A Michigan man has set the new state record for catching a white perch in Lake St. Clair last month.
Scott Smith, from Adrian, holds 53 world records, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
On April 25, he was fishing on Lake St. Clair when he reeled in the white perch. It weighs 2 pounds, 5.92 ounces and measured 16.25 inches. It beat the previous state record white perch – 2 pounds, 13.57 inches, that was caught in 2015.
Cleyo Harris, a fisheries biologist with the Michigan DNR, confirmed the record-breaking catch.
“I’ve been fishing in Michigan for close to 65 years,” Smith said. “I grew up fishing the Detroit River. We used to ride our bikes down there as kids, throw in a line with our bait and ‘ride’ the catch home.”
According to the DNR, he first set a record from the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame for a rainbow trout in 1996.
The DNR said his 53 world records are a mix of line-class and all-tackle awards in fly fishing, and he's participated in tournaments around the globe.
