2012 Personal Best Yellow Perch.....Little River, N.C.

Comment

Comment by Vince Fusco on January 9, 2013 at 3:19pm

Jeffrey, I grew up in south east IA. , and only caught a few tiny yellow perch from the Mississippi River backwaters. Since moving here in the mid 80's I have caught lots of them. I now live almost 2 hrs. from real good yellow perch fishing. Seeing your post makes me want to make that trip again. 

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 9, 2013 at 1:48pm

Same in the Albemarle/Pamlico estuary Jim....the 2 pound 9 ounce North Carolina state record was caught during the spawn in February of 1990.......up in Indiantown Creek off a tidal river....

Comment by Jim Gronaw on January 9, 2013 at 1:28pm

In the Chesapeake tidal rivers they are a Feb-March spawner and will go way up into little creeks that have sufficient depth to lay eggs in long, gelatenous strands that adhere to emerging weeds, brush, fallen wood or anything they can stick to. They actually stage at river mouths in the late fall-early winter period then move shallow when the waters gets to 42 to 45 degree F. The spawn is usually quick, 'in and out' pulses of perch as each river/tributary will hit those magic, spawning temps at different days within a week or 10 day period, with some overlap in the spawn movements.Seems like you either hit em or you don't. Maryland does, BTW, have a 10 perch limit per day on the tidal tribs...a good limit for what is currently a recovering fishery with past moratoriums in these once famous 'perch jerkin' areas.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on January 9, 2013 at 9:57am

If you look at a distribution map, Jeff, you'll see that South Carolina marks the southern limit of the yellow perch's range. I dont see then in large numbers, but it is not uncommon to hook one. From what little I know of them, though, where there is one - there are many.

Again, finding them with any consistency - even predictability - becomes the problem.

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 9, 2013 at 9:31am

Thanks Vince....more people in the estuary here in Northeast N.C. fish for perch both yellow and white than fish for gills.....The cotton white fillets are a sought after delicacy.....We didn't have these guys growing up in Louisiana and I only caught a scattered few in the South Carolina low country but we have significant populations here in the Albemarle Sound region...... 

Comment by Vince Fusco on January 8, 2013 at 9:02pm

Great yellow perch, Jeffrey. I was happy to find then here in GA many years ago. I met a guy from ND while fishing for them on a backwater lake off the Chattahoochie River,and learned even more about catching them. He use to fish Devils Lake in it's hay day. They are great eating fish, just behind gills in my opinion as far as taste goes. 

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 8, 2013 at 6:38pm

Exactly how I caught this one and many other smaller Jason.....up shallow gill hunting and this big gall pounded the bait.......they're a tasty addition to any freshwater creel!

Comment by Jason Preslar on January 8, 2013 at 6:33pm

In the warmer months I catch them left and right in the same areas I find bluegills, using night crawlers.

Comment by Tony Livingston on January 8, 2013 at 3:27pm

Up here, most yellow perch are taken during the ice fishing period....electronics,  (camera or flasher) are a mainstay of successful perch anglers.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on January 8, 2013 at 3:14pm

My beloved Lake Murray has them aplenty, too, Jeff. I have yet to discover a way to target them with any consistency. From what I know, people in the North where perch are a favored species cannot do it either.

At certain times they are predictable. At others, they can be hit or miss, for much of the year.

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