Caption:

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife photo

Dwayne Rioux, an outdoors writer, holds the record-setting white perch at IF&W’s Sidney office. the fish was landed in December by Jeff Paquette of Freedom.

Freedom man lands record white perch

AUGUSTA – A Freedom man caught a state record 3.02-pound white perch at Ellis Pond in Brooks in December.

Jeff Paquette of Freedom caught the white perch at 7:15 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, 2008. The fish was weighed on certified scales at 8:30 a.m. by Paul Flynn, the owner of Freedom General Store, witnessed by three other people.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists Bill Woodward and Scott Davis, based at the department’s Sidney office, inspected the fish and confirmed the record.

The catch was announced Wednesday by the department and the Maine Sportsman newspaper. The DIF&W and Maine Sportsman jointly announce new records, according to DIF&W spokeswoman Deborah Turcotte. The publication maintains the record book.

The previous record was set on Feb. 9, 2002 by Michael Frechette of Sanford, who caught a 2.84-pound white perch on Square Pond.

This is the second record-setting fish caught in 2008. Carter McLaughlin, 11, of Mapleton caught a 5.24-pound, 25.4-inch Arctic Charr on Aug. 20 at Pushineer Pond in T15 R9.