>> male narrator: JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO SWIM IN
OUR LAKES AND RIVERS... >> THERE WAS TEETH MARKS IN BOTH
ANKLES AND BLOOD COMING DOWN. >> narrator: PEOPLE REPORT
ATTACKS BY FRESHWATER FISH AS BIG AS BOATS.
>> AS I FINALLY COME OUT AND COULDN'T GET A HOLD OF HIM, HE
>> THIS THING MADE THEM LOOKE. LIKE A MINNOW.
>> narrator:<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> SEARCHES FOR A FISH NASTY ENOUGH
TO EAT ALLIGATORS... >> THAT IS AN ALLIGATOR GAR.
>> narrator: AMAZONIAN SPECIMENS THAT DEVOUR SMALL CHILDREN
USING LURES FIT FOR A GREAT WHITE.
>> TAIL LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. >> I THINK IT'S GONNA WORK GOOD.
>> THOUGHT, "THAT'S GOT TO BE, LIKE, A WOLF, SOMETHING
BIG." >> WOW, THAT WAS CLOSE.
>> narrator: WITNESSES AROUND THE WORLD REPORT SEEING
MONSTERS. ARE THEY REAL OR IMAGINARY?
SCIENCE SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS ON<i> MONSTER QUEST.</i>
EVERY SUMMER, MILLIONS OF VACATIONING FAMILIES HEAD FOR
FRESHWATER LAKES AND RIVERS TO COOL OFF AND HAVE FUN.
BUT THEY ARE NOT ALONE. THEIR SPLASHING AND LAUGHING HAS
ATTRACTED ATTENTION FROM A TOOTHY MONSTER LAYING IN WAIT.
>> NEXT THING I KNOW, WHAM. I JUST GOT HIT.
AND IT WAS--IT WAS FULL FORCE. >> IT WAS VERY HUNGRY.
AND IT TOOK A CHANCE ON SOMETHING IT SAW DANGLING IN THE
WATER. >> LIKE 20,000 NEEDLES STICKING
IN BOTH SIDES OF YOUR HAND. >> WE CAUGHT SOME HUGE ONES AS
BIG AS ABOUT THE BOW OF THE BASS BOAT.
>> narrator: ARE THESE STORIES FACT OR FICTION?<i>
MONSTER QUEST</i> WILL TRAVEL THE WORLD LOOKING FOR PROOF,
GAUGING THE DANGER TO HUMANS, USING SCIENCE TO UNLOCK THE
MYSTERY ON HOW BIG THESE CREATURES GET.
WE BEGIN IN THE AMAZON RIVER. THE TARGET: A MONSTER CATFISH.
CATFISH HAVE NO SCALES. THEIR BODIES ARE EITHER NAKED
OR COVERED IN BONY PLATES. THEY HAVE UP TO FOUR PAIRS OF
BARBELS USED MOSTLY FOR DETECTING FOOD BUT IN SOME
SPECIES CAN DELIVER A POISON STRONG ENOUGH TO HOSPITALIZE A
HUMAN. AND IF STORIES ARE TO BE
BELIEVED, THESE GIANTS ARE BIG ENOUGH TO SWALLOW SMALL CHILDREN
WHOLE. >> THE BIG ONES
CAN TAKE A SMALL KID. THEY'LL BE SWIMMING IN THE WATER
IN THE LITTLE DEEP AREA LIKE THIS.
AND THEY'LL DIVE UNDER, AND THE CATFISH WILL GET 'EM.
>> narrator: THE DARK, MURKY WATERS OF THE AMAZON HIDE MANY
DANGEROUS CREATURES LIKE PIRANHA, CAIMANS, AND SNAKES.
IT IS ALSO HOME TO THE GIANT RED-TAILED CATFISH.
THE RECORD CAUGHT ON ROD AND REEL WAS 54 INCHES LONG AND
ALMOST 108 POUNDS. BUT LOCALS SAY THEY CATCH THEM
MUCH BIGGER. >> ABOUT THIS BIG, IT WAS BIGGER
THAN HIM--THAT HE'S CAUGHT HERE. >> narrator: NATIVE AMAZONIANS
CLAIM TO REGULARLY CATCH 50-POUND CATFISH AND
OCCASIONALLY HOOK MONSTER CATS OVER 6 FEET LONG AND 200 TO 300
POUNDS. MIKE KNEE AND BRIAN COE
ARE COLORADO SPORTS FISHERMEN ON A<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> DREAM FISHING
TRIP. THEIR GOAL: TO CATCH ONE OF
THESE SPECIMENS. >> EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE
KID, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO COME SEE THE AMAZON RIVER.
>> narrator: THEY WILL BE JOINED BY LOCAL FISHING
GUIDE MARC COBOS, WHO HAS BEEN GUIDING SPORT FISHERMEN IN THESE
WATERS FOR OVER 20 YEARS. >> IT'S DANGEROUS OUT HERE.
IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE DANGEROUS OUT HERE.
>> narrator: ACCORDING TO COBOS, THE MANY TWISTS AND TURNS OF THE
RIVER CREATE DEEP POOLS WHERE THE BIG CATS ARE SAID TO HIDE
MUCH THE WAY THEY HAVE FOR MANY CENTURIES.
IN JANUARY OF 1500, SPANISH EXPLORER VICENTE YANEZ PINZON
FIRST LANDED ON WHAT IS NOW THE COAST OF BRAZIL.
HE ALSO DISCOVERED THE ESTUARY OF THE AMAZON RIVER.
HE CALLED IT<i> "RIO SANTA MARIA DE</i> <i>LA MAR DULCE."</i>
FOR 350 YEARS AFTER, THE AREA REMAINED A WILDERNESS INHABITED
MOSTLY BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE UNTIL 1850, WHEN STEAMBOAT
NAVIGATION BEGAN TO OPEN UP THE AMAZON.
IT IS STILL REMOTE ENOUGH THAT BIG FISH STORIES DON'T REACH THE
OUTSIDE WORLD. >> PEOPLE GET UP AND DOWN HERE
BY THE RIVER TAXIS. AND THAT'S--THAT'S THE ROADS,
THE WATERWAYS. >> narrator: THIS LODGE WILL
SERVE AS THE BASE CAMP FOR THE GIANT CATFISH EXPEDITION.
IT'S LOCATED IN THE HEART OF TERRITORY PROWLED BY CATFISH AND
OTHER RECORD-BREAKING GIANTS. >> WE CHOSE THIS AREA BECAUSE
AFTER FISHING ALL AROUND THE AMAZON, THIS WAS THE AREA THAT
PRODUCED THE MOST TROPHY-SIZED PEACOCK BASS.
AND IT'S 20 MINUTES FROM WHERE THE WORLD RECORD WAS CAUGHT.
>> narrator: MIKE MACEINA IS THE ONLY BIOLOGIST FROM NORTH
AMERICA CURRENTLY WORKING IN THIS AREA TO STUDY THIS
BEAUTIFUL GAME FISH. >> FISH IS 4 POUNDS 6 OUNCES.
ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, WE STARTED A LARGE TAGGING PROGRAM.
WE WEIGH AND MEASURE THE FISH. THEY'RE CAUGHT HOOK AND LINE.
WE GO AHEAD, AND WE PUT A TAG IN THE FISH, GET A GPS COORDINATE
SO WE KNOW THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE, AND LET THE FISH GO.
AND THE IDEA OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM HERE IS TO TRY AND
RECAPTURE THE FISH, DETERMINE THE GROWTH RATES AND THE
MOVEMENT OF THE FISH. >> narrator: ALTHOUGH MACEINA'S
WORK PRIMARILY CONCENTRATES ON THE PEACOCK BASS...
>> 49. >> narrator: HE'S WELL AWARE OF
THE CATFISH THAT ROAM THIS RIVER.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF BIG FISH DOWN HERE.
THERE'S SOME VERY LARGE CATFISH AND OTHER TYPES OF AMAZONIAN
NATIVES, NATIVE FISH THAT GROW VERY, VERY RAPIDLY.
>> narrator: FOR GENERATIONS, PEOPLE LIVING ALONG THE SHORES
OF THE AMAZON HAVE TOLD STORIES OF GIANT CATFISH SLURPING UP
THEIR CHILDREN. AND TO THIS DAY, THE DEEP, DARK
POOLS WHERE THESE GIANTS ARE SAID TO LIVE ARE AVOIDED.
>> I'VE HEARD STORIES OF CATFISH THAT WASH UP ON THE BEACH.
AND YOU SEE THE FEET STICKING OUT OF HIS MOUTH.
SO A SMALL CHILD IT CAN CATCH. >> narrator: THIS WOMAN SAYS IT
HAPPENED TO ONE OF HER FAMILY. >> BACK THEN, THE PARENT DIDN'T
LET THE KIDS--CHILDREN PLAY TOO MUCH IN THE RIVER, BECAUSE THE
RIVER, IT HAD A LOT OF CATFISH, BIG CATFISH.
AND THEY CALL IT THE<i> FERA,</i> WHICH IS LIKE "BEAST."
>> narrator: DURING THE MID-1970s, A LOCAL BOY WAS
ATTACKED HERE ON THE RIO NEGRO RIVER, WHERE KNEE AND COBOS ARE
SEARCHING FOR GIANT CATS. >> [speaking native language]
>> HE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD. >> narrator: THE YOUNG BOY WAS
SELECINA VALENA'S COUSIN, AND SHE REMEMBERS THE TRAGIC
STORY LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. FISHING GUIDE MARC COBOS
TRANSLATES. >> DURING THE SEASON WHEN THE
RIVER GOES DOWN, OKAY, AND ALL THE SCHOOLS OF FISH COME
OUT OF THE LAGOONS TO THE MAIN RIVER, OKAY, THE--ALL THE GUYS
IN THE VILLAGE GO OUT TO FISH. >> narrator: HER COUSIN AND
ANOTHER YOUNG BOY FOLLOWED THE MEN TO THE LAGOON IN THEIR OWN
TINY CANOE. SUDDENLY THEIR CANOE WAS STRUCK
WITH A VIOLENT THUD. A CATFISH JUMPED OUT OF THE
WATER AND HIT THE CANOE, AND THE BOY FELL IN THE WATER.
SO EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, DIVED IN AND TRIED TO FIND HIM.
AND, YOU KNOW, BUT THEN THEY COULDN'T FIND THEM.
THEY SEARCHED ALL AFTERNOON. AFTER A WEEK, THERE WERE REPORTS
THAT THEY HAD FOUND A<i> PIRAIBA,</i> THE RED-TAILED CATFISH, WITH A
SMALL CHILD IN IT. AND IT WAS DEAD ON THE SHORE.
>> narrator: THE CATFISH WAS SAID TO BE ABOUT A FOOT LARGER
THAN A MAN OR ABOUT 6 1/2 FEET LONG.
THE CATFISH APPARENTLY CHOKED ON THE 60-POUND BOY.
CATFISH ARE CONSIDERED INDISCRIMINATE FEEDERS, EATING
CRAYFISH AND MUSSELS OFF THE BOTTOM AND MINNOWS AND FISH NEAR
THE SURFACE. THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO EAT
SMALL DUCKS AND MUSKRATS. THEY ARE KNOWN TO GRAB ON TO
JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT COMES INTO RANGE,
A FACT THAT HAS CULTIVATED A DANGEROUS SPORT WHERE MAN IS THE
INTENDED BAIT. >> NOODLING'S THE ART OF
CATCHING CATFISH WITH YOUR HANDS, I MEAN, WITH YOUR BARE
NECESSITIES. >> narrator: LEE MCFARLAND IS A
WELL-KNOWN NOODLER FROM STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA.
>> DIFFERENT PLACES, IT'S DIFFERENT NAMES.
IT'S GRAPPLING. IT'S HOGGING.
IT'S STUMPING. ONLY REASON WE'VE ALWAYS
CALLED IT NOODLING IS 'CAUSE TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF THAT
FISH IS LIKE GRABBING A WET NOODLE.
TO ME, I'VE BEEN DOING IT WITH MY HANDS EVER SINCE I WAS A KID,
AND I'D RATHER DO THIS THAN CATCH 'EM WITH A ROD AND REEL
ANYTIME. NOT EVERYBODY DOES IT,
AND EVERYBODY THINKS YOU'RE CRAZY IF YOU DO.
>> narrator: MCFARLAND TARGETS FLATHEAD CATFISH, WHICH CAN BE
UP TO 5 FEET LONG AND WEIGH OVER 120 POUNDS.
>> BASICALLY, YOU JUST FIND ROCKS AND WATER AND JUST START
WALKING AROUND THEM UNTIL YOU FIND HOLES UNDERNEATH THEM.
YOU JUST GOT TO BLOCK ALL THE HOLES OFF AND REACH IN THERE AND
SEE WHAT'S IN THERE. TRY TO GET 'EM BY THE BOTTOM
LIP. AND ONCE YOU GET THAT BOTTOM LIP
WITH ONE HAND, YOU TRY TO PUT YOUR THUMB IN THE CORNERS OF THE
MOUTH OVER TO THE SIDES. AND YOU TAKE YOUR FINGERS
THROUGH THE GILLS ON EACH SIDE. AS SOON AS YOU GET A HOLD OF
THEM GILLS AND YOU BRING HIM OUT, YOU TRY TO PUT THAT TAIL
BETWEEN YOUR LEG AND WRAP YOUR LEGS AROUND THAT TAIL TO CONTROL
THE TAIL. IF YOU DON'T CONTROL THAT TAIL,
YOU DON'T CONTROL THE FISH. >> narrator: EXPERIENCED
NOODLERS TAKE A PHYSICAL BEATING.
THEIR HANDS AND FINGERS SOMETIMES LOOK LIKE THEY WENT
THROUGH A MEAT GRINDER. IT'S LIKE TAKING TWO WIRE
BRUSHES AND SMASHING YOUR HAND BETWEEN IT AND THEN JERKING YOUR
HAND OUT, LIKE 20,000 NEEDLES STICKING IN BOTH SIDES OF YOUR
HAND. >> narrator: BUT IT IS ALSO VERY
DANGEROUS, AS MCFARLAND EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND.
>> HE AIN'T WORTH DYING FOR. I DON'T CARE HOW SMALL OR HOW
BIG HE IS. THERE AIN'T NO FISH WORTH
DYING FOR.
>> narrator: THE CATFISH OF THE AMAZON AND OKLAHOMA ARE BIG,
BUT NOWHERE NEAR THE SIZE OF THE CATFISH FOUND IN ASIA.
>> SO THE LARGEST FRESHWATER FISH THAT WE FOUND WAS LAST
YEAR, AND IT WAS 9 FEET IN LENGTH AND 646 POUNDS.
>> narrator: ACCORDING TO RESEARCHER DEKILA CHUNGYALPA
FROM THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND, THE LARGEST CATFISH ARE FOUND IN
THE MEKONG DELTA OF CAMBODIA. >> THE MEKONG GIANT CATFISH IS
FOUND IN THE LOWER PART OF THE MEKONG RIVER, WHICH STARTS OUT
IN TIBET AND ENDS IN VIETNAM IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
>> narrator: THERE IS A LONG TRADITION OF FISHING FOR GIANT
CATFISH. CAVE PAINTINGS DATING BACK OVER
1,000 YEARS REVEAL HOW THE MEKONG PEOPLE BELIEVED IT'S A
SACRED FISH BECAUSE IT LIVES ON PLANT MATTER AND MEDITATES IN
DEEP POOLS OF THE MEKONG RIVER, DESCRIBED AS SOMEWHAT LIKE A
BUDDHIST MONK. THIS MEKONG CAT IS NEARLY FIVE
TIMES HEAVIER THAN THE LARGEST CATFISH IN THE UNITED STATES.
HOWEVER, THE CATFISH LEE MCFARLAND HUNTS...
>> EASY. >> ARE FAR MORE AGGRESSIVE.
>> OH, YOU COULDN'T WIPE A SMILE OFF WITH 12 UNDERTAKERS AFTER
YOU GET ONE OVER 50 POUNDS. >> narrator: NOODLERS TARGET
THIS BEHAVIOR BY FISHING WITH THEIR BARE HANDS UNDER
RIVERBANKS AND SUBMERGED TREES, A DANGEROUS SPORT MOST TAKE IN
STRIDE. >> OH, YEAH.
>> THAT'S NOT BAD. >> GOOD JOB.
>> THEY'LL BE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.
NOT A BAD START TO A DAY. OW.
HEY, HE'S STRUNG UP, AND HE'S BITING.
THAT AIN'T FAIR. >> narrator: BUT NOT ALL DAYS
END THIS WAY. IN 2002, AT LAKE CARL BLACKWELL
IN OKLAHOMA, MCFARLAND MET HIS MATCH.
>> I WAS DOWN THERE, AND I'M WORKING THIS FISH.
AND I'M WORKING HIM, AND HE FINALLY COMES UP.
AND I GET A HOLD OF THE FISH. AND HE GETS A HOLD OF ME.
AND I START TO PULL HIM OUT, AND HE JERKS ME BACK AGAINST THE
ROCK AND BANGS ME UP. I PULL HIM BACK UP,
AND I WAS TRYING WRAP MY LEGS AROUND HIM, TRYING TO STRING
HIM, TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING I COULD DOWN THERE.
AND AS I FINALLY COME OUT AND COULDN'T GET A HOLD OF HIM, HE
JUST STARTED SPINNING WITH ME, HAD ME ALL TWISTED UP.
I DIDN'T GET IT. >> narrator: MCFARLAND ESTIMATES
THE CATFISH WAS OVER 100 POUNDS, A SIZEABLE FOE FOR EVEN THE
STRONGEST MAN. >> HE STARTED SPINNING.
I JUST COULDN'T HOLD HIM. HE AIN'T WORTH DYING FOR.
I DON'T CARE HOW SMALL OR HOW BIG HE IS, THERE AIN'T NO FISH
WORTH DYING FOR. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU ALWAYS GOT
TO REMEMBER. YOU CAN ALWAYS LET GO.
>> narrator: MCFARLAND'S 100-POUND ATTACKER IS JUST A
RUNT COMPARED TO THE MONSTER CATFISH OF THE AMAZON WHERE MIKE
KNEE AND BRIAN COE'S HUNT IS UNDERWAY.
MARC COBOS WILL GUIDE THE TEAM TO SPOTS WHERE BIG CATS
ARE OFTEN CAUGHT. BUT FIRST THEY MUST CATCH THE
BAIT, PIRANHAS AND BARRACUDA. >> YOU GOT PIRANHA?
>><i> SI.</i> >> AROUND THE CORNER?
>> YES, I DO, IN THE LAGOON. >> IN THE LAGOON?
OKAY, AND WE'LL TROLL? >> YES.
>> OKAY. >> narrator: WITH BAIT IN HAND,
THE HUNT FOR A MONSTER CATFISH BEGINS.
>> YOU GOT TO LOOK FOR THE DEEP HOLES ON THE CANAL, THE MAIN
CANAL. AND THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE AT, THE
BIG MAIN CANAL. >> PITCHED OUT A BIG OLD PIECE
OF MEAT AND WITH ABOUT A 100-POUND TEST LINE AND SAT AND
WAITED. THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.
>> narrator: AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT LONG.
>> I JUST GOT A TAP. SOMETHING'S MESSING WITH THE
LINE, HASN'T ACTED LARGE ENOUGH, BUT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S
MOUTHING. CATFISH'LL DO THAT.
>> narrator: WHILE THE STORIES OF CATFISH LARGE ENOUGH TO EAT
AMAZONIAN CHILDREN MUST BE VERIFIED, OUR FEAR OF WHAT LURKS
BELOW IS UNQUESTIONABLY REAL AND UNIVERSAL.
IN 1975, THE BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE <i>JAWS</i> TAPPED INTO THIS FEAR,
SCARING MANY WATER LOVERS INLAND FOR GOOD.
>> EVERYONE WAS FRIGHTENED. CHILDREN WERE TOLD TO STAY OUT
OF THE WATER. THEY COULDN'T GO SWIMMING.
>> narrator: THE MOVIE IS PARTLY BASED ON A REAL ATTACK THAT TOOK
PLACE IN FRESHWATER, NOT THE OCEAN.
>> IN JULY OF 1916, FIVE SHARK ATTACKS TOOK PLACE OFF
OF NEW JERSEY. THREE OF THEM OCCURRED IN
MATTAWAN CREEK. >> narrator: MERELY 15 MILES
UPSTREAM FROM THE OPEN OCEAN IN THE BRACKISH WATERS OF MATTAWAN
CREEK, 12-YEAR-OLD LESTER STILLWELL AND HIS 24-YEAR-OLD
WOULD-BE RESCUER WATSON STANLEY FISHER WERE KILLED.
>> THERE WERE YOUNG BOYS SWIMMING.
THE SHARK ATTACKED TWO OF THE YOUNG MEN.
>> narrator: A THIRD BOY WAS INJURED LATER THAT SAME DAY IN
MATTAWAN CREEK. EXPERTS BELIEVE THE ATTACKER WAS
EITHER A BULL SHARK OR A GREAT WHITE, ODD VISITORS TO A TIDAL
RIVER JUST 40 FEET WIDE. >> THE SHARK MIGHT HAVE GONE UP
THE CREEK TO ATTEMPT TO FIND FOOD.
IT MIGHT HAVE SIMPLY WANDERED INTO THE CREEK AS A MATTER OF
INVESTIGATING A LOCAL AREA. >> narrator: THE REASON THESE
ATTACKS STIRRED SUCH FEAR WAS BECAUSE THEY OCCURRED IN
FRESHWATER, NOT IN THE TYPICAL HUNTING GROUNDS OF THE ATLANTIC
OCEAN. MATTAWAN CREEK IS NOT THE ONLY
PLACE THAT TOOTHY MONSTERS ARE FOUND.
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, THERE IS A PREDATOR SOME CALL THE
FRESHWATER BARRACUDA. >> I WAS OVER HERE, AND I WAS
SWIMMING. >> narrator: IN THE SUMMER OF
2004, IN A LAKE NEAR PINE RIVER, MINNESOTA, ABOUT 160 MILES FROM
MINNEAPOLIS, BLAINE JOHNSON WAS ATTACKED.
>> AND AFTER I STARTED SWIMMING, I CAME INTO THE SHORE.
AND YOU COULD SEE EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND I WAS JUST WALKING ALONG THE SHORE, JUST SEEING IF I COULD
SEE FISH. >> narrator: AS HE WADED,
BAITFISH AND SMALL BLUEGILLS SCATTERED IN FRONT OF EACH STEP.
LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT A GIANT FISH WAS ALSO WATCHING HIS EVERY
MOVE. >> THEY SAW IT COMING.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA. BUT I KNOW THAT THEY JUST
SCATTERED. AND USUALLY WHEN SOMETHING
SCATTERS, SOMETHING'S UP. I MOVED MY FOOT UP ABOUT LIKE
THAT, AND IT WAS ALMOST OUT OF THE WATER.
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, WHAM. I JUST GOT HIT.
NEXT THING I KNOW, I'M PRACTICALLY RUNNING ON WATER.
IT TOOK ME ABOUT THREE SECONDS TO GET TO THE DOCK.
ALL I KNOW IS WHEN I GOT UP, THERE WAS BLOOD ON BOTH SIDES OF
MY ANKLE COMING DOWN. >> narrator: BLAINE NEVER GOT A
GOOD LOOK AT THE FISH, AS IT ATTACKED FROM BEHIND.
THE THRASHING ENEMY CHURNED THE WATER TO A MURKY BROWN AS IT
HELD FAST TO HIS FOOT. >> IT HAPPENED SO QUICK.
AND YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON.
THERE'S JUST ONE THING IN YOUR MIND: "GET AWAY."
>> narrator: JOHNSON STILL HAS THE SCAR WRAPPED AROUND HIS FOOT
AS EVIDENCE. >> THE TEETH MARK GOES UP ALL
THEY WAY UP INTO HERE. >> narrator: BOTH JOHNSON AND
WILDLIFE EXPERTS BELIEVE THE MOST LIKELY CULPRIT IS A NATIVE
FISH, THE PIKE. ITS TORPEDOLIKE BODY BURSTS FROM
THE WEEDS PROPELLED UP TO SPEEDS OF 30 MILES PER HOUR.
ITS MANY ROWS OF TEETH ARE LIKE RAZORS EVISCERATING ITS PREY,
AND IT ATTACKS JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT MOVES.
>> ALWAYS WHEN I--WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT 'EM, IT'S THAT IT'S A
PIECE OF A PERSON BEING DANGLED IN THE WATER MUCH LIKE YOU
DANGLE A LURE OR SOMETHING ELSE. >> narrator: ROLAND SIGURDSON
IS AN AQUATIC SPECIALIST WITH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL RESOURCES AND SAYS ATTACKS ON PEOPLE ARE RARE BUT
DO HAPPEN. >> THEY ARE AN AMBUSH PREDATOR.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MOVEMENT, AND THEY'RE ATTACKING SOMETHING
THAT WILL FIT INTO THEIR MOUTH, SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN SWALLOW.
>> narrator: PIKE ARE FOUND ACROSS THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE.
AND OFFICIALLY, THE LARGEST MUSKIE CAUGHT WITH A ROD AND
TACKLE WAS 67 POUNDS AND JUST OVER 60 INCHES, ROUGHLY THE SAME
SIZE AS THE LARGEST SALTWATER BARRACUDA.
THE PIKE ALSO RESEMBLES ITS SALTWATER BRETHREN IN FEROCITY.
THE TWO LARGEST PIKE ARE FOUND IN MINNESOTA, WHERE JOHNSON WAS
ATTACKED, THE NORTHERN PIKE WITH ITS HORIZONTAL PATCHES AND
THE LARGER MUSKELLUNGE, OR MUSKIE, WITH ITS VERTICAL
MARKINGS. WHATEVER IT WAS, IT WAS NOT
AFRAID OF HIM. >> THERE WAS BLOOD.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL I KNOW FOR SURE.
THERE WAS BLOOD AND TEETH MARKS. SOME OF THOSE TEETH
WERE A GOOD SIZE. MAYBE IT WAS HUNGRY.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IT JUST SAW AN ANKLE AND DECIDED, "HEY,
LET'S GO FOR IT." >> narrator: ACCORDING TO
SIGURDSON, EVEN A SMALL PIKE WILL ATTACK.
>> IT WAS VERY HUNGRY. AND IT TOOK A CHANCE ON
SOMETHING IT SAW DANGLING IN THE WATER AND TURNED OUT,
UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS THIS YOUNG MAN.
>> narrator: THE PIKE'S AGGRESSIVE NATURE SEEMS TO HAVE
NO LIMITS, INCLUDING ATTACKING ITS OWN KIND.
IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THE SMALLER PIKE IN THIS VIDEO WAS
ATTACKED FOR CROSSING AN UNKNOWN BOUNDARY OR IF IT WAS AN
INTENDED MEAL. IT IS PROOF, HOWEVER, OF THE
RUTHLESS NATURE OF THESE TOOTHY MONSTERS.
>> WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, I THOUGHT, "THAT'S GOT TO BE,
LIKE, A WOLF OR SOME--SOMETHING BIG."
>> narrator: IN OCTOBER OF 1998,
THESE JAWS OF A DEAD MUSKIE WERE FOUND ON AN ISLAND BEACH IN THE
CHIPPEWA FLOWAGE IN WISCONSIN, ABOUT 300 MILES FROM GREEN BAY.
THE WOEHLER FAMILY WERE VACATIONING HERE WHEN THEY CAME
UPON A CARCASS ON THE BEACH. >> TEETH JUST SEEMED SO MUCH
LONGER THAN ANY OTHER THING I'D EVER SEEN--JUST AMAZED AT THE
SIZE. >> narrator: THERE WAS ENOUGH OF
THE CARCASS REMAINING TO IDENTIFY THE MONSTER.
>> TURNS OUT IT WAS A MUSKIE JAW.
>> narrator: THE JAWS HAVE BEEN DISPLAYED IN A CASE AT THE
TREELAND RESORT FOR THE LAST DECADE.
THE QUESTION IS, HOW BIG WAS THIS SPECIMEN, AND WAS IT BIG
ENOUGH TO ATTACK A MAN? >> IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM A
REALLY NICE FISH THAT'S STILL PROBABLY THE FISH OF A LIFETIME
FOR A NORMAL FISHERMAN ON UP TO CLOSE TO OR MAYBE EVEN
COMMENSURATE WITH THE WORLD RECORD.
>> narrator: THERE MAY BE A WAY TO DETERMINE THE SIZE.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THICKNESS OF THIS JAW AND YOU
COMPARE IT TO THE THICKNESS OF A REPLICA LIKE A 52 WOULD BE, YOU
CAN SEE THAT IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD INCH AND A HALF TO TWO
INCHES WIDER THAN THE HEAD ON A 52.
AND IT'S ALSO A GOOD INCH AND A HALF TO TWO INCHES LONGER FROM
WHERE THE HINGE IS ACTUALLY ON THE FISH.
YOU KNOW, SO THIS TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A HUGE FISH.
>> narrator: MATT YERNATICH IS A WILDLIFE FORENSIC
RECONSTRUCTIONIST FOR ARTISTIC ANGLERS IN DULUTH, MINNESOTA.
HE HAS MOUNTED MANY MONSTER MUSKIES IN THE LAST 15 YEARS.
BUT NOTHING COMPARES WITH THIS. >> IT'S TRULY A MONSTER FISH.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN A FISH THIS BIG.
LOOK HOW BIG THESE TEETH ARE. OUCH.
THAT WOULD LEAVE A MARK. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT SWIMMING
AROUND IN THE LAKE? THE HEADS ARE PRETTY MUCH
PROPORTIONAL TO THE BODY ON MUSKIES, SO IF YOU MAKE THE HEAD
BIGGER, YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE THE BODY BIGGER.
>> narrator: IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY SIX WEEKS TO
COMPLETE THE FULL BODY. AND THE RESULTS COULD BE
AMAZING. WISCONSIN IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE
IN NORTH AMERICA WITH GIANT FISH.
ACCORDING TO THIS MAN, THE COLD, CLEAR WATERS OF THE ARCTIC
CIRCLE HIDE SOMETHING. >> A LOT OF FISHERMEN DON'T
BELIEVE IT, BUT I WAS THERE. >> narrator: HE HAD AN ENCOUNTER
WITH A FISH AS BIG AS HIS 14-FOOT BOAT.
>> I BATTLED A 40-, 50-POUND FISH, AND THIS THING MADE THEM
LOOK LIKE A MINNOW. >> narrator: IN JULY OF 1987,
JIM PETERSON WAS ENJOYING THE SOLITUDE IN THE LAND OF THE
MIDNIGHT SUN. >> WE WERE TROLLING IN PROBABLY
50 OR 60 FEET OF WATER. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAD THIS HIT.
>> LOOK AT--LOOK AT THIS, I'VE GOT A BITE ON HERE.
>> BUT I SAID, "THAT'S A BIG FISH."
HE'S STAYING OUT THERE TOO. >> YEAH, HE'S HANGING OUT
THERE. >> LITTLE DID I KNOW WE'D BE
SITTING THERE FOR 6 1/2 HOURS. >> WOW, WILL THIS ROD HOLD IT?
>> THE FISH WOULD TAKE OFF, AND THEN HE WOULD STOP.
I'D START THE ENGINE UP, DRIVE TOWARDS THE FISH SO THE
FISHERMAN COULD KEEP HIS LINE TIGHT, GET HIM VERTICAL IN THE
WATER SO WE COULD PUMP HIM. IT WAS IN AROUND MIDNIGHT WE
COULD HEAR THE ROD STARTING TO CRACK FROM THE STRESS.
WE KEPT DOING THE SAME THING HOUR AFTER HOUR AFTER HOUR.
AND I JUST WAS GOING THROUGH MY MIND THAT THIS--THIS DEFINITELY
IS A NEW WORLD RECORD. SO IT WAS ABOUT 2:00 IN THE
MORNING, AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "WHAT DO I DO?
DO WE GET OUT ON SHORE AND PULL HIM--TRY TO GET HIM OVER INTO
THE SHALLOW WATER?" >> narrator: PETERSON IS FINALLY
ABLE TO PULL THE FISH CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE BOAT.
ACCORDING TO PETERSON, IT WAS ABOUT 14 FEET LONG, AS LARGE AS
HIS BOAT. THIS IS WHEN DISASTER STRUCK.
>> ABOUT 2:15 IN THE MORNING, THE ROD STARTED TO CRACK EVEN
MORE. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, THE ROD
SHATTERED IN FOUR PIECES, AND THE LINE SNAPPED.
>> OH, DANG. >> AND THE FISH WAS GONE.
>> narrator: PETERSON NEVER GOT THE FISH TO THE SURFACE.
BUT THE GENERAL SHAPE AND COLORING POINTS TO THE LAKE'S
TOP PREDATOR, THE LAKE TROUT. LAKE TROUT HAVE VISELIKE JAWS,
KEEN EYESIGHT, AND ARE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE STRONGEST
FIGHTING FISH AROUND. THE LARGEST LAKE TROUT CAUGHT
WITH A ROD WEIGHED IN AT JUST OVER 72 POUNDS AND MEASURED 59
INCHES. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF
120-POUND SPECIMEN. >> I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IT WAS A
MONSTER LAKE TROUT. >> narrator: WILDLIFE AUTHOR AND
BIOLOGIST DICK STERNBERG HAS COME TO POINT LAKE TO SEARCH
WITH PETERSON FOR THE MONSTER. >> MORNING, DICK, WELCOME TO
POINT LAKE. HOW ARE YOU?
>> narrator: POINT LAKE IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 215 MILES
NORTH OF YELLOWKNIFE, THE CAPITAL OF THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORIES OF CANADA, BORDERING THE EDGE OF THE BARREN LANDS AND
ARCTIC CIRCLE. THE AREA IS ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY
FLOATPLANE. >> OH, THERE'S--THERE'S A
CERTAIN MYSTIQUE ABOUT LAKE TROUT.
THEY'RE DOWN IN THAT DEEP, DARK WATER WHERE, YOU KNOW, SWIMMING
AROUND IN THE ROCKS AND IN THE CREVICES.
I KNOW THEY CAN LIVE 50 YEARS. AND THEY PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, YOU
HEAR STORIES OF 'EM LIVING LONGER THAN THAT.
>> narrator: STERNBERG IS SKEPTICAL OF MANY MONSTER FISH
STORIES. BUT IF THERE IS A LAKE WITH A
MONSTER TROUT, POINT LAKE IS A GOOD PLACE TO SEARCH.
>> WELL, IT'S 71 MILES LONG. IT'S NEVER BEEN COMMERCIALLY
FISHED, NEVER BEEN SPORTS FISHED.
>> narrator: ACCORDING TO STERNBERG, ONE OF THE REASONS
PEOPLE DO NOT CATCH MONSTERS IS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT USING THE
PROPER BAIT. CATCHING A GIANT FISH REQUIRES
GIANT BAIT. >> YOU TALK ABOUT A FISH THAT
EATS A 25- OR MAYBE EVEN A 30-INCH PREY FISH, HE DOESN'T
HAVE TO FEED ALL THE TIME. HE JUST FEEDS ONCE IN AWHILE.
>> narrator: MONTHS BEFORE STERNBERG SET FOOT ON A
FLOATPLANE FOR POINT LAKE, HE DESIGNED TWO ONE-OF-A-KIND LURES
TO HELP TEST HIS THEORY. >> HEY, BRAD.
>> narrator: BRAD PETERSON OF WATERWORKS FISHING ACCESSORIES,
A DIVISION OF METRO MOULDED PARTS IN MINNEAPOLIS,
HAS BEEN CREATING LURES FOR SPORT FISHERMEN FOR DECADES BUT
NEVER ANYTHING ON THE SCALE OF WHAT STERNBERG HAS IN MIND.
>> I WANT TO MAKE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A MINNOW BAIT...
>> OKAY. >> BIG ENOUGH TO PUT A CAMERA
INSIDE OF IT. ONE OTHER ONE I WOULD WANT WOULD
BE, LIKE, A GIANT CURLY TAIL. >> OKAY.
>> DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT? >> OH, YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT,
SURE. IT'S ABOUT 20 INCHES RIGHT NOW.
>> 20--I'D LIKE TO SEE IT AT 24 INCHES.
LET'S MAKE IT BIGGER. >> NOW WE'RE JUST GONNA GET THIS
PROBE GOING RIGHT NOW. >> TAIL LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.
>> WELL, HEY, DICK, GUESS WHAT WE COME UP WITH.
>> WOW, BOY, THAT LOOKS GREAT. >> YEAH, I THINK IT'S GONNA WORK
GOOD. WE GOT A CAMERA IN THE FRONT.
>> THAT SHOULD HAVE A NICE WOBBLE TO IT TOO WITH THAT LIP.
>> OH, YEAH. >> YEAH, I MEAN, THAT LOOKS JUST
LIKE A REAL MINNOW BAIT, DOESN'T IT?
>> IT'S JUST A BIGGER ONE. >> AND I LIKE THAT COLOR TOO.
IN FACT, I'VE GOT SOME LURES THAT ARE EXACTLY THAT COLOR.
>> narrator: THEY'LL BEGIN THEIR SEARCH FROM THE PETERSON'S POINT
LAKE CAMP. >> NOW, THE CAMP IS RIGHT HERE
ON THE WEST END. AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS
TRAVEL ABOUT 4 OR 5 MILES DOWN INTO THIS DEEP BAY IN HERE.
THERE'S BIG DEEP HOLES IN THERE. AND I'VE BEEN IN THERE BEFORE.
AND THERE'S BEEN SOME PRETTY BIG TROUT TAKEN OUT OF THERE.
>> narrator: THEIR FIRST SEARCH POINT IS A ROCK OUTCROP NEAR
WHERE JIM PETERSON HAD HIS ENCOUNTER IN 1987.
THE MINNOW CAMERA LURE WILL BE DEPLOYED FIRST.
>> WELL, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS USE THE DOWNRIGGER AS A
WEIGHT TO GET THIS CAMERA LURE DOWN TO THE RIGHT DEPTH.
AND THEN WE'LL PULL IT ALONG WITH THE DOWNRIGGER, KEEP IT AT
THE DEPTH WE WANT IT. WHAT DO WE GOT FOR DEPTH, JIM?
>> 36 FEET. >> WELL, I CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT.
YEP, I'M STARTING TO SEE A LITTLE SOMETHING NOW.
SO IT TAKES ABOUT 47 FEET TO GET DOWN 29 FEET, IN OTHER WORDS.
CHANCES ARE IF THERE'S A REALLY BIG FISH AROUND, HE MIGHT COME
UP AND AT LEAST TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE THE KIND OF PLACE YOU COULD SEE SOME BIG
FISH. >> narrator: LIKE ANY GOOD
FISHERMAN, STERNBERG KNOWS YOU MIGHT NEED TO TRY MANY DIFFERENT
DEPTHS AND PRESENTATIONS TO ATTRACT A FISH.
>> WHO KNOWS? WE'LL JUST RUN IT A LITTLE BIT
HERE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. >> narrator: NO LUCK SO FAR WITH
THE GIANT MINNOW LURE. BUT STERNBERG IS ANXIOUS TO TRY
THE CURLY LURE. THEY LAUNCH THE LURE BUT NOTICE
THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN.
THE TAIL IS OBSCURING THE CAMERA.
>> WHAT DO YOU GOT IT AT? >> 31, AND IT'S 37 AT THE
BOTTOM. >> I'M SEEING THE TAIL WIGGLING.
NOT SEEING THE BOTTOM. I'M GONNA TRIM THE TAIL A LITTLE
BIT AND MOVE IT. WELL, LET'S TRY THAT,
SEE IF THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. >> narrator: AFTER A COUPLE OF
QUICK ADJUSTMENTS, THE LURE IS BACK IN THE WATER.
>> I GOT THE CAMERA SO IT'S BELOW THE TAIL NOW.
SO THE TAIL IS KIND OF HIGH UP IN THE FRAME.
YEP, I CAN SEE IT. YEAH, IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
IT HELPED TO SHORTEN THAT TAIL UP A LITTLE BIT.
NOW ALL WE NEED IS A MONSTER FISH.
>> narrator: DICK STERNBERG AND
JIM PETERSON ARE LOOKING FOR A MONSTER TROUT IN THE COLD, CLEAR
WATERS OF NORTHERN CANADA. WHILE THEIR SEARCH IS BASED ON
PETERSON'S UNVERIFIED STORY, THERE IS ANOTHER GIANT FISH
WHOSE BEHAVIOR AND SIZE IS BETTER DOCUMENTED.
>> THEY'RE JUST A BIG, TOOTHY, NASTY-LOOKING CRITTER.
>> narrator: THE ALLIGATOR GAR, WEIGHING IN AT OVER 350 POUNDS
AND OVER 12 FEET LONG, THIS PREHISTORIC LOOKING MONSTER IS
AN AGGRESSIVE, SOLITARY FISH. IT GETS ITS NAME FROM ITS
APPEARANCE WITH ITS LONG SNOUT AND TWO ROWS OF TEETH USED TO
PIERCE AND HOLD ITS PREY. IT RESEMBLES THE ALLIGATOR IN
BOTH APPEARANCE AND FEROCITY. IT FEEDS BY LURKING AMONGST
REEDS AND OTHER UNDERWATER PLANT LIFE WAITING FOR FOOD TO PASS
BY. ITS RANGE IS THROUGHOUT THE
SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. >> YOU KNOW, THEY'LL EAT
ANYTHING. AND THEY CAN CATCH ANYTHING.
>> narrator: ONE TALE FROM THE EARLY 1900s RECOUNTS A FIGHT
WITH AN ALLIGATOR 5 FEET LONG. THE GAR SUCCEEDED IN DEVOURING
THE GATOR AFTER CUTTING HIM INTO TWO PIECES WITH ITS POWERFUL
JAWS. >> THERE'S VERY FEW PLACES YOU
CAN GO ANYWHERE THAT YOU CAN-- YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE
LIABLE TO CATCH A FISH BIGGER THAN YOU.
AND THIS IS ONE OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, HERE IN TEXAS.
>> narrator: FOR 15 YEARS, KIRK KIRKLAND HAS RUN AN ALLIGATOR
GAR GUIDE SERVICE OUT OF DALLAS, TEXAS.
>> FISH ARE GONNA BE FROM ABOUT 7 TO 8 1/2 FOOT LONG WITH LOTS
OF THE 100- TO 15O-POUND FISH. >> narrator: OFFICIALLY, THE
LARGEST ALLIGATOR GAR CAUGHT ON TACKLE WAS 279 POUNDS AND 7 1/2
FEET LONG, AS LARGE AS A MALE BULL SHARK.
BUT LONG BEFORE RECORD KEEPING, FISHERMEN CAUGHT MONSTERS LIKE
THIS 10-FOOTER IN 1910. WHERE ALLIGATOR GARS SET
THEMSELVES APART FROM OTHER GARS ARE BY THE TEETH.
>> AN ALLIGATOR GAR HAS TWO ROWS OF TEETH.
THE TEETH WILL BE FROM JUST REAL LITTLE SMALL TEETH UP TO TEETH
MAYBE ALMOST AS BIG AS A PENCIL. AND THEY HAVE--THEIR FRONT JAW
ACTUALLY OVERHANGS THEIR BOTTOM JAW.
AND THEY HAVE LIKE SIX TEETH THAT HANG OUT OF THEIR MOUTH.
SO EVEN IF THEIR MOUTH'S CLOSED, THEY CAN STILL GET YOU.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE BIT. I'VE HAD PEOPLE HIT BY 'EM WITH
THEIR HEAD. I'VE HAD PEOPLE CUT PRETTY BAD
WITH THEIR TEETH. >> narrator: THE TRINITY RIVER
LOCATED ABOUT 60 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DALLAS WILL BE THE LOCATION
OF THIS<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> EFFORT TO VIDEOTAPE AND CATCH A
GIANT-SIZED GAR. >> IT'S WELL OVER 600 MILES
LONG. IT'S REALLY NARROW AND WINDING
UP IN THIS AREA. IT HAS ONE OF THE BEST
POPULATIONS OF ALLIGATOR GAR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
>> narrator: KIRKLAND USES HEAVY-DUTY RODS AND REELS
TYPICALLY SEEN IN DEEP SALTWATER FISHING.
HE ALSO USED MULTIPLE BAIT ALARMS SO HE CAN HAVE MORE THAN
ONE LINE IN THE WATER AT ANY TIME.
>> THIS IS A BAIT RUNNER ON THIS ROD.
AND YOU SET IT IN THE ALARM. THE LINE WILL COME OFF OF IT
AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE FISH START TAKING IT.
AND AS IT GOES THROUGH THE ALARM...
[electronic beeping] IT'LL MAKE A BEEPING NOISE.
>> narrator: WITH THE BAIT ALARMS IN PLACE, ALL THAT
REMAINED IS FOR A GAR TO STRIKE. KIRK IS GUIDING FISHERMAN AND<i>
MONSTER QUEST</i> VIDEOGRAPHER JARED CHRISTIE.
IT IS CHRISTIE'S FIRST TIME FISHING FOR ALLIGATOR GAR.
>> YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW BIG THE FISH IS GONNA BE.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE 10 POUNDS OR 200
POUNDS. [electronic beeping]
>> narrator: THEY DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT LONG.
>> WE GOT A FISH, JUST WENT OFF. SHE'S TAKING THE BAIT AND
RUNNING. SHE MAY CHEW ON IT FOR 10
MINUTES, YOU KNOW? AND JUST KEEP WORKING IT BACK
AND GETTING IT FURTHER BACK SO SHE CAN TAKE THE BAIT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST RIGHT BEHIND IT JUST FOLLOWING IT.
SO IT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WE'RE HERE.
>> narrator: A FEW MOMENTS LATER, IT IS TIME TO SET THE
HOOK. >> DON'T WANT YOU GET NO SLACK
IN IT. START REELING, START REELING,
START REELING, COME ON. HIT HIM AGAIN, THERE YOU GO.
NOW REEL HIM IN. YOU'VE GOT HIM NOW.
PUMP DOWN ON HIM, RAISE HIM BACK UP.
HE'S GONNA JUMP AGAIN, PUT SOME PRESSURE ON HIM.
>> THAT IS AN ALLIGATOR GAR. >> GET HIM ON THIS SIDE OF THE
BOAT. AND I'M GONNA PUT THIS NOOSE
AROUND HIM. BACK UP.
NOW STOP HIM ABOUT RIGHT THERE. WOW, THAT WAS CLOSE,
[laughs] JUST ABOUT GOT ME.
DOWN IN THERE WE'RE GONNA BE IN TROUBLE.
GO DOWN WITH HIM. HERE SHE COMES.
>> narrator: THE REAL DANGER BEGINS ONCE THE FISH IS IN THE
BOAT. THE GAR THRASHES WILDLY, ITS
TEETH JUST INCHES FROM THEIR LEGS.
>> DEFINITELY WANT TO STAY CLEAR OF 'EM.
THEY WILL BITE YOU. YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE PRETTY
NASTY WHEN THEY GET IN THE BOAT BY SWINGING THEIR HEAD.
>> narrator: EVENTUALLY, THE GAR SETTLES DOWN LONG ENOUGH TO GET
THE LENGTH AND WEIGHT OF THE FISH.
>> THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, A TYPICAL FISH.
YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF THESE FISH OVER 100 POUNDS LIKE THIS.
THIS FISH IS--YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT A 30- OR 40-YEAR-OLD
FISH. >> narrator: AT 79 INCHES LONG
AND 111 POUNDS, THIS GAR MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST.
BUT IT IS A CATCH OF A LIFETIME FOR CHRISTIE.
>> WHEN THAT FISH ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO COME IN THE
BOAT, AND YOU GET IT IN THE BOAT, AND THEN IT STARTS
FLOPPING AROUND AND FLYING AROUND, THAT'S WHEN YOU GET A
REAL GOOD LOOK AT THE TEETH, THE SIZE, THE GIRTH, THE LENGTH.
YOU'RE STANDING BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT.
YOU'RE STANDING BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT TILL THAT FISH CALMS
DOWN. >> AND THAT'S WHY THEY GET
PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR MOUTH
OPEN LIKE THAT WHEN THEY COME UP.
AND THEY'RE THRASHING. AND THOSE TEETH JUST HAMMER YOU.
AND SO--JUST PART OF THE--THE ALLURE OF CATCHING ONE, YOU
KNOW. SO YOU MIGHT COME BACK WITH ALL
YOUR FINGERS AND TOES, AND YOU MIGHT NOT.
AND THEN WE'LL GIVE HER A LITTLE PUSH.
SHE'LL KNOW SHE'S GOING. AND THERE SHE GOES.
>> narrator: THE LARGEST FRESHWATER GIANT IS STILL THE
CATFISH AT OVER 600 POUNDS. THIS MONSTER IS KING.
MIKE KNEE AND BRIAN COE HAVE BEEN FISHING THE RIO NEGRO
RIVER, A TRIBUTARY OF THE AMAZON, AND SO FAR CAUGHT
NOTHING OF ANY SIZE. THEIR QUARRY IS A MONSTER
RED-TAILED CATFISH. THEY ARE ON THEIR THIRD AND
FINAL DAY. >> I JUST GOT A TAP.
SOMETHING'S MESSING WITH THE LINE, HASN'T ACTED LARGE ENOUGH.
BUT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S MOUTHING.
CATFISH'LL DO THAT. >> narrator: THEY'VE FISHED A
NUMBER OF DEEP WATER HOLES KNOWN FOR BIG CATFISH BUT CAUGHT
NOTHING LARGER THAN 20 POUNDS, JUST A BABY COMPARED TO THE
LEGENDS. >> CATFISHING THIS AFTERNOON HAS
HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED ME. I WAS REALLY EXPECTING A MONSTER
FISH. WE'RE JUST IN THE WRONG SPOT.
>> narrator: THEIR SEARCH FOR A MONSTER CATFISH IS OVER.
>> DEFINITELY WANTED TO CATCH A CATFISH.
YEAH, BUT THERE'LL BE ANOTHER TIME.
>> IN THE OLD DAYS, YOU WOULD SEE A LOT MORE OF THESE HERE,
THE BIG ONES. NOW YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE HERE.
THEY'RE BEING FISHED OUT. BUT THERE'S STILL SOME BIG ONES
IN THE RIVERS. >> narrator: HALFWAY AROUND THE
WORLD, DICK STERNBERG AND JIM PETERSON ARE IN THE ARCTIC
CIRCLE HUNTING GIANT TROUT. THEY, TOO, ARE IN THEIR LAST DAY
WITH ONE LAST LURE TO TRY. >> YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TRYING A
LOT OF DIFFERENT METHODS HERE TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THESE BIG
TROUT ON FILM AND HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF SUCCESS SO FAR.
BUT WE'VE GOT ANOTHER IDEA HERE. WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRYING.
>> narrator: WHILE STERNBERG CONTINUES HIS SEARCH, PROOF OF A
GIANT MUSKIE IN WISCONSIN HAS BEEN FOUND.
THE FORENSIC RECONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE.
AND THE RESULTS ARE SURPRISING.
>> narrator: THE OCEAN IS FAMOUS FOR ITS TOOTHY MONSTERS.
BUT IF FISH STORIES ARE TO BE BELIEVED, FRESHWATER LAKES AND
RIVERS AROUND THE WORLD MIGHT ALSO BE HOME TO DANGEROUS
GIANTS. THIS FAMILY FOUND THE JAWS OF
WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS A RECORD-BREAKING PIKE.
SHE WAS THERE WHEN A COUSIN WAS KNOCKED FROM HIS CANOE TO BE
DEVOURED BY A MONSTER CATFISH. AND THIS EXPERT BELIEVES YOU
NEED TO USE GIANT BAIT TO CATCH GIANT FISH.
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST DICK STERNBERG IS IN THE LAST DAY OF
HIS SEARCH FOR A MONSTER TROUT. >> THERE'S BIG, DEEP HOLES IN
THERE. AND I'VE BEEN IN THERE BEFORE.
>> narrator: JIM PETERSON HAS BROUGHT THEM TO ONE OF HIS HOT
SPOTS. >> WELL, HERE WE ARE, DICK.
WE'RE IN THAT SPOT I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.
SO WE'LL GET READY AND DROP A LINE OVER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING, JIM, I GUESS WE CAN GET OUR MINNOW
BAIT WITH THE CAMERA INTO THE WATER.
ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE SHE'S GOING DOWN PRETTY GOOD, YEP.
OKAY, SLOW HER DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
KEEP HER PRETTY SLOW. ALL RIGHT.
>> IT'S 44 FEET RIGHT HERE, DICK.
>> HOPEFULLY ONE OF THESE MONSTER LAKE TROUT WILL COME UP
AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. >> narrator: STERNBERG SAYS
TROUT CONTINUE TO GROW THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.
SO BIG FISH ARE LIKELY OLD FISH. AND THIS AREA HAS JUST THE RIGHT
CONDITIONS, THE LACK OF COMMERCIAL OR SPORT FISHING, THE
ABUNDANCE OF FOOD, AND THE COLD, CLEAN WATERS MEAN LAKE TROUT
LIKELY DO LIVE LONGER HERE. IF HE CAN CAPTURE PROOF OF A
6-FOOT LONG TROUT, THEN NEW LIGHT MAY BE SHED ON THE MANY
CREDIBLE FISH STORIES. >> ANOTHER ONE RIGHT THERE.
>> YEP. >> ANOTHER ONE.
>> OH, THERE'S A BUNCH OF THEM. >> narrator: PETERSON'S DEPTH
FINDER SHOWS SCHOOLS OF FISH. BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT COMES UP
ON THE MINNOW LURE. >> WE'LL TRY IT AGAIN AFTER
AWHILE. BUT I THINK--I GOT A COUPLE OF
OTHER IDEAS, SOME OTHER THINGS I MIGHT WANT TO TRY HERE.
>> SURE. TAPED A CAMERA TO A--I GUESS
THIS IS CALLED A HALIBUT RIG. IT'S A BIG CHUNK OF WIRE.
AND WE GOT THE FIN HERE SO IT'LL TRACK STRAIGHT IN THE WATER.
AND WE'RE GONNA PUT A CISCO ON THIS HOOK RIGHT HERE.
AND THE CAMERA WILL BE POINTING RIGHT AT IT.
LET'S DROP THIS THING IN AND SEE WHAT WE CAN--WE CAN SEE WITH IT.
THAT LOOKS GOOD. I CAN SEE THE--I CAN SEE THE
CISCO. I CAN SEE THE BOTTOM.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE KIND OF SPOT WHERE ONE OF THOSE BIG GUYS
OUGHT TO LIVE. >> narrator: THEY DO GET GOOD
VIDEO OF LAKE TROUT IN THE 20- TO 30-POUND RANGE BUT NOTHING
LIKE THEY WERE HOPING FOR. >> WELL, WE RAN THAT THING FOR A
WHILE, JIM, AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING.
>> narrator: THEIR ATTEMPTS TO CAPTURE A MONSTER LAKE TROUT ON
VIDEO PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL. STERNBERG BELIEVES THE MONSTERS
DO EXIST. BUT FINDING THEM ISN'T EASY.
>> WE KNOW THEY'RE OUT THERE. BUT YOU LOOK AT A LAKE OF THIS
SIZE AND YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT 75 MILES OF WATER, WHATEVER IT
IS HERE, AND 300 FEET DEEP. AND WE PROBABLY SCRATCHED ABOUT
A 1% OF THE AREA, YOU KNOW? >> narrator: AND WHAT ABOUT THE
PIKE JAWS FOUND IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN IN 1998?
DID THEY COME FROM THE LARGEST PIKE EVER RECORDED?
MATT YERNATICH'S RECONSTRUCTION IS FINISHED.
>> WE MADE THE WORLD RECORD MUSKIE AT ONE TIME.
AND IT WAS SIMILAR IN SIZE TO WHAT THIS WAS.
AND WE DID THAT FROM MEASUREMENTS WE WERE GIVEN AT
THE TIME. THIS ONE JUST WAS JUST
A HAIR ON THE BIGGER SIDE. >> narrator: IF YERNATICH'S
ESTIMATES ARE CORRECT, THESE JAWS CAME FROM A MUSKIE THAT WAS
JUST OVER 6 FEET LONG AND ROUGHLY 70 POUNDS, OVER TWICE
THE SIZE OF THE PIKE THAT ATTACKED BLAINE JOHNSON IN 2005
AND LIKELY LARGER THAN THE WORLD RECORD MUSKIE.
IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHETHER MANY STORIES OF MONSTER-SIZED FISH
ARE REAL OR FABRICATED. HISTORY SAYS GIANT FISH DID
EXIST. BUT THEIR NUMBERS HAVE BEEN
DEPLETED OVER THE RECENT DECADES BECAUSE OF OVERFISHING AND
POLLUTION. YET BIG FISH TALES CONTINUE.
ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, FEAR DRIVES MANY STORIES AND THE
SUCCESS OF MOVIES LIKE<i> JAWS.</i> >> PEOPLE WERE FRIGHTENED.
AND THAT--THAT TENURE, THAT FEELING REMAINED IN THE AREA FOR
MANY, MANY MONTHS. >> narrator: OUR FRESHWATER
LAKES AND RIVERS ARE SAFE FOR THE MOST PART.
BUT OCCASIONALLY A REAL MONSTER IS LURKING AND WAITING TO BE
DISCOVERED JUST LIKE THE MONSTER PIKE FOUND IN THE WATERS OF
WISCONSIN. Captioning by<font color="#008000"> CaptionMax
www.captionmax.com</font>
