I met a man who was attacked by a gigantic catfish, and I saw the scar on his back to prove it. He had been wading into Spain’s Segra River when a seven-foot-long wels catfish turned on him, bit his back, and shook him like a rag doll. The teeth were small, but the power left a cratered scar he’ll carry forever. That moment showed me just how real the legends of giant catfish can be.
For decades, stories have circulated about Volkswagen-sized catfish lurking below dams—from Toledo Bend and Lake Whitney to reservoirs across Tennessee. Divers whisper about shapes that blot out the light; some in Spain even work in shark cages because massive wels catfish have been known to bump or grab their gear.
Watch the video of these stories here.
In 2005 I launched my first full investigation into these freshwater giants, traveling from Texas to Spain in search of answers. I dove with Splash, the 130-pound blue catfish that once held the world record, to see what it would look like underwater. In the murk, even that fish appeared monstrous. It’s easy to understand how an encounter in limited visibility could spark a lifetime of “river monster” stories.
Yet these tales may hold more truth than we think. Blues and flatheads here in the U.S. already exceed 100 pounds—and there may be specimens much larger hiding in the shadows below our dams.
In this shocking encounter I gathered firsthand, a man was struck by an enormous catfish, and eyewitnesses say there are even bigger creatures lurking beneath the surface.
This marks the 20th anniversary of my giant-catfish investigation—an enduring mystery that still blurs the line between science and legend.
Join me as I uncover the truth behind these river monsters.
If you’ve had a giant-catfish encounter, email chester@chestermoore.com.