A normally serene lake in the high desert region of San Bernardino County is buzzing this week with news that a scale-breaking fish was recently landed, and another monster fish, known to locals as \u201cCatzilla,\u201d still lurks in the lake\u2019s dark depths.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Javier Fuentes woke up at 4:30 a.m. to prep for an all-day fishing excursion at Hesperia Lake Park, which opens to anglers at 6 a.m.<\/p>\n
Fuentes, a construction worker, is a dedicated angler who often spends his days off reeling in fish from the lake and then turning over his catch to his wife for cleaning and preparing for dinner. \u201cThey\u2019re a team,\u201d said Carla Prieto, Fuentes\u2019 daughter-in-law. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s caught large fish before, Prieto said, but on Sunday Fuentes managed to reel in a 30-pound catfish that \u201cliterally broke the scale.\u201d <\/p>\n
In the Hesperia Recreation and Park District\u2019s Facebook post<\/a>, Fuentes is seen grinning while gripping his landing net that can\u2019t contain the massive catfish \u2014 the fish\u2019s tail end is shown dangling out of the net. <\/p>\n The state records<\/a> for catfish range from 22 pounds to 113 pounds, depending on the species. But it has been decades since any of those records were set.<\/p>\n Prieto wasn\u2019t entirely surprised her father-in-law landed the 30-pounder because she said he\u2019s very dedicated to the sport. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s literally about 20 to 30 catfish from the lake in the freezer,\u201d she said. \u201cThis guy is all about it.\u201d<\/p>\n When he came home with the monster catfish on Sunday, Prieto said she heard her mother-in-law\u2019s exclaiming, \u201cHe caught a big fish,\u201d before she laid eyes on the scaly creature. <\/p>\n While Fuetes\u2019 prize fish represents the lake\u2019s biggest catch in some time, legend has it that the lake is home to an even larger counterpart: a 50-pound catfish dubbed \u201cCatzilla,\u201d which was caught but escaped days later. <\/p>\n The behemoth fish was hooked on Thursday by local fisherman Justin Broussard after an \u201cunforgettable battle that had nearby anglers watching in amazement,\u201d district officials said.<\/p>\n When Broussard and his friend attempted to put Catzilla into the fishing basket, with the intention of then releasing it, the 50-pounder violently thrashed and slipped free. <\/p>\n The two massive catfish have energized the fishing community at the lake, said Robert Hernandez, general manager of the park district. <\/p>\n Hesperia lacks the widely available activities found in an urban center, so when monstrous fish are caught in the local lake, \u201cit picks up traction pretty quickly,\u201d Hernandez said.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised if we get some people that are not fisherman and get out there just trying to see if they can catch [Catzilla],\u201d he added. <\/p>\n The excitement surrounding the lake is a huge win for the district and the fishing community after Hesperia Lake Park closed for three months at the start of the year, he said.<\/p>\n