Thread: White perch

What are you guys doing with the white perch you catch at Jordan and Harris? I've been told numerous times to never throw them back because there are so many. I typically keep the bigger ones because they are good to eat plus I keep a few small ones to use for catfish bait. People probably thought I was keeping a bunch of under-sized crappie this weekend but they were all white perch. Have any of the wildlife studies shown a high population? Just curious.

They are eating machines that can throw the lake off balance and wipe out other fish. I have friends that fertilize the garden with them. I will cut little fillets out of pretty small ones if too small for a fish chip they feed the critters.

Real quickly here is a link to a dissertation done by an NCSU student re: Lake Norman. I think I've seen a more user friendly version of this but don't have time to search it out right now. I beleive there have been several papers done about white perch there as well as possibly other NC lakes

They are indeed eating machines. You can catch a tiny perch on a large bass minnow that barely fits in their mouth. I caught a couple on Sat. that literally had 2 or 3 small crappie minnows in it's mouth plus the one I was fishing with. I plan to start keeping them all and doing just like you and filleting the ones that I can.

Originally Posted by hockey86

They are indeed eating machines. You can catch a tiny perch on a large bass minnow that barely fits in their mouth. I caught a couple on Sat. that literally had 2 or 3 small crappie minnows in it's mouth plus the one I was fishing with. I plan to start keeping them all and doing just like you and filleting the ones that I can.

I once saw a disturbance on the surface of a pond I lived on. Took my canoe out and discovered two bass locked together. The larger one - about 7 inches long had the head of another bass - about 5 inches long in his mouth and they were locked by the gill plates. I was able to separate them and the smaller one had wear marks across his head from the teeth of the other. Strange, but true!

I bounce them off the back of the boat for Osprey or eagle food. I don't ever want to throw a live one back in the water.

If you have freezer room they make very good tomato food in the spring. Bury them around the plant when you set them out.

Originally Posted by SEA DANCER

If you have freezer room they make very good tomato food in the spring. Bury them around the plant when you set them out.

I did that one year and got bony tomatoes.

Originally Posted by chief

I did that one year and got bony tomatoes.

I got Raccoons

Originally Posted by Good Stuff

I got Raccoons

If I still coon hunted I could hunt in your garden lol