Professional fishermen from Israel and another 21 countries from around the world converged on the Lake Kinneret this week to participate in a 125- hour long sports fishing contest.

The competition, which began on Sunday will end Thursday, entails recreational fishing and outdoor survival throughout the entire week, without a break and in all weather conditions.

The objective of the contest is to win the trophy by catching the largest amount of fish, and to break the record of the largest Carp fish ever caught in the Sea of Galilee – 17 kg pulled out of the lake in 2012.

All fish caught are weighed and then returned to the water.

Teams from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and South Africa are competing at a time that the country is experiencing stormy weather. Several teams from the Druze towns in the Golan Heights are vying for the trophy as well.

Each team consists of two or three members who receive a patch of beach on which they survive, live in tents and fish throughout the week. The team rotates in shifts and maintains a 24-hour presence on the water while maintaining almost complete silence as not to scare off the fish.

Eight judges with international experience are touring the various sites and weighing and documenting each fish caught.

The Kinneret never freezes and serves as a focal point for recreational fishermen from around the world.