4-year-old’s white perch is almost new state record

Catch was less than two ounces from new state record

Colt Huffman is 4-years-old and caught his first fish completely on his own yesterday on Lake Wateree. And it almost broke the South Carolina state record for white perch. Huffman, from Lake Wylie, caught the 1-pound, 14-ounce perch while fishing for stripers with his sister Allie and their dad Lee Huffman of Huffys Guide Service (980-522-1027).

“He’s 4-years-old, it’s the first fish he’s truly caught all on his own. And he came a lot closer to a state record than I ever have,” said Colt’s dad, who guides on numerous bodies of water in both Carolinas.

The youth angler has reeled in his share of fish before this one. But he caught this one from start to finish.

“He literally lowered the rod down to the bottom, set the hook, and reeled it in all on his own. It was his true “first fish” where he did 100% of it all. It was so cool,” said Lee Huffman.

Colt’s white perch could be biggest ever caught on Lake Wateree

The Huffman’s were catching stripers while fishing on the bottom. Colt and his sister caught plenty of them while their dad helped out. Aside from the numerous stripers they caught, they also hooked two white perch.

Colt was using cut herring for bait, and fishing with a Catch the Fever Striper Stealth rod, 15-pound test Slime Line monofilament, a 3/4-ounce weight, and a No. 1 circle hook.

The current state record for white perch is a tie between Capt. Rodger Taylor’s Lake Wylie fish and a Santee fish caught by Frank Drose, Sr. It sits at 1-pound, 15-ounces and change.

Huffman’s catch could be the biggest one ever caught on Lake Wateree. But according to the SCDNR, the only official records kept on South Carolina waters are state record fish. Either way, it’s a great catch, especially for a 4-year-old’s first fish.