See it: Angler shatters Idaho state record with unforgettable catch
Originally from eastern Asia, grass carp are an invasive species to North America. The animals were brought to the U.S. in part as a method to control algal blooms.
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ELK CITY, Idaho – An Idaho man made the catch of a lifetime when he caught a grass carp weighing nearly 70 pounds, Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) officials announced on Tuesday.
Riley Farden of New Plymouth caught the giant fish while bowfishing on the Snake River, a popular fishing site for anglers.
IDFG officials said Farden’s catch broke the state record for the species.
Riley Farden holds his record-breaking catch.
(Idaho Fish and Game / FOX Weather)
Weighing 67.65 pounds, the animal beat the previous grass carp archery record of 38.5 pounds, along with the grass carp rod/reel record of 46.7 pounds.
The record-breaking carp also measured about 49 inches long with a girth of nearly 33 inches, according to the IDFG.
Grass carp are a large member of the minnow family, and can grow up to nearly 5 feet in length, according to the Invasive Carp Regional Coordination Committee (ICRCC) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
They noted that grass carp over 10 years old can weigh more than 80 pounds.
FILE: Grass carp.
(USGS / FOX Weather)
Grass carp are native to eastern Asia, the USGS said. The animals were brought to the U.S. in the 1970s for human food and as a way to control algal blooms in wastewater and treatment plants.
Since then, the animals have become an invasive species, spreading to 45 states, the USGS noted.
One of those states is Alabama, where the world record for the largest grass carp caught by a bowfisherman was set. The Bowfishing Association of America said that, in May 2015, Bryan Hughes caught a grass carp measuring 51.5 inches long and a whopping 92 pounds.