Michael Barrett, a lifelong Federal Way resident, sent this photo of his son’s whopper of a catch.

Max Barrett, age 3 and a half, caught this large mouth bass on Saturday at Steel Lake in Federal Way.

“He’s a fishing addict. He always wants to go fishing,” Michael said of his son, who comes from a long line of fishing addicts in the family. “Nobody in my family has ever caught a bass that size. To be honest, I didn’t know there were fish that big in that lake.”

Usually, the Barretts catch trout at Steel Lake. Michael thought his son had hooked a bird, based on the way Max’s fishing pole was bending and pulling him along the dock. Some fellow fishermen at Steel Lake offered a net to assist with Max’s big catch.

Michael Barrett estimated the fish weighed about 10 pounds. He had the photo of Max and the fish printed on a T-shirt, and planned to give the shirt to his son tonight. There’s also a vacuum-sealed large mouth bass in the freezer, and Max has been able to sample his bounty.

“There was no talking him out of throwing the fish back,” Michael said. “Every time he gets home, he wants to eat his fish.”