Monster catfish dubbed 'Catzilla' caught, then escapes in Hesperia

A local angler in Hesperia Lake Park landed a massive 50-pound catfish dubbed “Catzilla,” but the fish escaped moments later. Park officials said that on Tuesday morning, an angler identified as Justin reeled in the “legendary 50-pound CATZILLA” after what they described as an “unforgettable battle” that drew other anglers’ attention. Justin posed briefly with the catch and began moving it into a fish basket, but the catfish thrashed violently, slipped free, launched across the shoreline and disappeared back into the lake. Officials congratulated Justin, calling it a story-making catch. Separately, the district said it plans to stock the 7-acre lake on July 31 with 1,000 pounds of channel catfish from Pacific Aqua Farms.