Berlin Angler Sets Maryland Coastal White Perch Record

On November 17, Finn McCabe from Berlin pulled in a record-setting 1.2-pound, 13-inch white perch from Ayers Creek as the sun began to set over the Route 376 Bridge west of Sinepuxent Bay and Assateague Island.

McCabe  was originally hoping for a striped bass or speckled trout when he caught the perch using a green twister tail lure on a quarter-ounce jig head.

He put the perch, one of the state’s most popular fish, on ice, and the following day took it to Sunset Marina in Ocean City for an official weigh-in. From there, he visited a nearby Maryland Department of Natural Resources field office, where fisheries biologist Steve Doctor certified the species.

Following the formal application and certification process, the department was able to announce the catch as a new state record in the Maryland Atlantic division.

When asked what he intended to do with the fish, McCabe said, “I’m thinking some butter, and grilling it on the George Foreman.”

The Department of Natural Resources maintains records for sport fish in three divisions—Atlantic, Chesapeake and nontidal—and sends plaques to record holders. Anglers who catch a potential record fish should call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325, and immerse the fish in ice until it can be weighed at a seafood retailer, grocery store, or tackle shop with a certified scale. All International Game Fish Association rules for records and Maryland fishing regulations apply.