Tennessee man reels in prehistoric fish

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Two friends were fly fishing in the Caney Fork River on Saturday when they reeled in something they were not expecting.

They were hoping to land some nice-sized bass, or two, but what they brought to shore was actually a 5-foot long, 55 pound paddlefish.

According to officials with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the American paddlefish is a prehistoric fish that can live past 30 years old and weigh up to 200 pounds.


They can be found in multiple rivers including the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.

It took the friends about 30 min to reel this beast in, after which photos were taken and it was safely released back.

Story via Alivia Harris with WYMT