Teen Reels In 20-Pound Catch Using Bagel In Central Park: Report

CENTRAL PARK, NY — A teenager reeled in a huge catch in Central Park using a bagel piece as bait to catch a 20-pound Carp, according to reports.

George Gjerdji, 13, hooked the giant Carp while fishing off the Bethesda Terrace on Thursday, the New York Post first reported. The catch isn't Gjerdji's first big catch in the park either. Exactly one year ago on June 18, 2019, the Westchester native caught a 30-pound fish in the park, he told the Post.

Both fish had to be thrown back into Central Park's waters due to the park's strict "catch and release" policy. Anglers are permitted to cast off into the Central Park Lake, Central Park Pond and the Harlem Meer, which the Central Park Conservancy considers the park's "preferred fishing area." Fishing is not allowed at Turtle Pond or the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

For New Yorkers not in the know, Central Park's waters are home to a variety of aquatic life such as "Black Crappie, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Chain Pickerel, Catfish, Bass, Carp, Bluegill Sunfish, and Crayfish," according to the Central Park Conservancy.

Read the full NY Post article, and check out photos of the big catch, here.