Bluegill - Big Bluegill
Piscatorial Pursuit of Perch
A place to share seasonal Yellow Perch and White Perch Tecniques to increase catches.
Trophy Perch
Hey fellow perch jerkers! Let's talk about jumbos! First of all....what is a 'jumbo' perch? How big? Most folks would call a 12 inch, roe-filled yellow perch a jumbo. Some standards are smaller, and some larger yet on these delicious fish. To me, honest, one pound fish are indeed jumbos.
I have been reading a lot about the Great Lakes yellow perch populations and the huge numbers of big fish as seen on other sites. I have seen incredible fish up to 16 inches. However, they do not seem to have the body dynamics and weight as do fish from other lakes and reservoir around the country.
In my home state of Maryland, it takes a 14 inch perch to get a citation...a fish that biologist tell us needs 9 years to attain that size in tidal waters. They spawn in Feb and March, and the MD DNR has just allowed the keeping of 10 fish per angler this past spring after several years of limited and no-harvest regs.
For my money, I like Deep Creek Lake in extreme western Maryland. I have caught three individual fish from there that have weighed over 2 pounds, including my heaviest at 2 lbs 4 oz. and 15 .25 inches with a 12.25 inch girth. My longest fish was 15.75 inches, from Lake Carroll in southern PA. and got me the top 'catch and release' entry in the 2009 In Fisherman Master Angler Awards Program. Cool!
So guys, where else are the big perch? Piney Run, in central MD has giants, and so does Lake Moomaw in southwest Virginia, with their former state record at 2-7. Last spring, a 3 lb 2 oz fish came from Fanagan Reservior.
Jumbos, anyone?
I have been reading a lot about the Great Lakes yellow perch populations and the huge numbers of big fish as seen on other sites. I have seen incredible fish up to 16 inches. However, they do not seem to have the body dynamics and weight as do fish from other lakes and reservoir around the country.
In my home state of Maryland, it takes a 14 inch perch to get a citation...a fish that biologist tell us needs 9 years to attain that size in tidal waters. They spawn in Feb and March, and the MD DNR has just allowed the keeping of 10 fish per angler this past spring after several years of limited and no-harvest regs.
For my money, I like Deep Creek Lake in extreme western Maryland. I have caught three individual fish from there that have weighed over 2 pounds, including my heaviest at 2 lbs 4 oz. and 15 .25 inches with a 12.25 inch girth. My longest fish was 15.75 inches, from Lake Carroll in southern PA. and got me the top 'catch and release' entry in the 2009 In Fisherman Master Angler Awards Program. Cool!
So guys, where else are the big perch? Piney Run, in central MD has giants, and so does Lake Moomaw in southwest Virginia, with their former state record at 2-7. Last spring, a 3 lb 2 oz fish came from Fanagan Reservior.
Jumbos, anyone?
Rob Garner
Great Lakes Perch tend to be on the longer side.There are definitely 2lbers out there right now,gearing up to spawn but you need to be in the right place and have the right equipment to get at them.(East winds on Lake Michigan make it no so boat friendly in April) but the perch are there in 30 to 60 Fow.You can catch alot of honest 1lbers or so in the summer most early season fish are egg (roe) weight anyway.I am still looking for a 16 to 17" from the Big pond.Also it takes about 5 years to reach the max size in Lake Mich.This would be the 12 and up range.
Some other good lakes in Wis would Geneva,Castle Rock,Petenwell, the Madison Chain.A number of the Flowages found along the Wis river.
Apr 5, 2011
Vince Fusco
For me, here in Ga. any yellow perch over 1 lb. is a jumbo. These do not come long every day. I have caught a few over the years, with my best ever being 15" and 1 3/4 lbs. A friend of mine use to own a bait shop and had some small 5-6" yellow perch in a aquarium. I would go to his minnow tank and dip out a 2 1/2" to a 3" minnow then pinch it's head a bit to wound it , then toss it in for the perch to eat. These little perch didn't hesitate a bit when it came to attacking a minnow half their size. Now the funny thing is, we always used small minnows to tip our jigs with when fishing for them. Go figure! I guess we were "meat" fishing instead of trophy fishing. I have since moved about 2 hrs. from where I use to catch these and rarely get back down there anymore. I really do miss fishing for, and eating them.
Jul 2, 2012
Marshall Nerdrum
2-3 years back was great on Lake michigan for me the biggest was 17-1/4 five over 15 and over 50 bigger than 14. Last year only 12-13 or smaller. This year nothing over 10 so far. I start the year in illinois during march in 60ft of water and move to Wisconsin in June when it opens.I also fish Gogibic in Michigan, they don't run as long but are much heavier for their length. If I use live bait it's roachs,or crawfish. But most of the time it's #5 jointed shadraps or small 3in spoons. I have won a few ice fishing contests for big perch all caught on tipups with med roachs.
Jul 8, 2012