Camdenton teenager hooks large Koi fish in the lake

Fishing a passionate hobby for 13-year-old Christian White

At the young age of 13, Christian White has fished in places many adults could only dream about.

Salt water fishing off the coasts of Hawaii and California top his exotic fishing trips, catching trumpet fish and Hawaii's state fish, the reef triggerfish. However, freshwater venues are White's most common outings, where he has caught various types of the scaly creature.

White, a Camdenton student, learned to fish at 5 years old, learning and developing his love of the hobby from his father. With crappie fishing as his favorite, he has also scored some big catches over the years, including a  20-pound catfish and a 17-inch crappie, both of which he caught at about 8 years old and his resident Lake of the Ozarks.

However, there is one fish that White has had his eye on catching for the last two years. In early June, he was able to hook it and checking off another fishing conquest on his bucket list. White caught a 34-inch orange and black Koi fish that lives near his neighbor's dock.

"He lives there with about 45 carp and two other Koi fish. They wait by the dock and wait for us to feed them," he said, noting he and his neighbors don't know how the Koi ended up in the Lake and why the Koi fishes decided to make the dock their home for the last nearly five years.

White said he normally will fish for crappie at this site, however, White has been eager to see if he could hook the foreign fish to Lake of the Ozarks. He said the carp and Koi fish usually love bread, however, he has tried a variety of different things in trying to catch the Koi.

"I have tried dough bait, but bread has been the best. He is smart and usually won't bite, but I got lucky," the Camdenton R-3 Schools student said. "I am really excited I finally caught him."

White said after measuring the orange and black Koi, taking some pictures and allowing his family and friends to get a closer look, he released it back into the Lake.

"He lives there. It wouldn't be fair to take him out of the environment he is used to," he said.

For White, catching one of the other two Koi fish - a smaller black one and a white silver Koi - would be his next challenge.

"I would like to try to catch the white silver one; he is about a foot bigger than the orange one I caught," he said. "It is huge and that would be really cool."

In the meantime, White will continue to enjoy his passion for fishing. Even though he considers it a hobby and not something he would do professionally, fishing keeps him challenged.

"I don't know what I'm going to catch next. I don't know if it is a huge crappie or a catfish or a bass; that is what makes it so fun," he said. "My friends have a dock right by me. We probably go fishing at least once a week."

White's mother, Debi, may not be his prime fishing buddy, but she is delighted for her son's victorious catch.

"He did a great job," she said. "He is a good student, plays football and is well liked. I couldn't be prouder."

No matter if he is using minnows to catch his favorite, crappie, live bait for other fish or bread for his next Koi catch, White offers a tip for fellow fishermen, young or older.

"Don't give up right away. Move around to different places at the Lake. Fish are not always at one place and give some different locations a try," he said.