A North Dakota ice fishing catch could smash a decades-old state record.
A recent report from Perch Patrol Guide Service in Devils Lake highlighted a remarkable haul by angler Alan Hintz, who travels from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. On a Devils Lake trip on March 1, Hintz reeled in a yellow perch measuring about 16.5 inches and weighing just under 3 pounds. Although not yet official, North Dakota Game and Fish verification appears likely to topple the current record, according to guide Tyler Elshaug.
The current record was set on March 28, 1982, by Kyle Smith from Carrington, North Dakota. That perch weighed 2 pounds 15 ounces and was also caught on Devils Lake, which stands as North Dakota’s largest natural lake and is renowned for exceptional walleye and perch fishing.
Perch Patrol shared multiple photos of Hintz’s prize catch on their social pages. Hintz described the moment to Outdoor Life: he was camping with his brother Dale when the bite occurred. The morning started slowly, and the group initially mistook the strike for a Northern pike. When the line went tight, all three reacted with disbelief. Tyler Elshaug dropped Dale’s rod, leaped toward the hole, and secured the fish. After the scramble, Hintz and his companions quickly grabbed a tape—finding 16.5 inches—and agreed they should weigh the fish.
There is a waiting period of at least four weeks for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to officially verify and recognize the fish as a state record.
Perch Patrol summed up the moment on Facebook: now, we wait for the official confirmation.
Related coverage: a story about a very large bass that might also surpass a state record has drawn similar excitement.
Brandon Champion, based in Grand Rapids, covers statewide trends for MLive, focusing on a broad range of topics including crime, courts, and regional news across Michigan and the Upper Midwest.
