An angler broke a Lone Star State record by catching a 71-pound fish in an infamous Texas lake earlier this summer.
The catch, which was a smallmouth buffalo, was announced on Friday. The 71-pound behemoth was swimming in Austin’s Lady Bird Lake when it was captured using a fishing rod and reel.
Lady Bird Lake has become notorious for being the site of several dead bodies over the past 18 months. Last summer, the discovery of a John Doe body spurred rumors that a serial killer’s victims were dumped in the lake.
In a social media post, Texas Parks & Wildlife identified the angler as Austin Anderson and shared a picture of the fisherman beaming while holding his catch. The fish, which was 44.5 inches long, was later released.
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Texas officials say that the 71-pound smallmouth buffalo catch broke records. (Texas Parks & Wildlife via X)
“Austin Anderson caught this massive Smallmouth Buffalo on 6/10/24 using a rod and reel,” the post read.
“Austin earned a Big Fish Award, Water Body Record, Water Body Catch-and-Release Record, and – last but not least – a State Catch-and-Release Record for his catch.”
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The fish was caught in Lady Bird Lake, where several dead bodies have been located over the past one and a half years. (Getty Images / Texas Parks & Wildlife via X)
Social media users were impressed by the record-breaking fish.
“This is too cool!” one X user wrote. “Glad to see the species doing well! Such a neat fish, very intelligent.”
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Austin Anderson caught a 71-pound fish in Lady Bird Lake. (Texas Parks & Wildlife via X)
“Holy cow!” another wrote.
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Texas Parks & Wildlife told Fox News Digital that anglers interested in breaking fishing records should always take proper measurement photos of their catches, which includes keeping the fish’s mouth closed and tail pinched.
“If anglers are serious about setting records, TPWD recommends that they have their own personal scales certified,” the department added. “That way, it makes it much easier to release the fish while also getting a certified weight to potentially be eligible for weight-based records like Water Body Records and State Records.”
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