World record fish caught in East Tennessee

For the second time in less than a two-year period Tennessee has produced a wildlife world record.

A 5 pound, 7.68 ounces black crappie was caught in a pond in Philadelphia, Tenn., by Lionel "Jam" Ferguson, which eclipsed the world record 5-pound black crappie caught on a private lake in Missouri in 2006, according to the International Game Fish Association.

The previous black crappie record in Tennessee was 4 pounds, 4 ounces caught in 1985 in Brown’s Creek Lake in Henderson.

Ferguson's record fish came about 19 months after Stephen Tucker killed the world record white tail deer in Gallatin with 47-point antlers which measured 312 3/8 inches.

“Prayers go up and blessings come down.” Ferguson said.

Philadelphia is located in Loudon County near Knoxville.

► More: World record deer killed in Sumner County

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Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer Anthony Chitwood met with Ferguson after Ferguson caught the black crappie and accompanied him to a nearby boat ramp to have the fish weighed on scales used in bass tournaments.

After realizing the fish might be a world record it was then taken to be weighed on certified scales. The following day TWRA fisheries biologist John Hammonds visually inspected the fish and verified it as a black crappie.

In order to rule out the chance of it being a hybrid between a black and white crappie, Hammonds took a fin clipping that is undergoing DNA testing, which will take a few weeks.

Ferguson already has delivered the fish to a taxidermist for mounting.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.