TOPEKA (KSNT) - A Kansas angler rocked the fishing world more than 25 years ago with his record-shattering catfish. But will it ever be broken?
Ken Paulie set not only a new state record but also a world record with his legendary 123-pound flathead catfish pulled out of Elk City Reservoir in May 1998. His catch remains the undisputed title-holder for the largest flathead catfish ever caught, earning him the all-tackle record recognized by outdoors organizations such as the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the International Game & Fish Association (IGFA).
Paulie's record was met with controversy and the fish disappeared after it was caught for several years before biologists with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) caught a lucky break and were able to study it. 27 News caught up with the KDWP biologists who studied the fish in 2016, including the first man on the scene the day Paulie pulled his flathead from the water.
Sean Lynott, regional fisheries supervisor for the KDWP in southeast Kansas, was present when Paulie made history at Elk City Reservoir 26 years ago. He said it was an average day as he drove into the office, passing by a lone angler fishing by the reservoir's dam.
"I actually had driven by the angler and looked down there," Lynott said. "He was the only one fishing."
Lynott said Paulie walked into his office about half an hour later asking for help pulling a catfish up the bank. He was surprised at first as Paulie appeared to be strong enough to pull something like a catfish from the water on his own. However, it quickly became clear just how massive the fish actually was.
"He was a big guy, he was probably 6'2 or 6'3 in good shape," Lynott said. "I could actually see the fish from the vehicle and knew immediately the size of the animal."
Lynott helped examine the huge catfish which crushed the previously established record of 90 pounds. Paulie caught the 61-inch long lake monster using a rod & reel with a jig and minnow, according to the KDWP's fishing records.
"When I saw that fish from the corner of the dam, I knew it was something special," Lynott said. "I'm probably 100 yards away from it and looking at the size of it. At the time, Mr. Paulie didn't even think about a state record or a world record, he just wanted to bring it home."
Rumors and controversy started after the news broke of the catfish, such as that the fish was dead when it was pulled from the water or that it had been seen floundering on the surface prior to being caught. Lynott said the fish was alive when he got to the site and he believes it could have even been returned to the water.
"When the news broke with Mr. Paulie being a crappie angler, there was a lot of people who started to raise suspicion, and there was all sorts of rumors going around," Lynott said. "What I'm 100% sure of is that fish came out of Elk City Reservoir and it was alive when I inspected it."
Paulie's catfish disappeared in the years after he caught it. Lynott said he wanted to study the fish but, as the years went by, lost hope he would ever get the opportunity. This would change in 2016 when KDWP Fisheries Biologist Ben Neely was contacted by someone claiming to have the world record sitting in a freezer.
"A fellah called me out of the blue and said he had the world record flathead in a freezer and asked if I wanted it," Neely said. "That fish disappeared after it was caught."
Neely reached out to Lynott about the find and soon he was reunited with Paulie's catch from 18 years prior. While the catfish was heavily freezer-burned and in poor condition, the biologists were able to identify it as the world record. They studied the specimen and gathered information about how it reached its massive size.
"When I saw the fish, it was apparent it was huge," Neely said. "The rope the guy used as a stringer was still with the fish."
The biologists were allowed to study the fish on the condition they give the head back to the new freezer owner who stumbled across the record catch and wanted to turn it into a trophy. Neely and Lynott finished their study of the fish and published a research paper through the Kansas Academy of Science with their findings in 2016.
The goliath catfish grew very quickly from age five to 10, possibly due to the nutrient-rich environment it found itself in, according to the paper. The catfish was around 10-years-old when Elk City Reservoir was built which gave it ample resources to use to grow big fast.
"It lived through a really productive time of the reservoir," Neely said. "It put all of its energy into growing and not reproduction."
Neely and Lynott used the bones and remaining tissue of the fish to determine its age and sex, estimating it was at least 22-years-old when it was caught and that it was a male. The biologists also found a partially-digested 28-inch buffalo carp within the catfish's belly.
"There was always a rumor it was choking on a big fish, that was how it died," Neely said. "We found a 28-inch bigmouth buffalo. It was a huge fish but it makes sense that a huge catfish would eat a huge fish."
For Lynott, being able to study the world record catfish 18 years after he first laid eyes on it was an incredible experience. He had virtually given up on it after losing contact with Paulie over the years and suspected he'd never get the opportunity to study it.
"I kinda wrote it off that we would never get that information," Lynott said.
Paulie's record still stands today as both the state and world record for flathead catfish. Lynott and Neely, while doubtful the record set by Paulie in 1998 will be broken anytime soon, said finding another lake monster of comparable size is still possible.
"They always grow," Neely said. "They never stop growing. That said, not all fish grow at the same rate. If it's happened once I don't see why it can happen again. There's a lot of unexplored water where those things can hide."
"It's always possible," Lynott said. "These are extremely rare fish."
Anglers wanting to catch a glimpse of the world record fish will have to head down to the KDWP Elk City office where a replica is present.
For more Kansas Outdoors, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf
