Holy Carp! 67-pound invasive fish caught in Oklahoma

DELAWARE COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) -- The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) says a fishing guide service recently caught a 67-pound male bighead carp in the Grand Lake area.

Fisheries biologists have asked skilled fishing guides for help in capturing invasive bighead carp out of the Grand Lake system, according to ODWC.

"Shout out to High Water Guide Service for reeling in this massive 67-pound male bighead carp!" said ODWC on Facebook. "They've gotten us a few now and we simply can't appreciate it enough."

According to the ODWC, the bighead carp is native to eastern China and was first brought to the United States in 1972 by an Arkansas fish farmer.

"The bighead carp utilizes open water areas, moving about in the surface zones of large lowland rivers, consuming large quantities of blue-green algae, zooplankton, and aquatic insect larvae and adults," the ODWC stated. "Because of its feeding habits, bighead carp are a direct competitor with paddlefish, bigmouth buffalo, and gizzard shad; as well as with all larval and juvenile fishes and native mussels."

Bighead carp captured out of the Grand Lake system will be used for ongoing research on this population.

If you find a bighead carp in the Grand Lake system, do not return it to the water and report it to the Porter Office at 918-683-1031 or the Paddlefish Research Center at 918-542-9422.