Kansas resident reels-in recording setting ‘buffalo’

SHAWNEE, Kan. (KWCH) – Kansas is known for its buffalo. Now, a Kansas man is known for his - a smallmouth buffalo that is.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks said Thayne Miller, a Topeka resident, caught the behemoth fish in the Clinton Reservoir, five miles west of Lawrence on K-10 Highway, using bow fishing equipment.

The record-size fish weighed in at 64.75 pounds, measured 45.25 inches long and had a total girth or circumference of 35 inches.

The previous Kansas state record for a 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.

The KDWP said trophy 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.

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