A giant grass carp weighing almost 100 pounds was recently caught in a Louisiana lake, and could have broken world records if it had been caught in a fishing contest. Biologists with the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries made the discovery on March 11 during their routine spring sampling of Lake Concordia. The catch, which measured 49.5 inches long and weighed 92 pounds, exceeds the all-catch world record set in Bulgaria in 2009 by four pounds and would tie the current American Bow Fishing Association world record set in Alabama in 2015.
What makes this catch so remarkable is not only its size but also the fact that it has never before been seen at Lake Concordia in Concordia Parish, according to the LDVF. Biologist Shelby Richard said in a news release that the carp most likely migrated through Cocodrie Bayou and the control structure into Lake Concordia. Grass carp is a plant-eating fish native to Asia and has been used in the United States since the 1960s to manage aquatic vegetation in inland water bodies. This discovery highlights the diverse range of species that can be found in Louisiana’s lakes and waterways.