Talk about a whale of a tale.

Well, not really a whale, but it was closer than many might think.

Apparently there are some big fish lurking beneath the surface of a Phoenix lake, and one man has the catch to prove it.

"I thought it was a turtle at first," Martin Maughan said.

It wasn't a turtle on the end of his line, but it was a catfish. A big catfish.

Maughan's catch weighed in at about 38 pounds and measured 37.5 inches.    

Maughan said it took him about 40 minutes to feel the large fish in, but he said it was worth it.

"We're going to eat him," he said. "I'm going to share with all the neighbors."

And what's the trick to catching such a large fish? Just put a hot dog on the end of the line, Maughan said.