LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — A group of 12-year-old friends in Livonia made the catch of a lifetime when they reeled in what appears to be a rare alligator gar fish, a species not native to Michigan waters.
"It's probably this big. It's a monster fish. It's like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of fish," Nathan Wilson of Livonia said.
Watch the video report below:
The boys were fishing for bluegill at Jaycee Park in Livonia when they hooked something unexpected.
"I really didn't know what to do because I was a little scared," Evan Mosher of Livonia said.
"It's pretty rare. It's not even supposed to be here," Max Murphy of Livonia. said
Watch video of the alligator gar in the video player below:
Gideon Martin said they were just having a typical day fishing.
"We were just like fishing for some bluegill, paying a game," Gideon said.
The rare catch happened when the boys were reeling in a bluegill that was still on their line, which apparently attracted the larger predator fish.
After catching the unusual fish, Max called his father, who was initially skeptical.
"They call us up and tell us they caught this alligator gar. We were all a little skeptical about it. Then they sent us the pictures and we're looking at it and get on Google and go, 'ehh, maybe they're right,'" said Ian Murphy, Max's father.
"It's an intimidating looking fish and it's something that would probably terrify a lot of people."
The boys released the fish back into the pond. When I interviewed the young anglers at the same location, we spotted the alligator gar swimming in the murky water.
John Buszkiewicz with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed the rarity of the sighting.
"Seeing these photos, it was clear that it was something that I have never seen before," Buszkiewicz said.
The DNR was initially skeptical because alligator gar are not native to Michigan waters.
Hear more from John Buszkiewicz in the video player below:
"The alligator gar are from the Mississippi basin," Buszkiewicz said.
According to Buszkiewicz, the fish was likely dumped in the park retention pond by someone.
"It's a little concerning. I don't know how well the alligator gar can survive over the winter," he said.
For these young fishermen, the experience remains a highlight they won't soon forget.
"I mean, it was a crazy atmosphere, like Stanley Cup finals type of stuff," Nathan said.
"Probably the catch of a lifetime," Evan said.
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