NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — A teen from New Richmond caught a 101-pound blue catfish in the backwaters of the Ohio River, breaking Ohio's state record.
The fish was caught Sunday while jug fishing, and 15-year-old Jaylynn Parker's mom Kristen knew they had a record winner once it got to the bank. Kristen Parker said game wardens from Adams, Clermont and Brown counties came out to survey the fish.
The blue catfish weighed exactly 101 pounds and 11 ounces, and it was 56 inches long with a 39-inch girth.
"Like I just have so much joy and I'm so, I'm just so excited. I mean, like it's, I never would have thought that I would've caught a fish like this," Jaylynn Parker said. "You never think something like that will happen to you until it does, and then you're like that just happened to me."
The teen, who has a love of fishing usually goes fishing with her dad, her mom said in a Facebook post.
"I feel kind of honored to do it because it really puts out [a] perspective that girls can do what guys do, and I'm hoping that this shows more younger girls my age that they can do this too," Jaylynn Parker said. "And they could possibly break the next state record too."
After having it officially weighed — and of course, taking several pictures — Parker released the fish back into the river.
A video shared with WCPO 9 shows four men placing the huge fish back into the river as Parker watched from the dock.
Once the fish was settled in the water, it began swimming away from the shore. Parker then celebrated
Approximately 30 seconds after entering the water, the fish began to move and swam away. After it swam away, Parker celebrated herself by jumping into the water.
Watch Live:
