Tried the white perch last night

Phil from Maine · 05-12-2007, 05:38 AM

I went and tried the white perch last night thinking it was a little early but caught 10 beauties and 1 small mouth that I threw back. The small mouth was about 16 inches and full of eggs, sorry I didn't have my camera with me. But, the perch were running big for me and we werecasting off shore. A friend I had with me says come up this way and try it. As, he was catching them first. I just smiled and said I am alright right here, in the end he caught seven average perch. I showed him mine and he said yeah you did pretty good there. They had averaged around 12 inches.

Champlain Islander · 05-12-2007, 05:50 AM

Lots of fight on light tackle and they are real good eating. When I want a fish fry on the beach in the summer I go for them rather than yellow perch. 10 years ago there weren't any in Lake Champlain and now they are everywhere on our lake.

childers · 05-12-2007, 09:04 AM

thats the first time ive ever seen one

Chuck7 · 05-12-2007, 11:34 AM

Awesome man!!! They are very good eatting and a blast to catch.I'm really happy for ya.

C7

Rebel Hog · 05-12-2007, 11:42 AM

WTG Phil! Good eating

AJ52 · 05-12-2007, 08:25 PM

RH - Ditto on that great eating. We have huge Perch runs here in Delaware and MD on tidal rivers.Guys from all over the E.Coast come here to fish these perch spawning runs.The big runs where you can catch 75-100 fish a day will last a week at best then Poof - Gone.Can still catch stragglers here and there.Many fish over a pound! Great fighters on light tackle and a simple 1/16 oz jig tipped with white or chart curly tail grub.Have often caught 18-20" stripers while fishing this rig for Perch.Now that's a blast on 6lb test and 1/16 oz jig!

Pygmy · 05-13-2007, 03:59 AM

Nice catch, Phil....

I had my first experience with white perch last spring when I was up in Maine for a gobbler hunt...Went out on a lake near where I was staying with a local in his boat...We caught a bunch of white perch on UL spin gear and my 1/16 oz. hair jigs...They were great little fighters and I agree with the former posters that they are excellent eating..

I'll be coming up to Maine this month for the last week of gobbler season...Since the daily hunt ends at noon up there, that leaves the afternoon for fishing...

...

Phil from Maine · 05-13-2007, 10:56 AM

Lots of fight on light tackle .... C I

That's the way we fish them, alot of fun and good eating no matter how you cook them. I took my son with me last night and we caught 23 and let a few smaller ones go. He lost his bobber so I showed where to fish out of the current as we are fishing along side of a river here. He kept putting it out in the current anyways. So, I showed him what to do after I hauled a hugh smallmouth out of there. Sorry again no camera but that smallmouth was in the 4 lb range at least and what a blast on the light tackle! I picked it up and showed some others fishing nearby and all they could say was WOW as I tossed it back in for another day of fishing...