Caption:
Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) here is a picture that has been widely distributed throughout the internet and you are probably wondering if this is a hoax or real. Well unlike just about every other amazing photograph that makes these rounds this one just so happens to be REAL!

This one weighed in at an incredible 646 pounds! Widely reported as the largest totally freshwater fish ever recorded. Well take a good look because these magnificant creatures may not be around much longer. They are endangered and hardly any are ever cuaght anymore.

The only known breeding grounds of these fish in Thailand have been destroyed by dynamite for some kind of navigation project in 2003 and now Cambodia is the only place where these fish are caught with any regularity. Research is being done there and hopefully some sorts of controls will be placed on fishing to allow these fish to survive.

This particular fish also died while being transported to an aquarium. So much for saving endagered species. They should have let it go as soon as the photos were taken.

Man eater...Could you imagine see'n that sucker in the water?[:-]

How about guys that go hoggin? I think they'd be bait.

Bowman,

I didn't see any story attached to the pic I found, just the caption I pasted in. Do you have a link to the story or article? I'd like to read it.
Do you know if they were trying to take the catfish for breeding, or something else? Was it beached and this was a rescue attempt?

I think I need bigger equipment

Hey Chris;

Here's thestories I found. I thought they were trying to transport it to a zoo or aquarium, but it just says they were trying to keep it alive.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0629_050629_giantcatfish.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8404622/

Waht size hook and what pound test do you use. OMG I want to catch one.

Spike, it said they were endangered, so equipment choice ispretty moot.

wow