VRYHEID KZN: Minnette smashes world record with rare catch

Local angler Minnette Booysen recently caught a very rare deep sea fish to go into the record books. She landed a Tiger Rockcod (also called the Tigerfin Rockcod), which is a rare saltwater fish species. There are about 50 or so types of Rockcods that occur in South Africa’s coastal waters. It has a very small range and is found mostly along the north-east coast of South Africa, but also on the southern tip of Madagaskar. Unfortunately, there is not a lot known about the Tigerfin Rockcod’s biology. Studies show that the fish occurs in deep water reefs up to 65 metres and can grow in length to over one metre to reach a weight of up to 12 kilograms. It seems to be a solitary fish with a rounded tail and is very slow growing, which makes it vulnerable to other fish.  

When Minnette saw the fish she had caught, she just knew it was special in some way. She submitted the details to the IGFA (International Game Fish Association); she had to send line samples and photos to their headquarters in America. It was confirmed on September 25 that it was a world record! She had shattered the previous record of 2,5kg, with the record now standing on a whopping 12,4kg. Minnette’s catch was added to the IGFA’s list of All-Tackle World Records. It was not an easy catch either, with Minnette having to fight the fish for nearly 15 minutes on spinning gear before she was able to reel it in. This is a once-in-a-lifetime catch and definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Or rather, it’s one for the books… the record books.

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