Kansas girl lands catfish almost as big as her in birthday surprise
GEARY COUNTY (KSNT) - A proud local father is celebrating a big milestone in his daughter's fishing career after she landed a large catfish on her birthday.
Mike Edmonson of Junction City told 27 News he is happy to share that his seven-year-old daughter, Nevaeh, got a special surprise on her birthday in late July when she landed a flathead catfish one night at Milford Lake. Edmonson said the fish is a big catch for his daughter and marks a new personal best for her growing fishing career.
Lifelong Kansas residents, the father-daughter duo regularly head out to the local lake to go fishing together. Edmonson said on the night his daughter reeled in the flathead catfish, it took her only about three minutes to land it. The pair were fishing down by the Milford Lake spillway fishing just off the shore.
"We always go out there with the intention of catching something big," Edmonson said.
Edmonson said his daughter loves to go out fishing with him as often as she can. He said Nevaeh managed to pull in the catfish, which he estimated at around 15-20 pounds, on her own with some helpful guidance.
"I'm gonna tell my friends at school I caught that," Nevaeh said. "We catch fish all the time."
Edmonson said fishing is a big deal in his family. He hopes to pass on his skills to his daughter so she can continue to land larger and larger fish of her own.
"Fishing has been in my family for many years, many generations," Edmonson said. "My dad would always take me out to go fishing."
Nevaeh and her dad say they will be back out near the water soon, spending time together and reeling in more fish. You can learn more about fishing opportunities in Kansas by heading to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park's website by clicking here.
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