A woman from Oregon unexpectedly caught the heaviest rare monkeyface fish which she had never seen before in her life.
According to Fox News, Rebecca Jones of Tillamook told officials that she started fishing and hunting just years ago, learning by herself through videos on the internet.
The largest of its kind was caught in 2008 in New Port, Oregon, and weighed over 3 pounds.
Her fish weighed 4.8 pounds, rendering the species a possible candidate for record-breaking weight.
“[She] then headed to Barview Jetty near Garibaldi hoping to catch rockfish for dinner,” the officials explained.
“Instead, she hauled in an eel-like fish she’d never seen before, the monkeyface prickleback.”
These fish are also known as “monkeyface eels”, however, they are not technically eels.
The fish can survive over a day if removed from water and live in tidal and rocky areas.
“I’m relatively new to fishing and was losing bait off my line, but I kept at it,” she was quoted as saying.
“Within an hour of fishing, I felt another hit. It wasn’t a hard fight, the fish came right up. But it was a very strong fish though, I had to sit on it to get the hook out.”
“She’s been hunting deer, elk, and bear for three years,” the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said, adding that “this year, she’s trying her skills at spring turkey season.”
