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Giant fish grabbed at Campus Lake

"Fish story_7_02_04

Brandon Sachtleben was keeping his eye on a mysterious creature violently splashing around Campus Lake on Wednesday afternoon.

Sachtleben, a junior in accounting from Redbud, Ill., spotted the huge animal while relaxing behind Steagall Hall. At first, Sachtleben and his friend Jason Hess, a junior in construction management from Ottawa, Ill., were not sure what the ambiguous creature was.

After spotting a fin pointing sharply from the water, the two came to the startling realization that they were watching a fish - a very big fish.

Amazed at his discovery, Sachtleben decided to get a closer look. He and Hess walked along the shore as the mammoth animal splashed around frantically. The green carp had led itself into a corner of the lake.

Sachtleben then jumped into the water to investigate the huge creature. From the shore, Hess watched anxiously as the green carp repeatedly reappeared and vanished beneath the surface.

"I was standing on the dock and trying to point out where the fish was," Hess said. "After about 30 minutes, I finally pinpointed it."

Hess spotted the fish directly behind Sachtleben, and it was getting closer.

"It was heading right for him," Hess recalled.

An alarmed Sachtleben turned around in the chest deep water to see the beast charging. The panicked young man grabbed a 4-inch blade from his pocket as the crazed fish bull-rushed him.

"All I was thinking was this is one big fish, and it's probably going to knock me over," Sachtleben said. "At that point, I was sure that only one of us were going to come out of the water."

Sachtleben held his blade in a stabbing motion as the menacing fish moved in closer. When the creature approached him, he jabbed the blade into the fish's gills and wrapped his arm around his giant opponent.

The struggle continued for nearly a half hour before Sachtleben finally wrested the green carp into permanent submission. After the struggle, a fisherman in a nearby canoe helped the young man and his trophy onto shore. Soon groups of people came to gawk at the intimidating fish, estimated by Sachtleben to weigh around 45 lbs.

Sachtleben does not have any plans for the fish yet, but he does recognize that his encounter makes for one memorable fish story.

Hess said he thinks Sachtleben should be commended, but not for bringing in the fish.

"I think he's pretty brave just to jump in that lake," Hess said.

 

 

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