Oklahoma Angler Set a New State Record While Bowfishing

Oklahoma's newest state record fish is not only a big win for the angler that landed it, but it's also a double-punch win-win for all Oklahoma anglers.

This is the Bighead Carp.

It's an ugly little fish from Southeast Asia that was supposed to be the savior of organic waste management in the river systems of the Southern United States, but has instead become the biggest threat to America's freshwater ecosystem.

They were literally introduced into settling ponds to eat poop and help transition waste water back into nature. As every story of animal importation goes, these fish quickly exploded in population and are quite literally taking over the Mississippi River system.

As they spread, while they do provide plenty of hilarious content for creators...

They are a huge ecological drain on the ecosystems of America's biggest river system.

The new state record silver carp was harvested with a fishing bow and arrow setup by Stephen Banaszak in the Red River. It weighs 31.3 pounds.

This is the fifth new record fish caught so far in 2023.

It's worth noting that if you do happen to catch one of these ugly fish, you're not supposed to return them to the water. They're an invasive species, and while their numbers are far greater than anyone can even imagine, leaving the few you snag to die on the bank is what ODWC is asking everyone to do.