A fisherman caught a massive 30-pound catfish, which “broke the scale” while being weighed at Hesperia Lake Park.
Hesperia Recreation and Park District officials on Monday said the massive catfish was reeled in at the lake on July 26. Officials congratulated the unidentified angler, who they said, “brought this legend to the shoreline.”
Beware “Catzilla”
Park officials also warned of another lake monster yearning to be caught, the “legendary 50-pound” catfish dubbed “Catzilla.”
“Hold onto your rods, because the lake’s true king has yet to be crowned,” park officials said. “If a 30-pounder can break the scale, what is Catzilla going to do?”
In the social media post, park officials also posted photos of the 30-pound and 50-pound catfish before the lake was stocked.
Lake stocked regularly
The 7-acre lake is stocked regularly with thousands of pounds of fish — catfish, trout and sturgeon.
On July 3, the park received 2,000 pounds of channel catfish, and 1,000 pounds on July 10. On July 24, the lake was stocked with 500 pounds of tilapia and 1,000 pounds of channel catfish.
In June, the lake was stocked twice with 1,000 pounds of catfish. Park officials said most catfish have been in the three- to five-pound range.
There’s always a bigger fish
The California state record catfish, a 53.8-pounder, was caught in the San Joaquin River in 2008, according to KUSI News.
The International Game Fish Association world all-tackle channel catfish, weighing 58 pounds, was caught in 1964 from South Carolina’s Santee-Cooper Reservoir.
What are channel catfish?
The International Game Fish Association said channel catfish are currently distributed through most of the U.S. and parts of southern Canada and northern Mexico.
Channel catfish prefer clean bottoms of sand or gravel in larger lakes and rivers. They feed mainly on crayfish, fish, and insects, generally at night
Channel catfish are highly regarded for their food and sports value, and are reared commercially and transported throughout the country.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fisherman snags massive 30-pound catfish at Hesperia Lake
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
