June 1,
2011 Pratt, Kansas — Lake Shawnee has yielded a rainbow
trout bonanza this spring. On April 2,
Bob Lorson
caught an 11.02-pound rainbow trout that was confirmed by the
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) as a new state record.
But it wouldn’t stand long.
On April 20, Ed Ames of Tecumseh was fishing the same lake with a
Kastmaster lure when he landed a monster 13.65-pound rainbow, more
than 2.5 pounds larger than Lorson’s catch. Realizing he had
something special in his creel, Ames took the fish to The Bait Hut in
Topeka where it was officially weighed and witnessed. KDWP Region 2
Fisheries Section supervisor Chuck Bever confirmed the species of the
fish, which measured 31 7/8 inches with a girth of 17 ¼ inches. All
that remained for Ames’ catch to supplant Lorson’s in the record
books was a 30-day waiting period, which has passed, and KDWP has
officially entered Ames’ rainbow as the new state record.
State record fish are listed in the Kansas Fishing Regulations
Summary, available wherever licenses are sold, and on the KDWP
website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us. If you think you have caught a state
record, take the fish to a grocery store or other business with
certified scales as soon as possible. Do not freeze the fish before
it is weighed. The weighing must be witnessed, and the species must
be confirmed by a KDWP fisheries biologist or a Fisheries Division
regional supervisor. (A tissue sample may be required.) A color
photograph of the fish must accompany the application. All
applications for state records require a 30-day waiting period before
certification. |