Records are made to be broken—even if it takes nearly 60 years to see it happen. What sets fishing records apart, however, is the fact that each new chart-bust is as much a win for Mother Nature as it is for the angler—that is, a record-breaking fish redefines the parameters we thought we knew for the species on hook.
And this Spring, angler Bobby Parkhurst gave us something new to aim for: The Topeka resident was casting a minnow on Pattawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 2 on March 5 when he set into the largest white crappie the state has ever seen.
According to Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the fish did indeed hit a certified scale and came in at an official weight of 4.07 pounds—a weight KDWP officials deemed as a "catch-of-a-lifetime."
"As fisheries biologists, we get the chance to see a lot of big fish, but this one is certainly for the books," KDWP Assistant Director of Fisheries John Reinke said in a press release. "This crappie measured in at 18 inches long and 14 inches of girth, so it truly deserves a spot on the state record list."
The previous record was barely beat out, though: Angler Frank Miller's 1964 white crappie weighed 4.02 pounds and measured 17.5 inches in length. The narrowness of the defeat is a testament to just how impressive Miller's original record was. He, too, used a rod and reel with a minnow for bait.
According to the KDWP, in order for a fish to be eligible for a state record:
- The fish is caught by a licensed angler using legal means
- The fish is identified by a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks district fisheries biologist or regional fisheries supervisor
- The fish is weighed on a certified scale prior to being frozen
- The fish is photographed, in color, and a state record application is filled out
- The mandatory 30-day waiting period has passed.
Congratulations to Bobby on a catch for the ages!
