Angler questioning his sanity reels in ‘fish of a lifetime.’ See ‘stunning’ brute

An angler’s “fish of a lifetime” catch in Connecticut was determined to be the largest freshwater fish ever caught in Connecticut, officials say.

Connecticut Fish and Wildlife said in a June 2 post on Facebook that the 45-pound, 8-ounce, common carp caught by Rafal Wlazlo in May barely beat the record, edging out the previous best caught in 2024.

It’s a catch that left Wlazlo “grateful” and “humbled,” he said May 25 on Facebook, adding that he was “still a bit in shock.”

“Earlier this morning, after countless blanks, relentless baiting, and enough hours on the bank to question my own sanity — I was blessed with the fish of a lifetime,” Wlazlo said of the record, which he achieved at Lake Lillinonah.

In an interview with the Hartford Courant, Wlazlo said he needed just 15 minutes to reel in the fish, described by one Facebook commenter as a “stunning” brute.

He told the publication he had been on the hunt for the state record since 2024.

“There was a run of about a month plus of non-stop fishing day and night,” he said.

The catch even got a congratulations from Brian Santos, whose 2024 state-record catch was only 3 ounces lighter than that of Wlazlo’s record.

“The torch is finally passed to you,” Santos said on Facebook. “You deserve it.”

“Congratulations Rafal!!!” added Robert Jagiello, who held the same record in 2023.

Others referred to his record catch as a “magnificent specimen” and “truly a giant.”

Fishing publication On The Water said Wlazlo is well known in the carp-fishing community and owns a fishing store in New York.

Lake Lillinonah is in western Connecticut, about a 60-mile drive northeast from New York City.

This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Angler questioning his sanity reels in ‘fish of a lifetime.’ See ‘stunning’ brute."