XENIA — Kay Magnuson was just 8-years-old when her Uncle Bob Romick first put a fishing pole in her hands.
“He says, “Kay, I’m gonna take you fishing (at Lake Erie) but there are two rules. You have to bait your own hook and no talking,’ ” Magnuson said.
Much like the worm, Magnuson was hooked.
“Oh my goodness it’s so relaxing,” she said. “And the challenge of getting a fish and bringing him in.”
Some 67 years later, the long-time Xenia resident brought in one of her biggest catches to date, snagging a 31-inch long catfish at Shawnee Park June 10. Magnuson battled 20 minutes with the more than nine-pound fish before finally yanking it to dry land.
“I wanted to wear him out because I was afraid I would break my line,” Magnuson said. “I was excited.”
She immediately called her husband, Bill, and her son, Billy, to come and take a picture before tossing it back into the lake.
Magnuson can be found at Shawnee Park and other popular fishing holes on a regular basis. She fishes at least once a week, sometimes more. While her recent haul would be at the top of many angler’s wish list, Magnuson has her sights set a tad higher than the catfish and a rather large carp she caught in 1993.
Her, uh, “reel” goal is to land a large mouth bass weighing at least five pounds.
