Ice Fisher Ties Idaho Yellow Perch Record

Idaho angler Bob Shindelar tied the state record for yellow perch Saturday, reeling in a 16-inch, 2.6-pound perch out of the frozen Lake Cascade.

According to the Idaho Statesman, Shindelar's perch beats the record in terms of length -- the co-record holder, caught in 1976, measured 15.5 inches, while Shindelar's measured 16 inches. Length is a non-factor in determining the state record, however, and Shindelar's 2.6-pounder will be listed as a tie.

Shindelar reeled the perch in using a tip up with a four-pound test. At first, Shindelar said, he thought he had hooked a trout, but a flash of gold just below the surface confirmed he had a big yellow.

"I was like 'holy cow!' It looked like a giant gold fish," Shindelar said.

The next day, the fish was weighed on a certified scale and taken to Imperial Taxidermy in Caldwell to be mounted. Shindelar said it may not be the biggest fish he's ever caught, but it definitely is "in terms of memory."

Experts say Shindelar's fish isn't a huge surprise, and believe the state record could likely be broken soon, as Lake Cascade has produced 15-inchers. The world-record yellow perch was a 4-pound, 3-ouncer caught by Dr. C. Abbot on May 1, 1865, in Bordentown, N.J.