never had to leave our camp spot. The afternoon of our 4th day diving the same trees Is when I spotted something I had not yet come across! A huge catfish! He was swimming along side a group of carp when I noticed him. The group of carp swam to my right and I noticed a very large fish break off and head for the tree branches. I thought to my self “WOW, that’s a huge carp! Wait he looks funny!!! Ahhh he has wishers!” My heart raced as I closed in on him. There was a tree right in front of me that I had to swim around quickly to get a shot before he was so far into the branches I would have lost him. I had one shot! Right through his gills and the rodeo was on! There was an immediate cloud of mud he stirred up fighting to get off the spear. Not wanting to risk pulling the spear out I dove down and grabbed him. Being thrashed around underwater he somehow knocked my goggles off and I couldn’t get him under control so I had to let go and come up for air. I got my googles back on and took another deep breath and dove back down and grabbed him. Being yet again thrashed underwater I saw he opened his mouth so I stuck my head in to grab his lower jaw. His mouth clamped down like a vise and he was trying to drag me down. I had to grab a tree branch to pull myself and him up to the surface. I yelled for help and I could see my son running to the shore to jump in and help and about that same time I could hear my husband who was making his way to me after seeing all the commotion. It took us both to get him under control and to the shore. He was biting down on my hand the whole time. Once he was securely on shore I just laid there, my heart racing, my hand throbbing and not believing what just happened! Once we got him back to camp I saw he bent my spear so bad it was unusable after that! This was by far the most incredible, heart racing hunt yet! It was a good week for my hand to heal up!
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