Biologists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) recently caught a massive grass carp weighing almost 100 pounds during routine spring sampling in Lake Concordia. The fish, which measured 49.5 inches long and weighed 92 pounds, would have broken world records if it had been caught in a fishing competition. If caught, it would have surpassed the “all-tackle” world record set in Bulgaria in 2009 by four pounds and tied the current world record of the Bowfishing Association of America set in Alabama in 2015.
What made this catch particularly unique was that it was not only a large specimen but also a species that had never been seen in Lake Concordia before. Biologist Shelby Richard speculated that the fish most likely traveled through Cocodrie Bayou and into Lake Concordia via a control structure. Grass carp are originally from Asia and have been used in the U.S. since the 1960s to manage aquatic vegetation in lakes and ponds. This catch highlights how these non-native species can thrive in new environments and cause disruptions to native ecosystems if left unchecked.
