Two young anglers spending some time outdoors in Arizona came home with an incredible memory—a once-in-a-lifetime catch. Gabe Drews and a friend were fishing at Chaparral Lake near Drews’ Scottsdale home when Drews caught a rare albino catfish. The boys took some pictures with the unique fish before releasing it back into the lake.
Local news reports that Drews was fishing with some gifted bait from a fellow angler he and his friend met at the lake. “It was catfish guts and blood and mixed with bread,” Drews told 12 News. “And it’s really stinky, so the fish like it.”
Drews reports that he cast his line out 30-40 feet in the middle of the lake when he snared the albino catfish. After reeling it in, celebrating, and taking a picture with his prized catch, Drews sent the white fish back on its way, possibly for another lucky angler to catch in the future.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department told 12 News that an albino catfish is “definitely not common,” but that there’s always a chance one of these rare fish will end up stocked in Arizona’s community waters. For this young angler, his line was in the right place at the right time, and it deepened his love for fishing.
Watch the local news segment here:
Have you ever had a surprise catch?