Olathe native Chad Williams has a big fish to fry now.
Just two days after the 2024 paddlefish season got underway, Williams set the world record for a fish he caught at the Lake of the Ozarks, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
He snagged a 164-pound, 13-ounce paddlefish Sunday. The luck of the Irish was with him on St. Patrick’s Day, as he not only broke the previous Missouri record of 140 pounds, but also the previous world record of 164 pounds.
“I was lucky enough to get invited to go out snagging with friends,” Williams said. “I’d never been snagging before. Never seen a paddlefish – didn’t even know what it was.”
Williams hooked into something massive shortly as he and his group started their trip. He said his body was aching as he reeled it in, making him think he was extremely weak because of how long it was taking.
After the fish made it onto the boat, the group immediately knew it was a record, Williams told the department. They met the department’s Fisheries and Protection staff at Three Brothers Meat Company in Montreal, Missouri, to weigh the fish on a certified scale and found out they set the record.
Williams is planning to taxidermy the head. He also said he and wife kept some of the paddlefish meat and shared the rest with the fishing group.
“I’m honestly still processing this whole thing,” he said. “Conservation Agent Tyler Brown was in disbelief it was my first time snagging. (Brown) said, ‘You don’t have to go out fishing ever again. Nothing can top this.’ and he’s probably right.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 4:45 PM.
