When looking at a crappie the first thing you may notice is that they have an upturned mouth and fairly large eyes. Their "jumbo" brethren are saugers, which measure up to 28 inches (71 centimetrs) in length and 9 pounds (4 kilograms), and walleyes, which measure 12 to 36 inches (30.4 to 91 centimeters) long and up to 24 pounds (10.8 kilograms) [source: Hocutt]. Early in the spring, anglers often catch perch in shallow water less than 10 feet deep. Here in the Pacific Northwest it seems like salmon and steelhead get all the glory. White perch are semi-anadromous, migrating from brackish estuaries to freshwater rivers to spawn during spring. Perch spawn in the spring , in shallow waters (usually 3 – 12 feet deep), where they lay strands of eggs over weeds and structure. When fishing for relatively small fish like white perch, use smaller hooks like a size 5 or size 6. Many bait shops sell shrimp as bait, as well as live minnows. The best baits to use are bloodworms, shrimp, minnows, earthworms and so forth.
So what do we do until the spring fishing arrives? The winter fishing for yellow perch was consistent during the later part of the winter. The spring equinox has kicked this year ’s white perch run into overdrive. In some cases, white perch populations may become so abundant that food sources become depleted in the water body and their growth may be stunted. Spawning: White perch spawn from April through June in fresh to low-salinity waters of large rivers over fine gravel or sand. To conclude, the best Perch lures are the ones that work day in and day out, in multiple different water bodies, multiple times of the year, in multiple water clarities. Though white perch flourish in freshwater lakes and reservoirs, they evolved as a brackish-water species. Of the 165 types of perch, about 150 are little darter fish too small to be eaten [source: Fichter]. There is a 25 fish daily bag limit on white perch and other panfish in New Hampshire. Small spinners, grubs and even ice-fishing jigs will all take white perch, as will grass shrimp or half a night crawler impaled on a size 4 beak style hook. The current state record black crappie is a whopping 4 pounds 1 ounce; while the white crappie record is 3 pounds 13 ounces. When the lake freezes, white perch ice anglers sharpen their augers and ready themselves for some of the fastest fishing action that the lake has to offer. An increasing amount of daylight in early spring is one of the prime stimulants to the white perch spawn.
2018 has been a good year so far. Crappie must be 9 inches to keep and there is a 25 fish daily limit. When fishing for relatively small fish like white perch, use smaller hooks like a size 5 or size 6. The small hook affords you the most hooking potential because it is difficult for the white perch to nibble on the bait without hooking themselves. White perch have been known to eat the eggs of many fish species including walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), white bass (Morone chrysops) and … Photo by Tom Schlichter. I’ve only met a few people who fish for yellow perch, and many of them talk about it in whispers – like they are afraid to admit it in public. White perch are semi-anadromous, migrating from brackish estuaries to freshwater rivers to spawn during spring. The small hook affords you the most hooking potential because it is difficult for the white perch to nibble on the bait without hooking themselves.