An Oklahoma man caught a paddlefish weighing in at 146 pounds, 11 ounces Sunday, which bested the world record by more than two pounds.
The fish was measured at 70.5 inches in length and a 45-inch girth and while James Lukehart has not been officially certified as a world record holder yet, he was officially certified as the Oklahoma state record holder. He beat the Oklahoma rod-and-reel paddlefish record by 3 pounds, 11 ounces, according to the Paddlefish Research Center and Northeast Region Fisheries staff.
“It was exciting,” Lukehart told the Tulsa World. “My wife filmed everything and I’m finally watching the video. My facial expressions, and I don’t think I said anything too improper, it was just total excitement.”
After its measurements were taken, the fish was released under guidance from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.