Missouri Bow Fisherman Sets New Record By Catching 125-Pound Fish

A Missouri man broke the state's record after shooting a 125-pound, 5-ounces bighead carp at Lake Perry.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Matt Neuling of Perryville set a state and qualified for a new world record after catching a bighead carp while bowfishing.

"I was out with my buddy early that morning when we both shot what we thought was a 30-pound grass carp," Neuling recalled. "My buddy's arrow pulled out, but mine shot straight through and stayed in there."

Neuling said his friend shot another arrow into the fish and that's how they were able to capture it. "We knew what type of fish it was, but we had never seen one that size. This thing is a straight-up monster. A five-gallon bucket could easily fit in its mouth. If my buddy wasn't with me, there was no way I could have pulled it out of the water," Neuling told the MDC.

After being weighed on a certified scale in Perry County, it was determined that this was the eighth state record fish recorded this year. The previous weight for the bowfishing world record was 104-pounds, 15-ounces. "You know, I set that goal of breaking a record every time I go out to fish, but I never would have thought I’d be breaking a record with this fish," Neuling added.

The MDC Fisheries estimated the fish to be about 10 years old. "When fish get this size, we estimate it to be at least 10-years-old," said MDC Fisheries Program Specialist Andrew Branson. "Bighead carp are an invasive fish from Asia. This particular fish is an example of just how well an invasive species can thrive if given the opportunity. We encourage people to harvest these fish to help remove them from our waters."