In a bizarre turn of events at Lake Livingston, avid fisherman and self-proclaimed cryptid enthusiast, Bubba Joe Jenkins, made headlines this week after announcing that he had captured the elusive Bigfoot in his fishing net. The alleged Bigfoot turned out to be none other than Old Man Thompson, a local hermit known for his thick, unkempt beard and penchant for wandering the remote shores of the lake.

Jenkins, who has been on the hunt for Bigfoot in East Texas for years, claimed that he finally cornered the creature near a secluded cove on the southern end of the lake. “I saw them big hairy arms flailing about in the water, and I knew right then and there, I had caught me a real-life Sasquatch,” recounted Jenkins, a lifelong resident of Polk County.

However, upon closer inspection by wildlife authorities, it was quickly determined that the hairy figure was, in fact, just Old Man Thompson who had been out fishing for his dinner. Thompson, who is notorious for his aversion to modern society and penchant for living off the land, reportedly gave Jenkins a toothless grin and a nod before disappearing back into the dense woods surrounding the lake.

Despite the mix-up, Jenkins remains undeterred in his quest for Bigfoot and has vowed to continue his search along the shores of Lake Livingston. “I may not have caught the real deal this time, but mark my words, that hairy fella is out there somewhere, and I ain’t givin’ up until I find him,” declared Jenkins, as he prepared to cast his fishing net once again into the murky depths of the lake.

As for Old Man Thompson, he has since returned to his solitary life on the shores of Lake Livingston, undisturbed by the brief moment of fame brought on by being mistaken for a legendary cryptid.