Kansas man breaks nearly 30-year-old state fishing record with trophy catch

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A Kansas angler managed to set one more state fishing record before the end of 2023.

Jason Cavender, from Great Bend, is now officially in the state of Kansas' record books for a record catch, according to a press release from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). He is being recognized for catching the largest redear sunfish in the Sunflower State.

Cavender's fish weighs in at 1.725 pounds and measured 12 inches in girth and 12.125 inches in length. He landed it using a rod and reel with a worm for bait while out fishing at Cheyenne Bottoms Sportsman's Club in Great Bend.

The previous record-holder, Larry Fox of Scott City, caught a 1.69 pound redear from Finney Wildlife Area that measured 11.75 inches in length in 1995, according to the KDWP. You can find a list of other state fishing records by clicking here.

New state fishing records are set if they meet the following conditions:

• The fish is a species recognized on the current list of Kansas state record fish
• 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.

Three other state fishing records were broken in 2023. Take a look at the list below to learn more:

• Topeka man pulls in monster 64-pound fish, shatters Kansas state record - Smallmouth Buffalo
• 40-year-old Kansas state fishing record broken - Spotted Gar
• ‘Catch-of-a-lifetime’: Kansas man breaks state fishing record - Crappie

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