Ohio Teen Catches Three-foot Grass Carp in Flooded Street
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.16.14
For one 16-year-old, catching a 40-pound fish is as easy as scooping one off the street. That is exactly what Jake Sawyer did when heavy rains flooded the streets of North Royalton, Ohio on Monday night. According to WKYC, the teenager heard neighbors mention a large fish in the water and he decided to go after it.
“I was wearing Crocs. It was the first thing I saw so I just grabbed my Crocs and ran in the water,” he said. “Hillbilly fishing.”
Grass carp, also known as white amur, is a chubby fish that can grow up to five feet and weigh close to 90 pounds. The specimen that Sawyer fished out of the water is estimated at three feet and 40 pounds.
“I just slowly put my hand on it, and then once it got comfortable with me, I just kind of bear-hugged it and lifted it up,” he told the Associated Press.
Sawyer carried the fish back to the pond where it came from and released it. White amur is considered an Asian carp, but it should not be confused with the more notorious bighead or silver carp. Grass carp are still stocked in 43 states—including Ohio—for aquacultural purposes. The fish have a big appetite for unwanted vegetation and can be very useful in removing certain plants. Ohio law does not allow the importation or stocking of fertile grass carp.
You can watch Sawyer grab the large carp below:
