An amateur angler who went rockfishing in Oregon on April Fool’s Day may have accidentally broken a world record.
Rebecca Jones of Tillamook, Oregon, started her Monday morning by digging up sand shrimp, according to an April 5 news release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. She told authorities she started fishing and hunting several years ago, and she said she was self-taught.
”[She] He then headed to Barbue Pier near Garibaldi to catch rockfish for dinner,” state officials said.
“Instead, she pulled in an eel-like fish that she had never seen before, a monkey-faced spiny.”
Missouri angler catches 97-pound bighead carp, breaking world record
Rebecca Jones of Tillamook, Oregon, caught a record-breaking monkey-faced spiny last week. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
The strange-looking monkey-faced eel is sometimes called the “monkey-faced eel,” but technically it’s not a real eel. They live in rocky, tidal areas and can survive out of water for almost a day and a half.
According to the International Game Fish Association website, the largest monkey-faced spiny was caught in June 2008 in Newport, Oregon. It weighed approximately 3 pounds, 4 ounces.
Jones’ fish weighed 4.8 pounds, meaning she could potentially break the world record. She petitioned the organization to confirm whether the fish met standards.
“I was a relative novice to fishing and was losing bait on my line, but I kept going,” she explained to state officials. “Within an hour of fishing, I felt the bite again. It wasn’t a hard fight and the fish came up quickly.”
Federal authorities seize 1,250 pounds of ‘illegal fish’ in Texas waters
Jones’ Monkey Face Spiny weighed 4.8 pounds, meaning she could potentially break the world record. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
“But it was such a strong fish that I had to sit on it to get the hook out.”
Jones told state officials he watches hunting and fishing videos to learn valuable skills. She mostly hunts and fishes in solitude, informed by her books and magazines, as well as Oregon fishing and hunting regulations.
“She has been hunting deer, elk, and bear for three years,” the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a press release. “This year she’s putting her skills to the test during spring turkey season.”
Click here to sign up for our lifestyle newsletter
Rebecca Jones taught herself everything she knows by watching videos and reading books about hunting and fishing. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
“Jones, who lives in Tillamook, uses trout and saltwater fishing to land ocean salmon, rockfish and Dungeness crab.”
The impressive fisherman said she wants to teach other women to “pass.” [these skills] To the next generation. ”
“I have a passion for fishing, hunting, crabbing and clamming,” she said. “And we encourage women to develop these skills, use them and pass them on to the next generation.”
Jones expressed interest in teaching women how to “pass” [these skills] To the next generation. ” (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Taking advantage of the opportunities Oregon offers will increase your confidence and self-efficacy,” Jones added.
For more lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle..
