By Rick Dykstra
JUNCTION CITY, KS – The scales at yesterday’s Milford Lake Team Tournament didn't just tip; they practically broke. In a historic display of angling dominance, local sticks Scott Smith of Milford and Jesse James Cornell of Abilene smashed the all-time I-70 Bass Anglers tournament record with a jaw-dropping five-fish limit weighing 21.94 pounds. The veteran duo anchored their monumental bag with an absolute powerhouse 4.93-pound smallmouth, securing Big Bass honors and cementing Milford Lake's reputation as a world-class bronzeback factory.
The jaw-dropping weights didn’t stop at the top spot. Runners-up Kyle Simmons of Leonardville and Brett Halstead of Riley brought an elite 19.13-pound bag to the weigh-in tanks, followed closely by Manhattan’s Jared Brooks and Neil Parikh with a stellar 15.57-pound limit. While giant smallmouth bass dominated the headlines, the weigh-in also featured healthy showings of chunky largemouth and aggressive spotted bass, underscoring the incredible multi-species balance currently thriving in Milford's waters.
"When you have multiple teams pushing past the 15-to 20-pound mark strictly on Kansas water, you aren't just looking at a good weekend of fishing—you are witnessing a golden era," said Rick Dykstra, local outdoor media producer and retired tourism professional. "The hard-fighting, rod-bending brown bass are fat, healthy, and feeding aggressively."