Published May 15th 1998, in The Wichita Eagle newspaper by Steve Harper.
Ken Paulie of Caney, Ks was fishing for crappie along the dam at Elk City Reservoir on Thursday when he wound up with something well, larger.
He reeled in a pending world-record flathead catfish, a 61-inch leviathan weighing 121 pounds, with a girth of 42 3/4 inches.
"I've been in fisheries for 12 years, and this is the largest freshwater fish I've ever seen." said Senn Lynott, district fisheries biologist at Elk City, who helped Paulie take the flathead to a grain mill in Independence where it was weighed on scales certified by the state.
"Not only does it break the state record, it smashes it," Lynott said. "Generally when a state record is broken, it's by a pound, or a couple of ounces, not by something of this magnitude."
The Kansas flathead record is a 90-pound fish caught below the Pomona Dam by Wayne Medlen in June 1993.
Paulie's flathead could eclipse the records of the International Game Fish Association (91 pounds, 4 ounces) as well as the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame (92 pounds).
The fish would also surpass the association's world records for catfish species, including the blue catfish record of 111 pounds. Blues are generally the largest catfish species.
"It didn't give me a big fight or anything because of where it was, and because of all the rocks." said Paulie, who weighs 185 pounds. "I still thought it was just a log until I got it pulled up closer."
He was using a Zebco 33, spooled with 17-pound test line, a popular reel that has been on the market since 1954 and a minnow for bait. The wind and waves that had frustrated his crappie fishing efforts earlier worked in his favor with the flathead, helping to push the portly fish toward the rocky shore.
After a fight of about 15 minutes, Paulie was able to work the 5-foot fish in between two rocks where it turned sideways, impeding its escape. He secured the fish to a rock with a rope, then went for help.
"I ran up to the parks office and told them I have a flathead, and it's got to be at least 75 to 80 pounds." Paulie said. "They kind of rolled their eyes like they've heard that before."
Lynott said he was astonished when he saw the fish. "I never thought I'd see one that big," he said. "I can honestly say that I've never had someone come in the office and underestimate the weight of a fish by 50 pounds. You don't see that everyday."
For Paulie's fish to become an official world-record catch, he must submit an application, photo of the fish and witness verification to the International Game Fish Association in Florida.
His fish has the potential to shatter two association world records -- all tackle and line-class. The all-tackle record involves fish caught with any kind of rod, reel and fishing line as long as the line doesn't exceed 130-pound test.
The line-class record applies to fish caught on a specific strength of line, rated by the number of pounds pressure required to break it.
According to Stephanie Wilkens, the association's world record secretary, the verification process takes three to five weeks.
What Thursday morning taught Paulie is that bad weather isn't necessarily bad and reaffirmed the angling truth that what you fish for isn't always what you catch.
"I'm still kind of in shock," he said. "I didn't go out to flathead fish, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."
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