'Ghetto Carping': Fishing At MacArthur Park Lake Is Now A Thing

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Looking for a new fishing hole? You may want to take your tackle over to MacArthur Park.

Sergio Talavera says he's caught several trout and carp at MacArthur Park Lake, including a 35-pounder that he proudly displayed on his Instagram account.

The lake is one of more than a dozen locations throughout Los Angeles County kept stocked with fish by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Talavera - who goes by the name "Big Sergg" online - says while carp are plentiful in lakes throughout the region, he enjoys fishing MacArthur Park Lake "because of the size and the people who stop by and talk".

With a strict "catch-and-release" policy, Talavera even has a name - and a hashtag - for what he does: "#californiaghettocarping".

After catching 18 so far this year, Talavera says his goal is to catch (and release) 50 fish by the end of the year.