Did you catch Kansas’ next state fishing record?

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Think you caught a new state record fish in Kansas? You’ll need to follow a few steps before you start celebrating your catch.

KSNT 27 News spoke with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Fisheries Division Assistant Director John Reinke about the process you’ll need to go through to find out if you’ve caught a new state record in Kansas. There are currently 36 state records for Kansas.

Reinke said the first step to figuring out if you’ve caught a new state record is to check up with existing state records which can be found on the KDWP’s website or in the KDWP’s fishing regulations booklet which can be found anywhere fishing licenses are sold. Next, find a certified scale to weigh your catch.

Weighing fish is a tricky part of the process for a few reasons, according to Reinke.

“The fish cannot be frozen to be weighed,” Reinke said. “You can put it on ice, but don’t put it in your freezer.”

Next, Reinke said you should fill out an official Kansas state record fish application. These can be found at KDWP offices across the state and on the KDWP’s website. An empty form is included at the bottom of this article.

Reinke said the form has boxes for the type of fish you caught and its length, girth, weight and more. It also has boxes to fill out regarding the scale you used to weigh your catch such as for the scale number and the last date it was inspected. There doesn’t need to be a KDWP representative present for the weighing of your catch. A color photo of your catch needs to be included as well.

Finally, Reinke said you’ll need to reach out to the KDWP to have a local fisheries biologist verify your catch personally. You’ll need to look up your local fishing district and reach out to the corresponding local fisheries biologist to set up a meeting for the verification to take place. The KDWP fisheries biologist will sign your application form along with any witnesses of the catch and the angler who caught it before it can be submitted.

From there, it takes 30 days for the KDWP to verify the catch as a new state record. Reinke said a more times than not, anglers misidentify what they’ve caught or didn’t weigh the fish using certified scales.

Even if your fish isn’t a record-breaker in Kansas, you can still apply for the Master Angler Award Program. If your catch is at least as large as the lengths displayed on the KDWP’s website, you are entitled to a Master Angler Award certificate. Learn more about the program by clicking here.

Reinke said the current list of state record fish could be expanded in the future as Kansas looks to adopt measures undertaken by its neighboring states. One idea under consideration is to adopt “microfishing” in Kansas; this move would add in fish like minnows to the state records database, potentially adding dozens of new species to the state fishing records program.

Below, you will find a state record fish application and the current list of state records in Kansas.

SpeciesWeight (lbs)Length (inches)TacklePlaceDateCaught by: Largemouth Bass11.828.5Rod & Reel w/jig & pigPrivate Pit Lake, Cherokee Co. 05/03/08Tyson Hallam, ScammonSpotted Bass (Kentucky)4.4418.5Fly rod w/medium popperMarion Co. Lake04/16/77Clarence E. McCarter, WichitaStriped Bass44 44Rod & Reel w/live shadWilson Reservoir05/14/10Paul Bahr, EllsworthSmallmouth Bass6.8821.5Rod & Reel w/jerk baitMilford Reservoir04/04/10Frank Evans Jr., SalinaWiper25 33.5 Rod & Reel w/zara spookPerry Reservoir Outlet08/08/10James M. Moore, Fort RileyWhite Bass5.67 20.375Rod & Reel w/roadrunnerRvr. above John Redmond04/11/02Marvin W. Gary, Peculiar, MOBass, Warmouth1.1110.5Rod & Reel w/wormsMined Lane WA #704/30/88Vivian A. Bradley, PittsburgWalleye13.1629 Rod & Reel w/RapalaWilson Reservoir04/17/96Dustin Ritter, HoisingtonSauger4.823.75Rod & Reel w/jig & minnowMelvern Reservoir11/29/96Jimmy Barnes, Kansas CitySaugeye9.8128.5Rod & Reel w/lureSebelius Reservoir11/13/98Raymond Wait, NortonPerch, Yellow1.4613.66Rod & Reel w/minnowFarm Pond, Sherman Co. 02/20/22Tami Sanderson, GoodlandCatfish, Blue102.856.75Rod & Reel w/cut baitMissouri River08/11/12Robert Stanley, OlatheCatfish, Channel36.538Rod & Reel w/fish entrailsMined Land, WA-Cherokee Co.06/03/03Rick Barnow, HumboldtCatfish, Flathead12361Rod & Reel w/jig and minnowElk City Reservoir05/14/98Ken Paulie, CaneyCatfish, Bullhead7.3324.5Rod & Reel w/crayfishFarm Pond, Montgomery Co. 05/15/85David A. Tremain, HavanaCrappie, White4.0718Rod & Reel w/minnowPottawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 203/05/23Bobby Parkhurst, TopekaCrappie, Black4.6322Rod & Reel w/live minnowWoodson State Fishing Lake10/21/57Hazel Fey, TorontoSunfish, Green2.3611.5Rod & Reel w/grasshopperFarm Pond09/26/82Fae Vaupel, RussellSunfish, Hybrid (Green/Bluegill)2.6513.375Rod & Reel w/#3 MeppsFarm Pond05/17/99Ron Fountain, PaolaSunfish, Redear1.69 11.75Rod & Reel w/jigFinney Wildlife Area07/04/95Larry Fox, Scott CityBluegill2.3111Rod & Reel w/wormsFarm Pond, Scott Co. 05/26/62Robert Jefferies, ModocBuffalo, Bigmouth62.545.75Rod & Reel w/RattletrapCheney Reservoir06/08/19Trey Patterson, CheneyBuffalo, Smallmouth64.7545.25BowfishingClinton Reservoir04/27/23Thayne Miller, TopekaCarp47.140.25Rod & Reel w/cornCarey Park (Hutchinson)06/10/97Phil McAmis, HutchinsonDrum31.540.125Trotline w/crawfishBlue River, Riley Co. 09/02/08Bill Hull. Blue RapidsGrass Carp77.7545.75Rod & Reel w/cricketAtchison State Fishing Lake09/30/12Kenneth Mosby Jr., Kansas City, MOGar, Spotted7.7533.5Bow & ArrowChetopa Dam05/13/83Charles Harbert, ArmaGar, Shortnose9.6435.5BowfishingDelaware River above Perry Lake07/01/17Kevin Dishong, Archie, MOGar, Longnose31.5 NARod & Reel w/yellow beetlePerry Reservoir Outlet05/21/74Ray Schroeder, TopekaShovelnose Sturgeon5.2335.5Trotline w/nightcrawlerLovewell Reservoir07/04/99Edwin P. Hood, MankatoGoldeye2.25 17.75Rod & Reel w/vibrotailMilford Reservoir06/19/80Mike Augustine, Junction CityPaddlefish14454.25Rod & ReelAtchison Co. Pond05/05/04Clinton Boldridge, RileyEel, American4.4435.25Rod & Reel w/green wormKansas River06/23/87Ralph B. Westerman, ManhattanTrout, Brown4.6221.5Rod & Reel w/berkley fat floating trout wormKanopolis Reservoir Seep Stream03/28/18Walter Sharp, AbileneTrout, Rainbow15.7228.5Rod & Reel w/berkley gulp cornKill Creek Park Lake02/23/14Josh McCullough, Spring HillPike, Northern24.7544Rod & Reel w/silver spoonCouncil Grove Reservoir08/28/71Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Bowman, Manhattan