Fish of the Week: Big surprise of a flathead catfish while fishing for smallmouth bass on the Kankakee River

David King earns Fish of the Week honors for a big flathead catfish caught while fishing for smallmouth bass on the Kankakee River.

By Dale Bowman

David King with a big flathead catfish, caught on the Kankakee River. Provided photo — David King with a big flathead catfish, caught on the Kankakee River.

David King caught a 32-pound, 3-ounce, 39-inch flathead catfish on June 12 while fishing for smallmouth bass on the Kankakee River. The Wheaton man was using a Livingston Lures lipless crankbait.

I’m impressed with his landing a fish that big with his bait and bass gear; it’s no small feat.

In recent years, flathead catfish on the Kankakee River have rebounded noticeably. I know I noticed it over the years at fish-collection day for the annual summer derby.

The FOTW deserves a vertical view.

A vertical hold by David King with his big flathead catfish, caught on the Kankakee River.

FOTW, the celebration of big fish and their stories (the stories matter, as this one shows) around Chicago fishing, runs Wednesdays in the paper Sun-Times. The online posting here at chicago.suntimes.com/outdoorsgoes up at varied days of the week, depending on what is going on the wide world of the outdoors.

To make submissions, email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com) or contact me on Facebook (Dale Bowman), Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or Instagram (@BowmanOutside).

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