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.