Sometimes in life—and in fishing—you find something you weren’t looking for.
That’s what happened to an angler in Isle of Wight Bay near Ocean City, Md., and he wisely recognized the opportunity in front of him. Now, he holds a new state fishing record.
Robert “Bob” Hudson, who lives in Ocean Pines outside Ocean City, recently landed a 1.85-pound white perch, a weight that broke the previous Atlantic division record in Maryland.
Hudson and a friend were headed out clamming, but noticed some active fish in the Bay and changed their plans. They had no rod on board, so the two headed back to shore to find gear.
According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Hudson used “a beginner light spinning rod and a “Roy Rig”—a locally popular lure that is basically a rubber shad body rigged on a lead head.” After just two casts, Hudson caught the record fish.
“Look at the size of that,” Hudson said after reeling in the white perch. “We never see (white perch) in the middle of the bay.”
Hudson’s record catch was weighed on a certified scale at Crabs to Go by Sarah Stephan and officially confirmed as a white perch (Morone americana) by a DNR biologist.
Hudson’s white perch broke the previous state record, held by Ryan Timmons with a 1.7-pound white perch caught in 2016. We wonder what would’ve happened if Hudson had stuck with his original plan of clamming for the day.
He’ll be awarded a plaque from DNR.
Anyone who believes they may have a potential record catch can call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325. Immerse the fish in question in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked and certified by DNR.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
