DENTON, Md. - A Delaware angler made the catch of a lifetime while fishing in Caroline County, Md. recently when he landed a rarely-seen “golden crappie.”
Michael Brown says he was fishing on Williston Lake just south of Denton on Sunday, Sept. 21, when he made the catch that was, as he puts it, “comparable to winning the lottery.”
(Courtesy of Michael Brown)
Black crappies are a common species in freshwater streams and ponds across Maryland, according to DNR, distinguished by their dark spots, large eyes, and rounded back and belly fins. This black crappie, however, was anything but common.
Officials with DNR tell WBOC a rare expression of yellow pigment in the fish, called xanthochromism, can turn the black crappie a stunning golden-yellow. The genetic mutation, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, is extremely rare and few anglers have ever seen it, let alone heard of it.
While Virginia officials recorded a rare sighting in 2020, a spokesman with DNR says it is currently unknown if a golden crappie has been seen in Maryland waters before.
As for the fate of Denton’s golden crappie, Brown’s incredible catch will not be mounted on his wall for posterity, nor will it join the countless other crappies that have ended up on dinner plates due to their well-known great taste. Brown will, however, have the video recording of him successfully releasing the rare fish back into the wild and the memory of an unforgettable catch in Caroline County:
(Courtesy of Michael Brown)