A 15-year-old Ohio girl is making headlines with a record-breaking catch — a giant blue catfish that’s practically her size.
Jaylynn Parker of New Richmond was fishing in the Ohio River with her father and a family friend on Sunday when she hooked the massive 101-pound fish.
Photos captured on that day show Jaylynn holding the catfish over her knee with a giant grin on her face.
“It’s official, our daughter Jaylynn Parker caught the new OHIO STATE record blue cat !! Had him officially weighed this morning 101.11,” the girl’s mother, Kristen Powell Parker, wrote on Facebook.
“Huge shout out to my husband and his buddy Jeff Sams this would not have been possible without you guys, thank you jeff and chuck for always taking her out fishing doing what she loves to do,” the proud mom continued. “He was successfully released back into the Ohio river with very stable health. He should have no troubles in living out the rest of his life back in the wild.”
Jaylynn’s father, Chuck Parker, and family friend, Jeff Sams, also looked proud of the teen in pictures of the impressive catch.
“The fish was caught jug fishing, which we love to do during flood waters. It’s a fun way to make the best of a bad situation. This time it [paid off] in a HUGE way,” the friend, Jeff Sams, wrote on Facebook.
Speaking with local outlet WLWT, Jaylynn said “Little did I know that I would have the chance to pull in the fish of a lifetime, weighing in at 101 pounds.”
She also gave credit to her dad and Sams, who helped her bring the heavy fish out of the water to get it weighed.
“Obviously, I needed help with the fish since I’m only 117 pounds myself, without Jeff and my dad this wouldn’t have been possible,” the girl stated.
As a young new record-breaker, she’s only just beginning.
“I am excited to see where my fishing adventures lead, and I hope to catch a bigger one soon,” Jaylynn said.
