While the white perch is often compared to their more popular counterpart, the yellow perch, these fish are just as valuable to fishermen as carp, trout, and salmon. With their silver color and dark lines, they are very noticeable in difference from other perch species. While catching the white perch is not a difficult challenge, the journey can become much easier through the basic information of this fish.
The white perch is not found in all waters, but are found around the Hudson River as well as many Maryland reservoirs. They are vicious and carnivorous predators to smaller creatures and are not afraid to swim upstream with larger fish either. In young age, the white perch often hunts for small crustaceans, zooplankton, and all sorts of insects. However, once they have fully matured, their diet begins to consist of small fish, crabs, larval insects, mature shrimps, fish eggs, worms, and even frogs. These fish are so fearless that they dare to swim with the likes of pike, much bigger and stronger counterparts. However, in the case of an attack on a white perch from a pike, their armored scales will make for an extreme challenge to cause harm to them.
Spawning from the beginning of March to June, a female white perch may lay anywhere from 50,000-150,000 eggs in a period of 10-21 days. After being fertilized, it only takes one to six days for the babies to hatch. Once born, it takes two years for a male, and three years for a female to become an adult. Their average lifespan is anywhere between nine and ten years. Also, their favorite spots to swim are in rivers, creeks, and bays that consist of briny waters.
In order to catch white perch, a quality rod and reel, along with the basic gear for fishing is required. While they come in large numbers and are not too difficult to catch, having the right bait, whether live or artificial, can yield great catching results. Also, throughout the entire year, these fish make for an incredible catch and hardly ever bite.
There are many different forms of bait that will prove to be very effective in catching these fish, but utilizing live frogs or minnow will make the results even better. Hooking a live minnow from the back fin or upper link is an excellent method because it allows the fish to swim and attract the white perch’s attention. In addition, taking frogs and hooking them by the upper part of the leg causes them to flail in the water and brings over white perch’s quickly. As for artificial lures, metallic plastic minnows, spoons, and anything that has a shiny look will definitely attract white perch. All in all, the reward for catching white perch can be an amazing experience because they are tasty to eat, enjoyable to catch and don’t require expensive equipment.
Dan Eggertson, “White Perch – How to…” Articlesbase
Unknown, “White Perch..Fishing For…” Grenada MS Directory
