A MONSTER carp weighing in at 14.17kg and estimated to be at least a decade old was pulled from the depths of Lake Tuggeranong during the annual Great Carp Catch yesterday.
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Jason Tener, 21, hooked the leviathan on 10 pound braided line. The keen angler caught the monster on the lakes' southern side, near the town centre. He started early, staking out a spot at 8.30am and burleyed with bread for half an hour before setting his lines. The fish took the bait 30 minutes later.
''[It] only took 10 minutes to land,'' Mr Tener said.
The massive fish was 3kg heavier than its nearest competitor.
''It didn't realise it was hooked until it was already in close. When we got it into the bank and tried to net it it nearly got away.''
Fish biologist at the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra Ben Broadhurst said it was likely to be a record catch.
''This is a massive carp, among the biggest ever caught in the ACT, that's for sure,'' Mr Broadhurst said.
The fish expert said Australian carp can grow to 1.2m long and weigh 60kg.
''An individual of this size would have to be 10 to 15 years of age, a true monster carp.''
Mr Tener caught six carp overall. He regularly catches carp, redfin and yellow-belly in Canberra's urban lakes and rates the fish as one the biggest he has caught.
''It's pretty decent, it's in my top five. But it doesn't beat a kingfish I caught when I was out in my uncle's boat,'' he said.
The Evatt man won a rod, cap and trophy for his effort.
The Great Carp Catch was held yesterday as part of the Tuggeranong Festival. The festival continues today with a dawn to dusk charity soccer match at Kambah playing fields, a mixed pairs bowling tournament at Greenway, archery lessons and a BMX and skate competition at the Tuggeranong Skate Park.
