'You caught a record fish': Boys reel in huge catfish at Punggol Park

Four boys fishing at Punggol Park were ecstatic after they sucessfully reeled in a catfish as huge as one of the young anglers.

Videos uploaded to TikTok by the boys show the huge fish splashing about in the waters as it is slowly pulled to shore.

"It's the pond giant; you caught a record fish! It's a catfish, [a] giant one," a boy exclaims in the video shared by user Dominick10118.

Another one of the friends, TikTok user Sub_todragoplayz, shared online that two other men had helped them haul the catfish — which he surmised to possibly be one of Singapore's biggest — onto dry land.

The boys are seen yelling and jumping in excitement as the fish is laid on the ground. One of the boys even poses next to it for a photograph.

Catch and release

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, 13-year-old Xie Junhan (transliteration) said they had taken over 30 minutes to properly pull the fish out of the water.

He estimated that the catfish measured about 1.5 metres in length and added that they released the animal back into the lake after cutting off the fishing lines.

Waves of congratulations for the boys have poured in online, with netizens sharing the excitement.

"I don't know why but felt so happy for these kids. Their cheers and joy are so infectious in a good way. Happy childhood boys," a TikTok user wrote.

"Isn't this activity better than just gaming?" another commented.

"It's so nice to see kids having a proper childhood. I hope they continue fishing and building more great memories!!" one cheered.

Several netizens also reminded the boys to be mindful of their safety when near water bodies.

Fishing is only allowed in designated fishing areas.

There are two designated areas around the Punggol Park lake where fishing is permitted, according to the National Parks Board's website.

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