Fisherman stunned after reeling in monstrous, record-breaking fish: 'It's incredible'

A skilled angler has landed what is likely to be confirmed as a record-setting bighead carp, according to Wired2Fish.

The catch was made by Bryan Baker in Oklahoma's Grand Lake o' the Cherokees. The tally for the bighead carp was 118 pounds and 10 ounces. While the catch weight is awaiting official confirmation, that beats the previous state record of 118 pounds and 3 ounces, which was also made by Baker, and Wired2Fish argued it could even be considered a world record.

According to the outlet, since Baker "snagged" the fish, meaning impaled it rather than caught it using a traditional hook and line, it cannot be registered as an official world record with the International Game Fish Association.

Snag fishing is encouraged in the area, though, to keep the populations under control. Carp are classified as invasive, making them a useful target for fishermen.

The fish are known to feed voraciously on phytoplankton. This is useful in areas overrun with plankton, which was the primary reason for the original introduction of the fish to the area. However, carp feeding on plankton can quickly lead to ecosystem collapse when there's no plankton left for other species. The problem has gotten big enough in the Mississippi River Basin that it has spawned an interagency effort to combat the invasion, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service explained. Another similar initiative is underway around the Great Lakes.

This is a classic story of invasive species. They are usually moved by humans into new areas, where wildlife may not encounter the same checks and balances as their native habitat. This allows invasive species to outcompete local natives, monopolizing resources like food and space. This leads to a decline in biodiversity and ultimately carries hundreds of billions in economic costs annually around the world.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

While Baker's specialized targeting of carp is good news for reducing populations of an invasive species, his use of sonar to do so has its own ecological costs, as The Conversation noted.

Sonar produces significant noise pollution underwater, which can disorient all animal life in the area. That noise can dissuade fish from feeding or breeding in an area, introduce difficulties in offspring learning survival skills, and hamper an animal's ability to avoid predators.

Baker remained highly impressed with the work done by state biologists on the carp he caught. They extract a bone in the fish's ear canal to determine a wealth of information.

"Biologists can take the otoliths and, by looking at growth rings, they can tell how old a carp is," Baker said, per Wired2Fish. "It's sort of like reading the growth rings of a tree trunk. They can even learn what rivers a fish was in during its lifetime. It's incredible what the Oklahoma fishery folks are doing. There are some very smart people doing this work."