Topeka resident reels in 64-pound fish at Clinton Reservoir

SHAWNEE, Kan. (WIBW) - A Topeka resident reeled in a 64-pound fish at Clinton Reservoir.

Kansas Department for Wildlife and Parks said Thayne Miller, of Topeka, has just set the new Kansas state record for the largest smallmouth buffalo caught in Kansas. The fish, which weighed in at 64.75 pounds, measured 45.25 inches long and had a total circumference of 35 inches. Miller unearthed the record-size fish using bow fishing equipment from Clinton Reservoir, five miles west of Lawrence on K-10 Highway.

According to Kansas Department for Wildlife and Parks, the previous Kansas state record for smallmouth buffalo was set in 1979 by Scott Butler, of Lawrence, when he reeled in a 51-pound, 41-inch-long smallmouth buffalo from a private farm pond in Douglas County.

Catches such as these end up as a Kansas State Record if:

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.

Click HERE to see a complete list of current Kansas state record fish.

Caught a big fish but not quite a state record? Apply for a “Master Angler Award” and be recognized for your catch if it exceeds the measurements listed HERE.

For more on fishing in Kansas, visit ksoutdoors.com/Fishing.