Connor Merritt

Outdoor enthusiasts have a new fish tale to celebrate, as Maryland angler Thomas Dembeck Jr. of Hydes shattered a state record that had stood since 1979. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently confirmed Dembeck as the new state record holder for yellow perch in the Chesapeake division after he landed a massive 2.3-pound, 16-inch fish on February 7 in the lower Susquehanna River.

Thomas Dembeck Jr. with his state record yellow perch. Photo by Lee Haile, used with permission by Maryland DNR.

A Passion for Yellow Perch

Dembeck, a longtime angler with a passion for yellow perch fishing dating back to the 1960s, was deep jigging in about 50 feet of water when he made the historic catch. Using a double-jig rig with two small plastic paddletails on leadheads, suspended above a 1-ounce sinker, Dembeck initially assumed he had hooked a pair of small fish. “I was nonchalantly reeling the fish towards the surface and even took time to watch an eagle fly by,” Dembeck said, as reported by the Maryland DNR. But when he looked down, he saw what he described as a “yellow submarine” and quickly called for his friend, Lee Haile, to net the fish.

Breaking a 1979 Record

Haile, himself a state record holder for chain pickerel in the nontidal division, recognized the potential significance of the catch. After an initial weigh-in on a hand scale, the duo took the fish to Gibby’s Seafood in Lutherville, where a certified scale confirmed its record-breaking weight. DNR recreational fisheries coordinator Erik Zlokovitz verified the species, officially cementing Dembeck’s place in Maryland fishing history.

Dembeck’s perch edged out the previous record of 2.2 pounds, set by Niles Pethel more than four decades ago on November 21, 1979.

For those who think they’ve hooked a potential record, the Maryland DNR encourages anglers to download and complete a state record application and call 443-569-1398. To preserve the fish’s weight, DNR recommends keeping it immersed in ice water until an official weigh-in can be conducted.

Read more about yellow perch on iSportsmanUSA.

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Read the original Outdoor Wire press release here.