Massive ‘scale-breaking’ catfish caught in Southern California lake; ‘Catzilla’ still on the loose

A normally serene lake in the high desert region of San Bernardino County is buzzing this week with news that a scale-breaking fish was recently landed, and another monster fish, known to locals as “Catzilla,” still lurks in the lake’s dark depths.

On Sunday, Javier Fuentes woke up at 4:30 a.m. to prep for an all-day fishing excursion at Hesperia Lake Park, which opens to anglers at 6 a.m.

Fuentes, a construction worker, is a dedicated angler who often spends his days off reeling in fish from the lake and then turning over his catch to his wife for cleaning and preparing for dinner. “They’re a team,” said Carla Prieto, Fuentes’ daughter-in-law.

He’s caught large fish before, Prieto said, but on Sunday Fuentes managed to reel in a 30-pound catfish that “literally broke the scale.”

In the Hesperia Recreation and Park District’s Facebook post, Fuentes is seen grinning while gripping his landing net that can’t contain the massive catfish — the fish’s tail end is shown dangling out of the net.

The state records for catfish range from 22 pounds to 113 pounds, depending on the species. But it has been decades since any of those records were set.

Prieto wasn’t entirely surprised her father-in-law landed the 30-pounder because she said he’s very dedicated to the sport.

“There’s literally about 20 to 30 catfish from the lake in the freezer,” she said. “This guy is all about it.”

When he came home with the monster catfish on Sunday, Prieto said she heard her mother-in-law’s exclaiming, “He caught a big fish,” before she laid eyes on the scaly creature.

While Fuetes’ prize fish represents the lake’s biggest catch in some time, legend has it that the lake is home to an even larger counterpart: a 50-pound catfish dubbed “Catzilla,” which was caught but escaped days later.

The behemoth fish was hooked on Thursday by local fisherman Justin Broussard after an “unforgettable battle that had nearby anglers watching in amazement,” district officials said.

When Broussard and his friend attempted to put Catzilla into the fishing basket, with the intention of then releasing it, the 50-pounder violently thrashed and slipped free.

The two massive catfish have energized the fishing community at the lake, said Robert Hernandez, general manager of the park district.

Hesperia lacks the widely available activities found in an urban center, so when monstrous fish are caught in the local lake, “it picks up traction pretty quickly,” Hernandez said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we get some people that are not fisherman and get out there just trying to see if they can catch [Catzilla],” he added.

The excitement surrounding the lake is a huge win for the district and the fishing community after Hesperia Lake Park closed for three months at the start of the year, he said.

A downpour on Christmas Day caused severe damage to the recreational area, including significant flooding and washouts prompting a massive cleanup.

Once the cleanup was completed, the district reopened the lake in April and stocked it with 2,000 pounds of trout and 500 pounds of lightning trout. But, for now, the catfish are the big draw.