WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A fish frenzy on social media after a fisherman nabbed a massive flathead catfish from downtown Wichita on Monday.
Kansas holds the US record for a 123-pound flathead catfish caught at the Elk Reservoir nearly 30 years ago. However, finding this big one in the downtown area isn’t always a common occurrence.
Keith Severns said he spent four nights in the heart of Downtown Wichita trying to catch something. Finally, early Monday morning, he wrangled the fish, which he estimated to be around 40 pounds.
Casting a line of anticipation.
“My dedication did pay off. Patience is a virtue,” said Severns.
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He said three days of strong rainfall over this past weekend created an opportunity. It raised the levels of the Arkansas River, which had been low for city maintenance.
“I told my friends, they’re like, ‘You’re crazy! You have to work tomorrow!’ I’m like, ‘I just feel it!’ finally, at 1:30 a.m., I heard that sound,” said Severns.
His fishing line tightening, Severns knew he had been right, and he was now hooked in for a wild ride.
“I fought that beast; he took me in that current for one heck of a battle downriver,” he said.
The catfish was nearly 40 pounds, according to his estimate. He knew he had to call and wake his son up to help document it. Severns said he has climbed the ladder of fish to now find love in fishing flatheads. He told KSN he’d caught catfish upwards of double the size of this one.
“He woke up, and I said, you’ve got to come down to the river and get a shot of this fish,” said Severns.
Tackling the beast, he releases the fish back into the river, hoping it gets even bigger.
“I like to let those big fish go back. I feel like they’ve defied countless hooks, countless odds their whole life, to make it to that status, to those proportions, I give them the respect to go out and live to the rest of their potential,” said Severns.
Line in water, patiently waiting for Wichita’s next big catch.
Severns said he has caught catfish double the size of this one, but they normally don’t get that big in the downtown strip. He did let KSN in on a little knowledge. If you want to try and catch a bigger one, they may be near the fish ladder at Lincoln Street Dam.
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