For years, angler Paul Breems had been striving to fulfill his dream: to catch the largest catfish in the Netherlands and be the first to cross the magical 2.50 m mark. Centimeter by centimeter, this persistent catfish specialist was getting closer to the national record. Unexpectedly, however, it was his best friend who stood in his way to this title.
Last weekend, a real giant was caught in the Waal River near Dodewaard: it measured 249 cm and was the largest officially registered catfish in the Netherlands! However, the new record holder is not Paul Breems, but Mohammed Massaoudi. The most interesting thing is that Breems was present during the catch and even helped pull this giant catfish to the shore. The fishing magazine “Blinker” first reported about it.
Anglers with many huge catches
Up to that point, Breems held the Dutch record with a 2.47 m long catfish. He had been improving his results over the years: in 2023 he caught a 2.42 m long catfish, in 2024 – 2.46 m, and in 2025 he finally caught the then record holder of 2.47 m. Breaking the 2.50 m mark seemed only a matter of time.
Then Breems and his fishing partner Mohammed Massaoudi detected an unusually large fish in the Waal River on their echo sounder. Instead of taking action immediately, they left the place alone for several days so as not to scare the catfish away. And it paid off!
How they caught a catfish
When the two fishermen returned, the giant attacked. Massaoudi's rod buckled under the weight of the fish. When the catfish finally found itself in shallower water, Breems jumped into action. He secured the fish and helped pull it to shore.
Then came the moment of truth: 249 cm! New Dutch record. For Massaoudi, this meant an entry into the record book, according to the De Gelderlander newspaper. For Breems, that meant losing his own title — by two centimeters, to be exact.
This is what the former record holder says
Still, Breems doesn't hold any grudges against his fishing partner. The two men call themselves “Catfish Matties” — which translates roughly to “catfish buddies.” “Now I can proudly pass the baton to my buddy. Catfish Matties have done it again,” Breems said after catching the fish.
After being weighed, the giant catfish missed the grill and was released back into the water. Thanks to this, there is a chance that the animal will continue to grow – and perhaps one day set the record for a length of 2.50 m.
