You've probably head that fisherman are known to exaggerate. But the stories coming out of Augusta Lake lately are no lie.
"The biggest one we caught today we're guessing is about 50 pounds," says Matt Hunn.Augusta is draining the lake to conduct repairs on the spillway and dam. To avoid a massive fish kill, the city is asking for the public's help with a fish salvage, catching the remaining fish that live in Augusta Lake.
You don't even need a fishing pole. The City of Augusta wants all of the fish removed, and encouraging people to use whatever means necessary. The only things banned are explosives and electricity.
It wasn't until this week that fishing at Augusta lake turned into a "big" deal. The fish are all concentrating in one area, making it a fisherman's dream.
Matt Hunn spent Wednesday fishing Augusta Lake with his friends, pulling in some of the biggest fish they have ever caught.
"It's a lot of fun," says Matt. "You don't get the opportunity to catch fish this size that often. We've been pretty fortunate." In a single day, they caught several flat-head catfish, each weighing 40 to 60 pounds.
Catches like these are not something you see every day. Hunn says he has been fishing Augusta Lake for 30 years, and never had a day like this one.
The city says the salvage will continue as long as there is water in the lake.
"As long as we can catch them, we'll keep coming back," says Hunn.
