Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania fisherman catches yellow perch that’s comparable to the state record
A phone call from a fishing buddy helped a Pennsylvania angler realize he shouldn’t filet the trophy fish he just caught.
Chuck Main, 55, of Beaver County caught a yellow perch April 7 that rivals the Pennsylvania state record.
Main of Ellwood City was fishing for perch on Presque Isle Bay in Erie when he caught an unusually heavy yellow perch. He’s an avid bass angler and knew people were having success fishing for perch.
He was on his bass boat with his friend, Mike Hobrat, and they were catching a few perch using a VMC Moon Eye Jig with a Strike King Rage Tail Swimmer. He soon hooked into a large one that got off before he was able to land it.
“My buddy said that’s the largest perch I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Later on he hooked into another similarly large fish and they safely netted it and put it in his boat’s live well with other fish.
“All of the ones we were catching pretty big, but not mega giants like this one,” he said.
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When he got home he knew the fish was big and decided to put it on his scale before cleaning it. He then realized it topped 3 pounds.
“I don’t know what made me weigh that fish,” he said. “I literally was getting ready to filet him.”
He figured the state record was much heavier than his fish and didn’t look up the state record. He called one of his friends, Austin Dunlap, who wasn’t able to go along that day to tell him about the outing.
“I said you should have went dude, we whacked them,” he said, adding that the one fish was three pounds. The friend told him he probably has the new state record.
Instead of filleting the fish, they took steps to find a bait shop with an official scale to weigh it. He called the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and he was able to meet Monday with a waterways conservation officer nearby at Reddi Bait in Bridgewater. The official weight turned out to be 3.03 pounds. It was just over 16 inches long and had a girth of 14 inches. Main said the people at the bait shop and the officer were both excited about the size of his catch.
The fish is too close to the state record to be considered as the new title holder. The current record is a yellow perch caught by Kirk Rudzinski of Erie while fishing April 9, 2021, on Lake Erie. His fish weighed 2.98 pounds and the PFBC rounded the weight to 3 pounds.
Existing record: Lake Erie angler Kirk Rudzinski’s yellow perch is officially a Pennsylvania record
Mike Parker, communications director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said they can’t comment on a specific fish until they receive a state record application.
“We are aware of the fish and an officer was present to examine the fish,” he said. However, he said, one of the rules on the application form is that the fish must weigh at least two ounces more than the existing record to be considered for a new record.
Parker said the rule for it to weigh at least two ounces more than an existing record is to eliminate any margin of error.
In addition, he said they don’t list ties or second place in the list of state records. The only way that would happen is if two record fish were caught at the exact same time.
“It’s a stringent process, it’s difficult to achieve and because state records are rare, they mean that much more,” Parker said.
Main said Friday he still plans to file the application with the agency and see what happens. As for the future of the fish, he’s planning to have it mounted by a taxidermist.
“It’s pretty cool. Just the whole story about how I almost filleted it. How everything went down makes it super cool,” Main said. “If it wasn’t for my buddy saying I probably caught the state record, I would not have thought about it for another second.”
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website’s homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors, and Instagram at whipkeyoutdoors.
Check your tickets! Someone in Pennsylvania won big in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing.
While the jackpot is still rolling, someone in Pennsylvania matched all five winning numbers drawn Friday night— 2-20-51-56-67, but not the Mega Ball, 19, to win $1 million. The Megaplier was 2X.
Three other Pennsylvania Mega Millions players matched four of five numbers drawn, winning $10,000.
Click here for more information from the Pennsylvania Lottery and to check if your ticket won anything.
The Mega Millions jackpot is estimated to be worth $944 million for the next drawing on Christmas Eve.
The Mega Millions odds are 1 in 302.6 million. Winners can choose an annuity with annual payments over 29 years, but most almost always take the cash option.
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New Hope, Pennsylvania, a quaint town of 2,500 people, is becoming a new celebrity haven as it offers a “peaceful and private lifestyle” away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, according to experts.
Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid and their mother, Yolanda Hadid, bought a property in the tiny town in 2017, according to Realtor.
The property, which is called Carousel Farm, was purchased for $3.7 million and consists of a 5,0000 square-foot stone house, a barn that can accommodate 16 horses, and an in-ground pool, according to the outlet.
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Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid and Yolanda Hadid reportedly purchased a home in New Hope, Pa., in 2017. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for V Magazine / Getty Images)
Aerial view of Yolanda Hadid’s farm in Pennsylvania (MEGA / Mega)
The listing of the property describes the home as a “gentleman’s estate” where guests can “relax around the pool, go riding on the 32+ acres, or just play your own version of Gatsby.”
In April 2020, Bella and Gigi posed for Vogue’s March issue on their ranch: “Postcard from Home for Vogue,” Gigi captioned her post.
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The Hadids’ home is called the “Carousel Farm” and is a 5,000 square-foot stone house in New Hope, Pa. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Lifetime / Getty Images)
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Gigi’s ex-boyfriend and father of her child, Zayn Malik, also owns a home in New Hope.
Earlier this year, Malik spoke to British Vogue about the benefits of owning a property in the Pennsylvania town and said it’s a “great place to reflect on your thoughts and think about things without the noise of the world.”
He also noted that his home in New Hope gave him the inspiration for his latest album, “Room Under the Stairs.”
Zayn Malik told British Vogue about the benefits of owning a home in Pennsylvania earlier this year. (Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The current man in Gigi’s life, Bradley Cooper, also owns a home in New Hope, just down the street from Carousel Farm, according to the New York Post. The outlet reported that Cooper, who grew up just an hour away in Jenkintown, purchased the home for $6.5 million in December 2023.
Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid were previously in a relationship and share a daughter. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for People.com / Getty Images)
Cooper’s newly purchased home was built in 1704 and has undergone extensive renovations, per The Post. The home has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and is 6,300 square feet.
Tabitha Heit, a licensed relator, told Fox Business, “As a real estate agent licensed in both Pennsylvania and New York, I’ve noticed a significant trend of New Yorkers relocating to Pennsylvania.
“There are several reasons for this shift: the slightly milder climate, more affordable living compared to states like New York and New Jersey, and the overall appeal of the area.”
Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper reportedly own homes on the same street in New Hope, Pa. (Getty Images / Getty Images)
Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid have been romantically linked since October 2023. (Aeon/GC Images / Getty Images)
Heit told Fox Business that since inventory has been “tight” for years, the recent increase in demand has been driving up home prices.
“I would imagine celebrities are drawn to this area as well as it likely offers them a more peaceful and private lifestyle. New Hope, with its artsy vibe, is a standout town, and its location – just across the river from New Jersey – makes it incredibly accessible,” Heit noted.
“I would imagine celebrities are drawn to this area as well as it likely offers them a more peaceful and private lifestyle.”
She added, “Doylestown is another hot spot in Bucks County, offering charm, culture and a vibrant community that continues to attract buyers.”
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Carle Robbins, a broker in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, told Fox Business that New Hope and Doylestown are where celebrities like to dine.
“But the celebs live in the surrounding townships: Solebury, Upper Makefield, Plumstead, Tinicum,” Robbins added.
Justin Bieber is among the celebrities seen in New Hope, Pa., in recent years. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
According to Realtor, the median home price in New Hope is $1.3 million. The outlet also noted that New Hope is in the middle of New York and Philadelphia, which makes it an attractive location for commuters.
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The outlet reported that stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Bieber and Tina Fey have all been seen in New Hope in recent years.
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