A man was shocked when he unexpectedly reeled in a prehistoric fish while catfishing in a Missouri river.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, Chandler Lee Tudor hooked and caught a 4-foot lake sturgeon from the Gasconade River.
Tudor was fishing at the Riddle Bridge Access, using worms as bait to try and capture a catfish.
Lake sturgeon are enormous, extinct fish that reside in the Missouri and Mississippi River basins, according to wildlife officials. They can reach 8-foot lengths and 300-pound weights.
According to the MDC, lake sturgeon are protected in Missouri as an endangered species and must be released back into the water after being taken.
The MDC reported that the fish was quickly put back into the Gasconade River after a brief photo was taken to document the catch.
