Big fish! Angler reels in 118 pound bighead carp, sets Oklahoma record

GROVE, Okla. (KFOR) - An angler at an Oklahoma lake recently reeled in a record-breaking fish.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is asking anglers for a bit of help as they try and free Grand Lake of an invasive species, the bighead carp.

Recently, Bryan Baker with Spoonbill Wreckers snagged a 118 pound bighead carp at Grand Lake, setting the first bighead carp state record.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bighead carp are native to eastern Asia and can grow up to nearly 5 feet in length and weigh more than 100 pounds.

The species was introduced to the southern United States in the 1970s to help wastewater treatment facilities keep retention ponds clean.

However, they soon started finding their way to rivers.

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation says bighead carp consume large quantities of zooplankton, aquatic insect larvae, and adults. Due to their feeding habits, they are a direct competitor with native species.

Officials say if you catch a bighead carp, do not return it to the water.