Thread: Perch for Dinner

they are fun to catch for sure, usually when the perch show up the crappie leave.

It works with all kinds of spoons, too. Luhr-Jensen 'Krocodile' w/double hook and spot-dots painted on.
You don't catch a lot this way, but it is worth a laugh when you do.

That is some nice white perch right there.CF

I gotta confess to being something of a white perch fan. I'd as soon catch them as nothing and they arent bad in the pan. Consider they are a fish with no limits in most places - you can catch all you want. They will readily take a bait, too. I remember some good times with my kids on Lake Murray, filling the boat with them. They are like mini-stripers and are a decent sport, all things considered.

While they probably aren't the equivalent of a biblical plague, they are very prolific and voracious predators. It wouldn't be so bad if they would just leave the fry and eggs of other fish alone. They do push out other species; white bass come to mind right off. Almost everywhere they have been introduced their effect is felt. I would say this is the result of an adaptable, successful species. Others will say I've lost my mind.
In the end, a balance is always struck. This balance may favor the white perch, however, so it might be best to keep an open mind and be a flexible angler.
When you consider how plentiful they are and how good to eat, one is almost crazy to completely ignore them.
At least one Lake Wylie guide I can think of has admitted to saving more than a few fishing trips by suggesting, "...Well, we can always go catch some perch!"
And they make excellent catfish bait.