A man from Michigan caught the new state record yellow perch on Ocoee Lake #3 on March 26, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Jeremy Lorenz is the new state record-holder with his 2 pound, 5 ounce yellow perch, TWRA officials said in a statement on the record.
The previous record was a tie, of a 2 pound, 3 ounce fish taken by Trenton McCoy in January of 2017 and the same size fish taken by Richard Marsich in July of 2018, officials said.
Jeremy Lorenz caught the new state record yellow perch on Ocoee Lake.Officials said Lorenz was visiting a cousin, Birchwood, Tennessee, resident Eric Reed, and got a temporary license to fish for a few days.
"Reed had fished there only once and both anglers headed out early with pan fish in mind, on the dreary Tuesday morning," the release states. "With just a few minnows left, Reed saw a bald eagle. Reed referred to something the men's grandfather had taught them as children, to watch and learn from nature. They headed to the spot the eagle was circling and decided this would be their last hole before heading to shore."
Apparently, the strategy worked.
"Just before 4:30 p.m., Lorenz felt the familiar run of the line and thought it might be a bass. He asked Reed to ready the net," officials state in the release. "The net was under the anchor and Reed reached for the fish with his hands, surprised to see such a large perch."
For Lorenz, an angler the majority of this 41 years, the length of the fish at 15.75 inches was one of the largest yellow perch he had seen.
"I'm a captain and I've fished Lake Erie my entire life and I've never seen a perch this large," Lorenz told TWRA officers of his catch.
"We are happy to see angler success and hear these great stories," Region 3 reservoir fisheries manager Mike Jolley said.
As for the two cousins fishing, the day couldn't have ended better when Reed pointed to the bald eagle diving and catching a fish in the same area, officials said.
"Maybe grandpa was with us," Reed said.
To find state record fish or to learn more about fishing, visit tnwildlfie.org.