Man catches 2,011 fish in 24 hours, not enough to beat world record

LAGRANGE, Ill., July 9 (UPI) -- A LaGrange, Ill., fisherman missed the world record for fish-catching in a 24-hour period, catching only 2,011, but says he'll be back for another try.

Johnny Wilkins, 46, proprietor of a fishing school, spent Friday and Saturday at a local pond, attempting to beat the mark of 2,649 fish caught by a Minnesota man in 2011. Wilkins caught and released bass, bluegills, carp and shiners, but came up 638 shy of the record, certified by Guinness World Records, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.

Perched on a rock ledge with a rod and a tiny, Japanese-made hook, and working to catch, on average, 1.8 fish per minute, Wilkins said he "kind of fished harder. I really had to work for every single fish."

He added he intends to turn the fishing marathon into an annual event.