Georgia Yellow Perch Has New Jersey Beaten

Round Valley Reservoir

 Southern Fishing News A tie for the Georgia state record yellow perch at two pounds, nine ounces was recently made by angler Emerson Mulhull. The fish measured 16 inches long, and my first impression was that it had to be smaller than New Jersey's record. But I checked NJ Fish & Wildlife, and ours is two pounds, six ounces from Holiday Lake, 1989. Since I'm witness to Lake Hopatcong yellow perch 14 inches long, I figured they must grow considerably larger here. More than 16 inches. And as a matter of fact, the Fisherman and other sources speak of the world record yellow perch caught in Bordentown, New Jersey, 1865. Is that too long ago for our governmental authority to remember? I know attention spans of shortened, but really.

Let's say Georgia has New Jersey beaten...recently. Both chain pickerel and yellow perch are native New Jersey species. It's appropriate, in that way of a downtrodden state in so many opinions, for New Jersey at one time to have held world records for each of those fish. NJ Fish & Wildlife still lists the 1957 catch of Frank McGovern from Lower Aetna Lake as the state record chain pickerel at nine pounds, three ounces. But Orvis News and other sources claim the new world record chain pickerel--nine pounds, six ounces--was caught in Homerville, Georgia. 

Congratulations, Georgia, on two counts. But I remember that Bordentown yellow perch...now I do...from boyhood. We didn't have the worldwide web, but we had magazines and books. I was informed of that perch. Even if our state government has forgotten it, I haven't. Georgia has us beat on one perch count, enough for the title of my article, but Bordentown resonates a hell of a lot bigger.

Besides, the International Gamefish Association lists the Bordentown, New Jersey, 1865 yellow perch, four pounds, three ounces, as the all tackle world record.

To Be Passing Through Georgia 

I'll be passing through Georgia, I hope, in two years from this past January, as I plan my Florida trip. I might spend some time in Georgia, although as yet, I don't know where to fish. I have caught fish in that state long ago, but way up in the mountains, when I discovered a small trout stream while hiking the Appalachian Trail. Caught wild rainbows. Good eight-, nine-inch fish.

I'm certainly interested in catching big largemouths in Florida. Brian Cronk wants to meet me down there, and in addition to fishing the Keys for big saltwater gamefish, try Rodman Reservoir for big largemoths. He's good at bass fishing, but we hope Florida has our big ones up here beat. 

I'm driving down. Brian will fly down and I'll meet him at the airport. Fred Matero is my inspiration for the driving and he would be great to meet at the airport, too. 

Ice Perch