(Hammond, IN) - A new state record has been set for the size of a perch caught in the region as, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, a 3.2 lb. perch caught by Blas Lara shattered a 43-year-old state record by more than a half pound.

The monster perch was caught in Lake Michigan during a recent fishing derby in Hammond.

Yellow perch are native to Lake Michigan and popular with anglers because of their taste and the ease with which they're caught. The perch population in Lake Michigan is not what it used to be several decades ago, but they are growing faster, as per the DNR.

“Perch growth rates have accelerated over the past few years, with many reaching true trophy sizes at younger ages than in the past,” said Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan fisheries research biologist Ben Dickinson.

“Many anglers have been catching true ‘jumbo’ perch, in the 14- to-17-inch size class over the past two years.”