Shrewsbury Fisherman Catches Huge Carp

When Shane Flech saw a man bow fishing on Lake Quinsigamond a few years ago, he thought he'd give it a try.

"I was out a Flint Pond (part of Lake Quinsigamond) in April and saw a large carp," said Flech who lives on the lake and has large flood lights on the front of his boat that he uses when he fishes. "I shot it with my bow and grabbed it with my hands."

But the behemoth wasn’t about to go quietly: Shane Felch and his two fishing buddies had to work hard to drag the behemoth from the shallows, according to Boston.com. In fact, for a while that April night, the carp took them on a joyride.

“It pulled us around for five or 10 minutes,” Felch told Boston.com.

Flech said he contacted Mass Wildlife because he realized that it was larger than average. A carp usually lives to about 50 years and on average, he said, they can grow to about 25-30 pounds.

His whopper, however, weighed in at 46 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 42-inches long with a girth of 28 inches.

"We broke the state record and we're waiting to hear back about the national record," Felch said.

Felch said he has caught big fish, but this was by far the largest he ever caught on Lake Quinsigamond.

Felch, who has enjoyed bow fishing a lot more than traditional fishing, gave the huge carp to a friend of a friend.

"I always give the fish I catch away for other people to eat," Felch said. "I don't eat the fish I caught."

So, what he advice does he have for other fisherman?

"Stay away from Flint Pond," he said, laughing. He definitely doesn't want anyone crowding his style or to miss out on an opportunity to tell another fish tale.

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