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Posted: Jun 24, 2021 11:02 AMUpdated: Jun 24, 2021 11:41 AM

Wichita Native Breaks Bartians Paddlefish Record

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Garrett Giles

The world record for largest paddlefish ever caught once held by a Bartlesville area man has been broken.

Cory Watters broke the paddlefish world record and State of Oklahoma record 11 months ago at Keystone Lake. This week, 18-year-old Grant Rader of Wichita, Kansas, broke the record at the same lake. Watters just so happened to be in the area when Rader made a catch of a lifetime.

Pictured left to right: New record holder Grant Rader, Jeremiah Mefford with Reel Good Time Guide Service, and previous record holder Cory Watters.

Watters said he was happy for Rader. He said he wasn't disappointed at all because he knew his record wouldn't hold for very long.

The record-breaking catch Watters made in 2020 remains in the record books. Watters said it is something that no one can take away from him. He said it is difficult to beat a personal best like that.

Rader's catch weighed 164 pounds to set the bar high for other anglers. Watters' paddlefish weighed 151 pounds, 14.4 ounces when he broke the record book in 2020. Both men went fishing with Jeremiah Mefford, who owns Reel Good Time Guide Service. Watters spoke highly of Mefford, saying Mefford is an amazing guide to go fishing with. He said Mefford makes the outings fun and will help you catch what you want to catch, whether it be a ton of fish or one really big one. Mefford has guided three clients to world record paddlefish.

Watters wanted to get a feel for the atmosphere and the excitement when he stopped by Keystone Lake to see Rader and his paddlefish. Watters said he was eager to see Rader. He said he was happy to see the joy on Rader's face that he had nearly a year ago. Watters and Rader even got a picture together to capture the moment (pictured above).

Rader didn't fish by his lonesome. Aside from being with a fishing guide, Rader was joined by his dad and grandpa. The trio came down from Wichita for a all-guys fishing trip to celebrate Rader's 18th birthday and high school graduation.

Rader was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Rader said that has never held him back because he loves to fish. He told our news partners at News on 6 that catching that fish was probably one the greatest moments of his life, and there's no one he would have rather shared it with than his dad and grandpa. For more coverage on this story from News on 6, click here.

The record breaking announcement was made by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation on Wednesday.

To read about Watters' record breaking moment in 2020, click here.


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