Polish angler Kacper Stępień could be a new world-record-holder for common carp after landing a massive fish from Euro Aqua, a private lake in Hungary and a renowned carp fishery. Stępień was fishing there on Sept. 16 when he caught the 104.5-pound common carp, which would easily break the current IGFA all-tackle world record should it be accepted by the organization.
The potential world-record catch was highlighted in a recent post on Euro-Aqua’s Facebook page and on Stępień’s personal page. The Polish fisherman explained in his post that his only goal that trip was to catch his personal-best carp. He’d always imagined catching a world-record common carp at the lake but didn’t think it was likely.
“Of course it was a dream and it is ‘unimaginable,’” Stępień writes in a translated version of his Facebook post. “Because what are the [odds] of catching the larges cyprinus in the world that no one has ever caught?”
Stępień explains in his translated post that cold weather and strong winds made fishing difficult during the first few days. But he and his pals stuck with it and landed more than 100 carp by the week’s end. He called it a “session of [a] life[time]”. A dozen of those fish weighed over 66 pounds, but none surpassed the 104.5-pound common carp he caught and released at Euro Aqua.
Stępień caught the fish using a rolled dough ball, also known as a boilie, and the same type of bait ball used to feed fish in the private pay lake.
On paper, his carp easily surpasses the current IGFA all-tackle world record for common carp. That fish weighed 75 pounds 11 ounces, and it was caught in France in 1987 by Leo van der Gugten.
In order for Stępień’s record to be accepted by the IGFA, however, he’ll have to submit it for record consideration — a lengthy process that requires a significant amount of paperwork. IGFA judges would then scrutinize every aspect of the catch, from the tackle and scale used to the witnesses who were there that day.
It’s unclear at this point if Stępień will submit his fish to the IGFA for record consideration. There are plenty of social media commenters who say the fish can’t be a true record because Stępień caught the carp from a private water body. And although the IGFA will consider record entries for fish caught in some private waterbodies, the organization does not accept applications “for fish caught in hatchery waters, sanctuaries or small bodies of water that are stocked with fish for commercial purposes.”
Read Next: Is This the Biggest “Goldfish” Ever Caught?
It’s possible that Euro Aqua would fit one of these descriptions. But even so, that possibility doesn’t seem to bother Stępień.
“I had tears in my eyes when I landed the fish,” the Polish angler told the Angling Times. “It was huge, and it made my dreams come true. This is a fish I’ve always wanted to catch, and to finally have my moment with it is something I will never forget.”