An Oklahoma angler recently reeled in a record-breaking catch, and wildlife officials are thanking him.
Bryan Baker, with the fishing guide service Spoonbill Wreckers, caught a 118-pound bighead carp after casting a line at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, the state Department of Wildlife Conservation said in a May 12 Facebook post.
The catch is not only a new state record, it’s a small step toward eliminating an invasive species, the post said.
“We’ve asked skilled anglers to help capture invasive bighead carp from Grand Lake, and Oklahoma anglers have answered the call!” the department said.
Baker’s catch outweighs the current bighead carp world record by roughly 28 pounds, according to International Game Fish Association records.
However, Baker’s fish was snagged and not baited, meaning it was caught by a hook that it didn’t bite, The Oklahoman reported.
Snagging is prohibited by the IGFA, so Baker’s bighead carp won’t be recognized as a world record.
Native to eastern China, bighead carp were brought to the U.S. in 1972 by a fish farmer in Arkansas, but they began appearing in public waters about a decade later, according to wildlife officials.
Now they’ve been found in Oklahoma rivers and lakes as far north as the Kansas border, and down to the state’s southern border with Texas, officials said.
“Bighead carp consume large quantities of zooplankton, aquatic insect larvae and adults,” the post said. “Because of their feeding habits, bighead carp are a direct competitor with our native species like paddlefish, and bigmouth buffalo; as well as all larval and juvenile fishes and native mussels.”
If a bighead carp is caught, the only thing officials ask is that they not be released.
“If you catch this invasive species DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE WATER,” the post said.
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