Record-breaking fish: Huge catches that made headlines in 2022

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British man catches enormous goldfish on French fishing trip

British man Andy caught an enormous goldfish weighing in at 67.4 lbs on a fishing trip in France

Fishing tournaments may be exciting …

Yet the record-breaking catches that are caught by unsuspecting recreational anglers are moments that could inspire new fishing hobbyists and professionals for years to come.

As 2022 nears its end, here are 10 fishing records that made headlines.

Check out this list. 

1. 661-pound stingray caught in Cambodia

Boramy, a stingray that was found to be the world's largest freshwater fish, weighed 661 pounds in June 2022. She was measured and tagged before she was released back into the Mekong River of northern Cambodia. (Sinsamout Ounboundisane/FISHBIO/Handout via REUTERS)

A group of fishermen caught a 661-pound freshwater stingray in the Mekong River of northern Cambodia on June 13, according to Reuters.

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The 13-foot-long stingray was reportedly named Boramy (meaning "full moon" in Khmer) by locals, and she was deemed the world’s largest freshwater fish by Guinness World Records.

2. Near 9-pound brook trout caught in Colorado

Matt Smiley, an angler from Lake City, Colorado, holds up his record-breaking brook trout, which he caught from Waterdog Lake on Oct. 8, 2022. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife/Courtesy of Matt Smiley)

Matt Smiley of Lake City, Colorado, broke a state record when he caught an 8-pound, 9-ounce brook trout from Waterdog Lake on Oct. 8, according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

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Smiley’s brook trout reportedly measured 26.25 inches in length and 16 inches in girth. He was the third person to break the CPW’s brook trout record in 2022.

3. 31-pound longnose gar caught in Georgia 

Rachel Harrison broke Georgia longnose gar record in March 2022 with her 31-pound catch. (Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR)

Rachel Harrison of Adairsville, Georgia, caught a record-breaking longnose gar in on March 19, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.

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Harrison reeled in the fish from the Coosa River, near the City of Rome, and it reportedly weighed 31 pounds and 2 ounces. The catch broke a near 10-year longnose gar record, according to the Georgia DNR.

4. 33-pound muskie caught in Maryland

Kyle Mullenix set the first Maryland fishing record for 2022 with this 33-pound, 49-inch muskie. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources)

Kyle Mullenix of Hagerstown, Maryland, broke a state fishing record in March when he caught a 33-pound muskellunge (AKA muskie) from the Potomac River, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

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Mullenix caught the fish on March 2, and it reportedly measured 49 inches in length.

5. 131-pound blue catfish caught in Mississippi

Eugene Cronley caught a record-breaking blue catfish that weighed 131 pounds from the Mississippi River in April 2022. (Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks)

Eugene Cronley of Brandon, Mississippi, caught a record-breaking catfish in April, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.

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Cronley reportedly reeled in a 131-pound blue catfish from the Mississippi River, near the City of Natchez, on April 7. It had been 13 years since someone broke the state’s rod and reel record.

6. 140-pound paddlefish caught in Missouri

Jim Dain, an Illinois resident, caught a record-breaking paddlefish during a family trip to Missouri. (Missouri Department of Conservation)

Jim Dain of Pittsfield, Illinois, broke Missouri’s paddlefish fishing record during a family vacation to the Lake of the Ozarks, a reservoir in central Missouri, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

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Dain caught the record-breaking paddlefish on March 18, and it reportedly weighed 140 pounds and 10 ounces.

7. 12.5-pound cusk caught in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Fish and Game department confirmed that Ryan Scott Ashley had set a new state cusk record. (New Hampshire Fish and Game)

Ryan Scott Ashley of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, reeled in a record-breaking cusk from Lake Winnipesaukee in the Town of Moultonborough on Jan. 13, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

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The cod-like fish reportedly measured 35 inches in length and weighed 12 pounds, 8.48 ounces.

8. Near 17-pound hybrid striped bass caught in New Jersey

John Vayda, a fisherman who visited the Monskville Reservoir in West Milford, New Jersey, in October, caught a record-breaking hybrid striped bass, according to the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife.

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Vayda’s catch, which he reeled in on Oct. 9, weighed 16 pounds and 10 ounces, the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife reported. The previous hybrid striped bass state record had lasted for 23 years.

9. 12.5-pound speckled trout caught in North Carolina

Todd Spangler reeled in a 12-pound, 8-ounce speckled trout on Feb. 9, 2022.  (N.C. Department of Environmental Quality)

Todd Spangler of Merritt, North Carolina, broke the state’s 61-year fishing record for speckled trout in February, according to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.

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Spangler caught his record-breaking fish on Feb. 9 from the Neuse River in Pamlico County. It reportedly weighed 12 pounds and 8 ounces. The trout also measured 33.5 inches in length and 19 inches in girth, according to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

10. 64-pound smallmouth buffalo caught in Texas

Cassady Douglas, 29, of Austin, Texas, caught a 64-pound smallmouth buffalo in Lady Bird Lake in Austin earlier this year.  (Cassady Douglas)

Cassady Douglas, 29, of Austin, Texas, caught a record-breaking smallmouth buffalo from Lady Bird Lake, a reservoir in the City of Austin, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife.

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Douglas reportedly caught the 64-pound smallmouth buffalo with a rod and reel on Feb. 19, according to "All-Tackle Records for Lady Bird Lake" published by Texas Parks & Wildlife. 

The previous smallmouth buffalo state record was 61 pounds, Douglas told Fox News Digital.