This is one of my favorite hard cover fishing books in the freshwater angler series from author Shawn Perich...."Catching Panfish"......Lots of nice pictures and good information and tactics.....
THIS BOOK IN my mind is my favorite book when it comes to the outdoors. It covers hunting and fishing in Robert Ruark's youth. Takes place in the Carolinas in the late 40's and 50's I believe. I've read every story in the book at least 50 times over the last 20 years. Wore out my first copy and had to buy a second hardcover one about 2008.I read it cover to cover every winter , sometimes more than once . FISH KEEP A FELLA OUTTA TROUBLE, SEPTEMBER SONG, and SUMMERTIME , and the LIVIN WAS EASY are all noteable stories to be read to be sure. The descriptions of meals eaten during the holidays are very memorable and you can almost taste the hams and other things when you read about em. MY FAVORITE BOOK HANDS DOWN ABOUT FISHING IN THE OLD DAYS..
Four Books added to my Library thanks to my intelligent wife's christmas gift selection:'Bill Dance on Crappie',Smallmouth Bass and Streams,by John Tertuliani,'The New Cleaning and Cooking Fish,by Sylvia Bashline,Fishing Rivers and Streams'by Dick Sternberg.
These three books are the most STUNNING VISUALLY that I have and they are in a special place in my bookcase, right next to my recliner. Don't get em out enough to study the text and pics.....
I'm curious when they were published Tooty .I have a particular fondness for 40's,50,s and 60,s books but I'm interested in ALL books on fishing .Thanks for posting and taking an interest in this group!
John thanks for your comments and the first book is by Charles Jardine , was originally published in England 1991. ABSOLUTE TREASURE TO ME , PICTURES ARE UNBELIEVABLE. Second book is H. KENT HELVIES steelhead book Autographed by him to me , 1994. He was a worker or associated with Anglers workshop in Woodland Washington were I"ve done alot of business over the years in fly tying and rod building supplies. Third book is Deke Meyers ,1992. Last two books published by Frank Amato , Oregon.
Fantastic David and Tooty. ! David - American books only or British and European also .Please look up the Author ,Edward Ringwood Hewitt for me .He's actually 1900's though .I'm curious if some of his influences are in your CD collection.Heres a blog I did a long time ago :http://bigbluegill.com/profiles/blogs/edward-ringwood-hewitt
YUP JOHN , I like the older books because of the history aspect of our sport. Gear and techniques have advanced so much in the last 20 years it is almost forgotten , except by a few of us Codgers, what things used to be like.....
John took me a while to figure out how to put pics on this , or any other discussion on here, with out it being posted on the main page. NOw that I can do that stand by for some more in depth pics of books , if you don't mind , for the library here. Will be doing more soon if you want em, just let me know..........
The reason I like the older books is the best ones detail the forgotten ways people used to catch fish. The equipment was neat, and today's fish may have never seen some of the stuff the old guys used.
Sure, they get to see Bass Pro Shops' "Flavor of the Week" all the time. But when is the last time they saw a "Whizzaroo Bump Slapper" go whirling past?
John, this is an excerpt from Larry Kollers book The Treasury of Angling ,1963. His book is one of my favorites cause it shows how fish used to be handled, See the old geezer kicking the Steelhead on to the shore!!!!!!!! Also the tackle used back then for almost anything from Trout to Green Carp......
Cool a 60's book .You like those hardcovers with paper covers . .I recently got a book (1959 edition) for 50 Cents at a thrift shop .I'll post it later ,gettin' called to dinner now .
Inside shot of one of the color plates in this book and the old Payne Rods and others were just plain works of art. No wonder they bring young fortunes by collectors and users alike. Ya know John this stuff is all history to me and the young folk of today , mostly though no fault of their own, will never realize what they missed. I think That when you forget yesterday it's hard to see what tomorrow will bring..........
The joyful hobby of fishing ,the camaraderie of fishing is relayed through these fine books we discover .They take our minds off the nasty competitive aspects of life that can make a man bitter!
Here's a link to that book I told you about Tooty .It's not really a fishin' book but it looks like an interesting and entertaining read after thumbing through . 50 cents at a thrift shop .1959 edition hard cover with sleeve in great shape! http://bigbluegill.com/photo/cache-lake-country-life-in-the-north-w...
Thanks John and I"ll check out the link. You mentioned competitive aspects of life John, that's why I don't tourney fish for bass. Used to fish for bass lllllllllong time ago and gave it up mostly now for Gills and their cousins, Red Ears and Crappie Some of those fellas are putting it nicely , elite stye , and look down their noses at most other types of fishing..........
I am into all species I can find .Diversity floats my boat.I used to belong to a bass club and enjoyed tournys for awhile.Good memories winning first place with my brother and other wins were great .However there were some unenjoyable people to be around I must admit and ended up quitting and getting into Multi species and diverse fishing .It was mostly good while it lasted though.
Got me another good book last week, the one I mentioned previously;
"Americas Favorite Fishing: A Complete Guide to Panfishing," by F. Philip Rice."
I wanted it for the chapter on white perch, since so little is out there about these enigmatic fish. Overall it is a good book. It is not exceedingly detailed for any one species, as you might expect for something intended to cover all panfishing genres. But it offers something for everyone and it does help a fill in a few more gaps on white perch. Some pretty good "secrets" for crappie are in there, too...
John, beyond what we already know, I found a couple things that might be useful.
1. White perch eat ALOT of insects.
When stomach contents are examined, larvae and their adult counterparts are significantly represented.
2. They are, essentially, deep water fish. 20-30, is not uncommon.
They spawn in shallow backwaters but the larger ones are found in deep water the rest of the year.
3. They are open water fishes. Traveling in large schools, they move from structure to structure, like humps, submerged points, etc.
4. They are hard to pattern. Being mobile opportunists, you can spend more time looking for them than fishing. If you have a consistent method, stick with it.
5. Don't plan on catching them on flies, except in the very small window around early spring breeding season.
Great account of the white Perch David ! I usually catch the most trolling over deeper water but have hooked a few of my best sized ones shallow in Spring . I'm reposting your comment here over at 'Piscatorial Pursuit of Perch' group!
Spinners and cranks account for the majority of my Whites but perhaps my recently found "Raising Sand" bottom technique with spoon and crawler piece should be employed more .Trolling with spinners and cranks to find and follow the schools and then locating astructure where they are at and using the "RS" technique is the plan for me to target Whites when they start showing themselves . I am surprised flies don't work better than you suggest since they eat a lot of insects!
Subsurface flies produce, since most of their invertebrate selections are nymphs and water-born larvae. They simply are not well known as surface feeders. Occasionally they are seen at the surface over deep water, when chasing bait fish. But it appears safe to say that, outside the spring window, fly fishing for whities is fruitless.
Much had to do with the behavior of fly line itself. Even sinking line is hard to get deep enough, fast enough. It is simply more effective, most of the year, to use other methods.
Your jigged spoon is one such technique that should work. Up until the baitfish have grown to significant size, these small fish comprise much of the diet of large whities in the open water habitat they favor.
I hear ya Jeffrey ,and with my contention that faster is better for Whities ,one would have to strip the fly in to the point of exhaustion! Better to use spinners and crankbaits on a high gear ratio spinning reel. Of course there may be a window when that's what they want ,a fly stripped quickly.
Speaking of "WINDOW ".I read that when a shadfly hatch occurs it's a bonanza for Yellow Perch (Not sure about whites).Edward C,Janes describes this scenario in his book, 'Fresh-Water Fishing Complete. The "boiling Cauldron" of Perch feeding on shadflies had been experienced only twice by the author .Once in New York State and once in Michigan. After the ice out Perch spawn the fish are ravenous and capitalize on the shadfly hatch .Would love to experience this !
While unrelated, yellow and white perch are so alike in their daytime habit as to be considered in the same breath.
They are roving opportunists and known to prowl the shallows in Spring searching for food. For the most part, this means newly hatched insects or those adult forms that blossom so readily when the Year is new. Im supposing this relates to the shadfly you mentioned. They then continue to feed on insects and larvae, along with bottom dwelling invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks...right up until their favored food appears: small fishes.
Once the newly hatched and first year fish fry start to appear, these other forage sources take a back seat to more "piscatorial pursuits."
A probable exception that comes to mind seems common here on SC's Lake Murray. Each year, from early summer onward, the grass shrimp appear in large numbered after dark. Being photosensitive, the shrimp wait until night to swarm up, resulting in blooms that are said to blanket the near-shore waters. This pattern is probably acted out on all the large Southern impoundments.
As you might imagine, many of the fish in the lake take advantage of this glut, in particular the catfish. I've never seen it first hand, but the fishing reports always make mention of it. I'm certain the white perch don't miss a chance at the shrimps, since I'm pretty sure they feed at night.
If you were out at night during these times with a strong light, the shrimp should be easy to spot around grass beds weeds and in back coves. Find the shrimp, and the fish shouldn't be too far away. (yellows, however, sleep at night and so might miss out altogether!)
Very interesting David! I've certainly seen Yellow Perch spit up tiny shrimps in my boat while getting the hook out .I didn't think whites fed at night since the Yellows don't ,can't really say for certain though .
Oh, pretty sure they feed at night. Here are two citations that I found:
"White perch tend to school in large numbers, keeping to deep water during the day and moving inshore at night. Usually, white perch occupy the mid-level of the water column showing little preference for vegetation, structure or other shelter. Voracious feeders, white perch consume large quantities of fish eggs, aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and small fishes."
"Lake populations of perch feed both during day and night, but are generally more active in low light. Both freshwater and saltwater white perch populations spend the day in deeper waters then move to the shallows and inshore waters at night. As young, they feed primarily on aquatic insect larvae, but as juveniles and adults, they consume a variety of small fishes, crabs and shrimp."
It seems the one difference with yellow perch is they go dormant at night.
I remember fishing on Lake Murray probably 20 years ago, now. We were catching white perch on worms, while sitting in a deep water slough between two islands. The only light was the glow from the moon and the fish finder.
Our best Crappie results on Toledo Bend reservoir in Louisiana came at night during the winter months....this often rivaled the Spring trolling run....I'll add a few stories in the coming weeks including the time my five year old daughter caught her personal best White Crappie, Hybrid Striped Bass and had a prized family rod break all on New Year's Eve night back in 1992....My daughter is 26 now and we still always get back to that night......
John Sheehan
This is a link to a fine little Washington Irving writing called ,'The Angler '.http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/irvng035.pdf
I discovered this piece in Nick Lyons collection ,'Fishermans Bounty' ,from my Fishing book collection. I hope you all enjoy!
Dec 24, 2012
John Sheehan
I particularly like when Irving describes the mans humble cabin towards the end of his essay.
Dec 24, 2012
Jeffrey D. Abney
This is one of my favorite hard cover fishing books in the freshwater angler series from author Shawn Perich...."Catching Panfish"......Lots of nice pictures and good information and tactics.....
Dec 24, 2012
DAVID L EITUTIS
Dec 24, 2012
DAVID L EITUTIS
THIS BOOK IN my mind is my favorite book when it comes to the outdoors. It covers hunting and fishing in Robert Ruark's youth. Takes place in the Carolinas in the late 40's and 50's I believe. I've read every story in the book at least 50 times over the last 20 years. Wore out my first copy and had to buy a second hardcover one about 2008.I read it cover to cover every winter , sometimes more than once . FISH KEEP A FELLA OUTTA TROUBLE, SEPTEMBER SONG, and SUMMERTIME , and the LIVIN WAS EASY are all noteable stories to be read to be sure.
The descriptions of meals eaten during the holidays are very memorable and you can almost taste the hams and other things when you read about em.
MY FAVORITE BOOK HANDS DOWN ABOUT FISHING IN THE OLD DAYS..
Dec 24, 2012
John Sheehan
Thanks for sharing Tooty .I love those old books on fishing .
Dec 26, 2012
John Sheehan
Four Books added to my Library thanks to my intelligent wife's christmas gift selection:'Bill Dance on Crappie',Smallmouth Bass and Streams,by John Tertuliani,'The New Cleaning and Cooking Fish,by Sylvia Bashline,Fishing Rivers and Streams'by Dick Sternberg.
Dec 27, 2012
DAVID L EITUTIS
Jan 23, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
These three books are the most STUNNING VISUALLY that I have and they are in a special place in my bookcase, right next to my recliner. Don't get em out enough to study the text and pics.....
Jan 23, 2013
John Sheehan
I'm curious when they were published Tooty .I have a particular fondness for 40's,50,s and 60,s books but I'm interested in ALL books on fishing .Thanks for posting and taking an interest in this group!
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
John thanks for your comments and the first book is by Charles Jardine , was originally published in England 1991. ABSOLUTE TREASURE TO ME , PICTURES ARE UNBELIEVABLE. Second book is H. KENT HELVIES steelhead book Autographed by him to me , 1994. He was a worker or associated with Anglers workshop in Woodland Washington were I"ve done alot of business over the years in fly tying and rod building supplies. Third book is Deke Meyers ,1992. Last two books published by Frank Amato , Oregon.
Jan 24, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
I recently got a CD with 20 or so books from the last century.... the 1800's, not the 1900's!
All of them are OOP and some hard to read, because of the way grammar has changed. But they are pretty interesting.
Jan 24, 2013
John Sheehan
Fantastic David and Tooty. ! David - American books only or British and European also .Please look up the Author ,Edward Ringwood Hewitt for me .He's actually 1900's though .I'm curious if some of his influences are in your CD collection.Heres a blog I did a long time ago :http://bigbluegill.com/profiles/blogs/edward-ringwood-hewitt
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
YUP JOHN , I like the older books because of the history aspect of our sport. Gear and techniques have advanced so much in the last 20 years it is almost forgotten , except by a few of us Codgers, what things used to be like.....
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
John took me a while to figure out how to put pics on this , or any other discussion on here, with out it being posted on the main page. NOw that I can do that stand by for some more in depth pics of books , if you don't mind , for the library here. Will be doing more soon if you want em, just let me know..........
Jan 24, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
The reason I like the older books is the best ones detail the forgotten ways people used to catch fish. The equipment was neat, and today's fish may have never seen some of the stuff the old guys used.
Sure, they get to see Bass Pro Shops' "Flavor of the Week" all the time. But when is the last time they saw a "Whizzaroo Bump Slapper" go whirling past?
Jan 24, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
Ill check it out, John.
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
David right on the money here buddy!!!!!! Agree whole heartedly with all you said .
Jan 24, 2013
John Sheehan
Post away Tooty .Pics and a list of books would be great !
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
OK JOHN AND I'll have it done in an hour or so ,I hope........
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
John, this is an excerpt from Larry Kollers book The Treasury of Angling ,1963. His book is one of my favorites cause it shows how fish used to be handled, See the old geezer kicking the Steelhead on to the shore!!!!!!!! Also the tackle used back then for almost anything from Trout to Green Carp......
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
John this is the cover of the Larry Koller book. ggggggggggreat old read. Lots more to come .......
Jan 24, 2013
John Sheehan
Cool a 60's book .You like those hardcovers with paper covers . .I recently got a book (1959 edition) for 50 Cents at a thrift shop .I'll post it later ,gettin' called to dinner now .
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
Classic & Antique Fly Fishing Tackle by A J Campbell, 1997 softcover. Has lots of info and pics of old bamboo mostly and very nice Pics.
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
Jan 24, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
Inside shot of one of the color plates in this book and the old Payne Rods and others were just plain works of art. No wonder they bring young fortunes by collectors and users alike. Ya know John this stuff is all history to me and the young folk of today , mostly though no fault of their own, will never realize what they missed. I think That when you forget yesterday it's hard to see what tomorrow will bring..........
Jan 24, 2013
John Sheehan
The joyful hobby of fishing ,the camaraderie of fishing is relayed through these fine books we discover .They take our minds off the nasty competitive aspects of life that can make a man bitter!
Jan 25, 2013
John Sheehan
Those pics of old rods are great!
Jan 25, 2013
John Sheehan
Here's a link to that book I told you about Tooty .It's not really a fishin' book but it looks like an interesting and entertaining read after thumbing through . 50 cents at a thrift shop .1959 edition hard cover with sleeve in great shape! http://bigbluegill.com/photo/cache-lake-country-life-in-the-north-w...
Jan 25, 2013
DAVID L EITUTIS
Thanks John and I"ll check out the link. You mentioned competitive aspects of life John, that's why I don't tourney fish for bass. Used to fish for bass lllllllllong time ago and gave it up mostly now for Gills and their cousins, Red Ears and Crappie Some of those fellas are putting it nicely , elite stye , and look down their noses at most other types of fishing..........
Jan 25, 2013
John Sheehan
I am into all species I can find .Diversity floats my boat.I used to belong to a bass club and enjoyed tournys for awhile.Good memories winning first place with my brother and other wins were great .However there were some unenjoyable people to be around I must admit and ended up quitting and getting into Multi species and diverse fishing .It was mostly good while it lasted though.
Jan 25, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
Got me another good book last week, the one I mentioned previously;
"Americas Favorite Fishing: A Complete Guide to Panfishing," by F. Philip Rice."
I wanted it for the chapter on white perch, since so little is out there about these enigmatic fish. Overall it is a good book. It is not exceedingly detailed for any one species, as you might expect for something intended to cover all panfishing genres. But it offers something for everyone and it does help a fill in a few more gaps on white perch. Some pretty good "secrets" for crappie are in there, too...
Feb 13, 2013
John Sheehan
What did it have of interest to say about White Perch in particular,David?
May 28, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
1. White perch eat ALOT of insects.
When stomach contents are examined, larvae and their adult counterparts are significantly represented.
2. They are, essentially, deep water fish. 20-30, is not uncommon.
They spawn in shallow backwaters but the larger ones are found in deep water the rest of the year.
3. They are open water fishes. Traveling in large schools, they move from structure to structure, like humps, submerged points, etc.
4. They are hard to pattern. Being mobile opportunists, you can spend more time looking for them than fishing. If you have a consistent method, stick with it.
5. Don't plan on catching them on flies, except in the very small window around early spring breeding season.
May 29, 2013
John Sheehan
Great account of the white Perch David ! I usually catch the most trolling over deeper water but have hooked a few of my best sized ones shallow in Spring . I'm reposting your comment here over at 'Piscatorial Pursuit of Perch' group!
Spinners and cranks account for the majority of my Whites but perhaps my recently found "Raising Sand" bottom technique with spoon and crawler piece should be employed more .Trolling with spinners and cranks to find and follow the schools and then locating astructure where they are at and using the "RS" technique is the plan for me to target Whites when they start showing themselves . I am surprised flies don't work better than you suggest since they eat a lot of insects!
May 29, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
Much had to do with the behavior of fly line itself. Even sinking line is hard to get deep enough, fast enough. It is simply more effective, most of the year, to use other methods.
Your jigged spoon is one such technique that should work. Up until the baitfish have grown to significant size, these small fish comprise much of the diet of large whities in the open water habitat they favor.
May 29, 2013
John Sheehan
I hear ya Jeffrey ,and with my contention that faster is better for Whities ,one would have to strip the fly in to the point of exhaustion! Better to use spinners and crankbaits on a high gear ratio spinning reel. Of course there may be a window when that's what they want ,a fly stripped quickly.
May 29, 2013
John Sheehan
Speaking of "WINDOW ".I read that when a shadfly hatch occurs it's a bonanza for Yellow Perch (Not sure about whites).Edward C,Janes describes this scenario in his book, 'Fresh-Water Fishing Complete. The "boiling Cauldron" of Perch feeding on shadflies had been experienced only twice by the author .Once in New York State and once in Michigan. After the ice out Perch spawn the fish are ravenous and capitalize on the shadfly hatch .Would love to experience this !
Jun 3, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
By the sound of it, such an event is rare.
While unrelated, yellow and white perch are so alike in their daytime habit as to be considered in the same breath.
They are roving opportunists and known to prowl the shallows in Spring searching for food. For the most part, this means newly hatched insects or those adult forms that blossom so readily when the Year is new. Im supposing this relates to the shadfly you mentioned.
They then continue to feed on insects and larvae, along with bottom dwelling invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks...right up until their favored food appears: small fishes.
Once the newly hatched and first year fish fry start to appear, these other forage sources take a back seat to more "piscatorial pursuits."
A probable exception that comes to mind seems common here on SC's Lake Murray. Each year, from early summer onward, the grass shrimp appear in large numbered after dark. Being photosensitive, the shrimp wait until night to swarm up, resulting in blooms that are said to blanket the near-shore waters. This pattern is probably acted out on all the large Southern impoundments.
As you might imagine, many of the fish in the lake take advantage of this glut, in particular the catfish. I've never seen it first hand, but the fishing reports always make mention of it. I'm certain the white perch don't miss a chance at the shrimps, since I'm pretty sure they feed at night.
If you were out at night during these times with a strong light, the shrimp should be easy to spot around grass beds weeds and in back coves. Find the shrimp, and the fish shouldn't be too far away.
(yellows, however, sleep at night and so might miss out altogether!)
Jun 3, 2013
John Sheehan
Very interesting David! I've certainly seen Yellow Perch spit up tiny shrimps in my boat while getting the hook out .I didn't think whites fed at night since the Yellows don't ,can't really say for certain though .
Jun 3, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
"White perch tend to school in large numbers, keeping to deep water during the day and moving inshore at night. Usually, white perch occupy the mid-level of the water column showing little preference for vegetation, structure or other shelter. Voracious feeders, white perch consume large quantities of fish eggs, aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and small fishes."
"Lake populations of perch feed both during day and night, but are generally more active in low light. Both freshwater and saltwater white perch populations spend the day in deeper waters then move to the shallows and inshore waters at night. As young, they feed primarily on aquatic insect larvae, but as juveniles and adults, they consume a variety of small fishes, crabs and shrimp."
It seems the one difference with yellow perch is they go dormant at night.
I remember fishing on Lake Murray probably 20 years ago, now. We were catching white perch on worms, while sitting in a deep water slough between two islands. The only light was the glow from the moon and the fish finder.
Jun 3, 2013
John Sheehan
Thanks, didn't realize that about White Perch .My night fishing has been relegated to Bullheads and Bass .
Jun 3, 2013
David, aka, "McScruff"
you say, " relegated" like it's a bad thing!
I see it like an equation:
Night + fishing + fish (bass, bullheads, whatever...) = Awesome!
I can't remember the last time I was night fishing.
As always, figuring out where the white perch want to go is the problem.
Jun 3, 2013
John Sheehan
I've always wanted to night fish for crappie which I've never done .
Jun 4, 2013
Jeffrey D. Abney
Our best Crappie results on Toledo Bend reservoir in Louisiana came at night during the winter months....this often rivaled the Spring trolling run....I'll add a few stories in the coming weeks including the time my five year old daughter caught her personal best White Crappie, Hybrid Striped Bass and had a prized family rod break all on New Year's Eve night back in 1992....My daughter is 26 now and we still always get back to that night......
Jun 4, 2013
John Sheehan
Would love to hear some night Crappie fishing stories Jeffrey!
Jun 4, 2013
John Sheehan
Picked up a few garage sale goodies from the early to mid 1950's! http://bigbluegill.com/group/fishingbooklibrary/forum/topics/fishin...
Jun 15, 2013