Joshua D. Lee of Manassas, Va., holds a potential world record red drum. (Courtesy IGFA)
April 27, 2012
By Special to OutdoorChannel.com
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) is all things fishing: teaching, working in conservation, and the keeper of records.
Its mission statement says the not-for-profit organization headquartered in Dania, Fla., is “committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping.”
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The IGFA maintains world records for both freshwater and saltwater game fishes in line class, tippet class and all-tackle categories. With a move toward catch and release, it recently added length records so anglers can document their fish then let it swim away.
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Each month it receives numerous submissions for world record consideration, which go through a rigorous process of verification.
In April, a 32-year-old record, the oldest current standing record for blue catfish, is being challenged. Also, two young female anglers are also making waves with potential records along with catches from Argentina, Colombia, Mauritius, and the Florida Keys, North Carolina, and Tennessee in the United States