4 April 2023
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A nearly 60-year-old state fishing record was recently broken in Kansas due to what has been described as a “catch-of-a-lifetime” crappie out of Pottawatomie County.
Nadia Marji with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) reports Bobby Parkhurst of Topeka broke the state’s crappie fishing record on March 5 when he caught an enormous white crappie at Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 2. The crappie was landed with a rod and reel with a minnow used as bait.
KDWP Assistant Director of Fisheries John Reinke said the lunker catch was measured with a certified scale. Its official weight was 4.07 pounds.
“As fisheries biologists, we get the chance to see a lot of big fish, but this one is certainly for the books,” said Reinke. “This crappie measured in at 18 inches long and 14 inches in girth, so it truly deserves a spot on the state record list.”
The previous state record for crappie was set in 1964 by Frank Miller of Eureka when he landed a 4.02-pound crappie that measured 17.5 inches in length. Miller also used a rod and reel with a minnow for bait.
Marji said trophy catches qualify for the Kansas State Record if they meet the following criteria:
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.
To see the full list of other current state records for fish in Kansas, click here.