2019, February 9: One Big Goldfish!

On Saturday, Febrary 9, 2019, Hunter Anderson of Danville, Kentucky, was out with his girlfriend when they decided to try their luck fishing in a pond known to have large koi and goldfish. Anderson had his fishing rod with him, but no bait; so he used a bit of a biscuit. 

        His bait soon got a bite, and he could tell he'd caught something big... but he didn't expect what he eventually pulled from the pond.

Anderson's catch! [Larger version here] 

        The goldfish weighed about twenty pounds, Anderson estimated, and put up a really good fight; he'd never been so excited by a catch before!

        Unusual though the fish's size is, goldfish don't actually have a maximum size they grow to... rather, being part of the carp family of fish, as long as there's food and a healthy environment, they'll just keep growing. Most goldfish in tanks actually have their growth stunted by unhealthy water conditions; not by the size of the tank. So, in the right environment, the size shown above is perfectly possible!

        After the picture was taken, Anderson set the fish free again: "I wanted to make sure it got back to the water safely so maybe a kid can catch it someday and be as happy as I was." The photo was shared by Anderson's sister to social media, and hit the national news on February 13. Well done, Hunter!

        By the way, if you want to see a huge koi, follow the link below.