Big catfish was worth the wait for Overland Park fisherman

Brad Kilpatrick was getting tired of being the net man when a big blue catfish was caught on the Missouri and Kansas rivers.

Oh, he caught a 66-pound fish some 10 years ago. But that catch, he will tell you, didn’t come close to getting bragging rights in the circle he hangs around with.

Kilpatrick handled the net when Rob Stanley of Olathe caught a Kansas state-record 102.8-pound blue cat on the Missouri River in 2012. And Kilpatrick, who runs the Kansas City Catfish tournament circuit, helped several other fishermen land their personal-best catfish.

“It got to be a joke. I’d tell guys I was fishing with, ‘Well, you’re going to catch a big one today. I’m in the boat,’” said Kilpatrick, who lives in Overland Park. “I’ve netted a lot of huge blue cats.

“But I was wondering when it was going to be my turn.”

Kilpatrick’s turn came about 11 p.m. May 22 on the Kansas River near downtown Kansas City.

Fishing with Dustin Rhodes of Kansas City, Kan., he heard that familiar sound of a reel screaming as a giant fish took out the 80-pound test line When he grabbed the rod out of the holder, he felt the pull of the catfish he had been waiting for.

It took him 20 minutes to get the blue to the side of the boat. But that fight wasn’t over yet. The catfish fought for another 20 minutes at the side of the boat, diving straight down every time Kilpatrick gained some line.

Finally, Kilpatrick got the fish to the surface, then into the boat. He later weighed the giant at 82 pounds, a true trophy.

“I waited 10 years for that fish,” said Kilpatrick, who released his catch. “Now I’m after one even bigger. They’re out there. The Missouri River and the Kaw have some huge catfish. But they don’t come along every day.”

Aiming at the carp

More than 1,000 fishermen from across the country will descend on the Ozarks this weekend to pursue the wily— are you ready for this?— carp.

Well, the carp, gar, buffalo and other rough fish.

The U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship, sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, again will sport a huge field of archers who will target big fish and big dollars. The competition will take place Saturday night into Sunday morning on Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Pomme de Terre, Stockton and Truman lakes. The fishermen then will drive their catch to the Bass Pro Shops store in Springfield, Mo., for weigh-in at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Last year’s winners brought 376 pounds of rough fish to the scales and took home $10,000. The grand prize will be $25,000 this year.

This year’s event, open to the public, will include a World’s Bowfishing Fair at Bass Pro on Friday and Saturday. Food, vendors, seminars and appearances by nationally known fishermen and hunters will be included.

Let’s go outdoors

The Kansas City-area retail giants Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s both will have events this weekend designed to introduce people to the outdoors.

▪ The Independence Bass Pro will put on a “Gone Fishing” program from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and again June 20-21.

The nationwide program is part of the Bass Pro’s goal of getting youngsters to put down their digital devices and pick up a fishing pole. Kids and their families will be able to fish in a stocked catch-and-release pond, listen to seminars and get a free picture with their catch. There will even be discounts on a rod and reel combo for youngsters who bring in a new or used video game.

▪ The Cabela’s store in Kansas City, Kan., will host Outdoor Adventure Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Cabela’s will partner with the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and the Trailblazer Adventure Program to provide fishing in a stocked pond, target practice, archery, campground cooking demonstrations and more.