Fisherman Dane Lewis set a personal record this past Tuesday when he reeled in a 14-foot, 1,800-pound Beluga whale at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois.
While always a fan of freshwater fishing in the wild, Lewis claimed he “wanted to take it up a notch.”
Aquarium Spokeswoman Dana Hill reported that Lewis entered the complex at 9:37 am with “a large duffel bag, an electric-powered fishing rod, and a car battery.” Witnesses recall seeing him walk above the 400,000 gallon tank that houses the majestic whales and bait his rod with chunks of unidentifiable fish.
Courtney Eliason, a mother of three visiting the aquarium with her children, recalled that before he cast his line, she saw Mr. Lewis remove “a small lawn chair and a cooler from his duffel bag.”
Added Eliason, “he just set up the chair and then took a beer out of the cooler like it was a Sunday afternoon on the lake or something.”
Reports show that shortly after the hook sank below the surface, Kimalu, an unsuspecting nine-year-old Beluga, latched onto the barbed jig, likely assuming it was part of her regular feeding routine. Eliason then recalls hearing a loud buzzing noise as Lewis revved up his 15 volt car battery to reel in his record catch.
“Even though they told me I couldn’t take it home to hang on my mantel, I still feel proud,” said Lewis.
“I’ve always been the kind of guy to show people pictures of me holding up my latest catch, and now that the security footage from the aquarium is a matter of public record, I’ll be able to impress anyone,” he continued.
