When Hackett prepared for his fishing expedition, he harbored a strong desire to capture ‘The Carrot,’ although optimism was in short supply.
“I always knew ‘The Carrot’ was in there but never thought I would catch it,” he shared with the Daily Mail. Recounting the intense moment, he added, “I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait and went off side to side and up and down with it. Then it came to the surface 30 or 40 yards out, and I saw that it was orange. It was brilliant to catch it but it was also sheer luck.” He noted that it took approximately 25 minutes to finally reel in the colossal catch.
Jason Cowler, the fishery’s manager, extended congratulations to Hackett, acknowledging, “We put ‘The Carrot’ in about 20 years ago as something different for the customers to fish for. Since then, it has grown and grown, but it doesn’t often come out. She is very elusive.” He reassured that the orange giant was “in excellent health and condition” and commended Andy on the achievement.
At nearly 70 pounds, Hackett’s catch surpassed previous records held by Jason Fugate, who, in 2019, caught a 30-pound goldfish in Minnesota, and Italian Raphael Biagini, who also landed a goldfish weighing about 30 pounds in the south of France in 2010.
And what became of “The Carrot?” After a weigh-in and a few glamour shots, it was responsibly released back into the waters of Bluewater Lakes. Hackett marked the glorious catch with a well-deserved cup of tea