Man catches 'monstrous' Michigan state record white perch on Lake St. Clair

(WWJ) — A man from Adrian is the new holder of a Michigan state record after catching what he describes as a “monstrous” white perch on Lake St. Clair.

Scott Smith was fishing with a friend on the afternoon of April 25 when he reeled in the fish, which weighed in at 2 lbs., 5.92 oz., and measured 16.25 inches, according to the Michigan DNR.

Their last catch of the day, that was big enough to break the previous record of 2 lbs., 13.57 oz., caught by Cindy Cordo out of Muskegon County’s Bear Lake in 2015.

Smith’s fish was verified by Cleyo Harris, a fisheries biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

While it was his first state-record fish, the DNR says Smith is no stranger to record-breaking fish.

After setting his first world record from the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame for a rainbow trout in 1996, “he was hooked.”

Smith now holds 53 world records — a mix of line-class and all-tackle awards — in fly fishing and has competed in fishing tournaments all across the globe.

“I’ve been fishing in Michigan for close to 65 years,” Smith said, per a DNR press release. “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.”

“Sometimes you’re in the right spot at the right time, and sometimes you just get lucky,” said of his record-breaking fish.

A dentist and fly-fishing guide, Smith also has been a fly-fishing instructor in northern Michigan for 35 years.

Michigan's state-record fish are recognized by weight only. To qualify, fish must exceed the current listed state-record weight, and identification must be verified by a DNR fisheries biologist.

View the current list of record-holders by species at Michigan.gov/StateRecordFish .