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An Oklahoma angler is hoping to make a new state record after snagging a "beast" bighead carp, weighing over 110 pounds.
Gabe Brannick caught the fish on April 30 while fishing for paddlefish on the Neosho River during an expedition with the High Water Guide Service.
"This beast came in at 110.1lbs! These fish pack a lot of fight and this one was like pulling the plug out of the river," High Water Guide Service said in a post on Facebook.
Zach Fort, who owns the guide service, said that it took 10 to15 minutes to get the enormous fish into the boat. "Everybody on the boat was excited," he told Newsweek. "I knew as soon as it surfaced it was the biggest one I'd seen ever."
The fish is 20 pounds heavier than the official all-tackle world record for this species, according to the International Game Fish Association. However, Fort said that it could not be certified due to the fact that it was caught by snagging, rather than a baited hook.
Snagging, which is commonly used to catch paddlefish, is a fishing technique that uses sharp grappling hooks to externally pierce into the fish without the need for the fish to swallow a baited hook.
Bighead carp are an invasive species, originally from China, that were introduced to the U.S. in 1973. They have been recorded in, or along the borders of, at least 18 states.
They feed almost continuously by filtering the water around them to capture small food particles and plankton. As a result, they are thought to out-compete native fish for plankton, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Bighead carp grow fast and reproduce quickly. Females reach sexual maturity after three years, while males mature after only two. In North America, bighead carp are able to produce between 4,792 to 1.6 million eggs every spawning season, making them a strong competitor.
Because of their invasive status, bighead carp are not currently listed on the official Oklahoma state record. However, Fort said that he and a group of biologists were working to get the species recognized. "As of right now we are pursuing the state record for Oklahoma," he said.
While Brannick and Fort await the results of their application, dozens of Facebook users have commented on the announcement to express their congratulations.
"Beautiful catch young man," said one user.
"Check him out," said another.
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About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more