As we move into late fall and early winter, rockfish and blues will begin to disappear, leaving anglers fewer species to target. One type of fish that is available all winter, and in fact all year, is the white perch.
Depending on water temperature and the time of year, white perch may be found far up the tidal creeks and rivers as well as the open Bay. Early fall will find them hanging around the pilings of the Bay Bridge, over rough bottom in 25 to 30 feet of water and the mouths of Bay tributaries.
While it is hard to beat a bloodworm when it comes to catching perch, they will hit a variety of baits and lures. I have caught them on a Stingsilver when it fell below a school of surface-feeding blues. A Beetle Spin is another good perch lure when the fish are in shallow water. Peeler crab, grass shrimp, small minnows, hair jigs, earthworms, and Gulp! or FishBites all attract perch.
Bloodworms can be difficult to find once the weather turns cold. The reason for the shortage is the hard freeze in Maine and Canada, where these worms are harvested from tidal flats.
Earthworms are the least expensive bait, but live minnows suspended below a float will draw strikes from the larger perch. Both baits are grown commercially, so they will be available all winter. No one has figured out how to grow bloodworms, but if you do, you should be set for life.
Hooking a small minnow on a jig head or shad dart can be very enticing to perch. I have caught one fish after another using this setup.
I have also had success using small plastic tails on a crappie jig head to entice perch to strike. The jig is suspended from a bobber and worked across the water with a crank and rest pattern. The jig tail swims during the crank and falls during the rest. Most of the strikes come when the lure is falling. Twitching the rod tip during the cranking phase is often helpful.
Since perch seldom reach past the one-pound mark, light tackle is the way to go. I know some of my younger fishermen friends use four-pound line, but since I would have to hire a beautiful, middle-aged lady of eighteen years to tie my knots in that stuff, I stick with eight- or ten-pound test. The fact that I cannot afford to hire a beautiful eighteen-year-old lady nor the cost of a divorce settlement should I be caught with such a person also bears on my decision to stick with heavier line.
I have a very nice Shakespeare rod (GX2 USSP662M) and reel (GX235) combo that works well in this application. It is spooled with 10-pound test Stren line and will handle both bait and lures. The same outfit is also used when fishing for spot and croaker in shallow water. Should a big catfish or carp decide to take the bait, this rod and reel can handle the task at hand.
It should be easy to find a shore fishing location no matter where you live in Bay Country. Havre de Grace is a short drive from Baltimore, while Perryville is close to Elkton and Northeast.
On the Eastern Shore, the Chester River at Millington has been a perch hot spot for as long as I can remember. Further down the shore, the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge has several access points where perch may be taken.
Just about any tidal creek or river that feeds into the Bay will hold white perch. There are state and local parks located near these waters where access is safe and easy. Fishing from bridges is popular, but in some locations this practice is illegal and in all locations it is dangerous.
Yellow perch are often caught by white perch anglers, especially in the late winter and early spring. The same baits and lures will work on the yellows and the whites.
The current regulations for yellow perch are a 10-fish per day creel limit with a nine-inch minimum size. There are no size or creel limits for white perch caught by rod and reel.
Both perch make for good eating. I like mine fried up and served with French fries or hush puppies and a side of coleslaw. For the more health conscious among us, the perch can be grilled whole and then picked from the bone or, if they are large enough, you can grill the filets. Enjoy!
by Eric Burnley
Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - 12:00
As we move into late fall and early winter, rockfish and blues will begin to disappear, leaving anglers fewer species to target. One type of fish that is available all winter, and in fact all year, is the white perch.
Depending on water temperature and the time of year, white perch may be found far up the tidal creeks and rivers as well as the open Bay. Early fall will find them hanging around the pilings of the Bay Bridge, over rough bottom in 25 to 30 feet of water and the mouths of Bay tributaries.
While it is hard to beat a bloodworm when it comes to catching perch, they will hit a variety of baits and lures. I have caught them on a Stingsilver when it fell below a school of surface-feeding blues. A Beetle Spin is another good perch lure when the fish are in shallow water. Peeler crab, grass shrimp, small minnows, hair jigs, earthworms, and Gulp! or FishBites all attract perch.
Bloodworms can be difficult to find once the weather turns cold. The reason for the shortage is the hard freeze in Maine and Canada, where these worms are harvested from tidal flats.
Earthworms are the least expensive bait, but live minnows suspended below a float will draw strikes from the larger perch. Both baits are grown commercially, so they will be available all winter. No one has figured out how to grow bloodworms, but if you do, you should be set for life.
Hooking a small minnow on a jig head or shad dart can be very enticing to perch. I have caught one fish after another using this setup.
I have also had success using small plastic tails on a crappie jig head to entice perch to strike. The jig is suspended from a bobber and worked across the water with a crank and rest pattern. The jig tail swims during the crank and falls during the rest. Most of the strikes come when the lure is falling. Twitching the rod tip during the cranking phase is often helpful.
Since perch seldom reach past the one-pound mark, light tackle is the way to go. I know some of my younger fishermen friends use four-pound line, but since I would have to hire a beautiful, middle-aged lady of eighteen years to tie my knots in that stuff, I stick with eight- or ten-pound test. The fact that I cannot afford to hire a beautiful eighteen-year-old lady nor the cost of a divorce settlement should I be caught with such a person also bears on my decision to stick with heavier line.
I have a very nice Shakespeare rod (GX2 USSP662M) and reel (GX235) combo that works well in this application. It is spooled with 10-pound test Stren line and will handle both bait and lures. The same outfit is also used when fishing for spot and croaker in shallow water. Should a big catfish or carp decide to take the bait, this rod and reel can handle the task at hand.
It should be easy to find a shore fishing location no matter where you live in Bay Country. Havre de Grace is a short drive from Baltimore, while Perryville is close to Elkton and Northeast.
On the Eastern Shore, the Chester River at Millington has been a perch hot spot for as long as I can remember. Further down the shore, the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge has several access points where perch may be taken.
Just about any tidal creek or river that feeds into the Bay will hold white perch. There are state and local parks located near these waters where access is safe and easy. Fishing from bridges is popular, but in some locations this practice is illegal and in all locations it is dangerous.
Yellow perch are often caught by white perch anglers, especially in the late winter and early spring. The same baits and lures will work on the yellows and the whites.
The current regulations for yellow perch are a 10-fish per day creel limit with a nine-inch minimum size. There are no size or creel limits for white perch caught by rod and reel.
Both perch make for good eating. I like mine fried up and served with French fries or hush puppies and a side of coleslaw. For the more health conscious among us, the perch can be grilled whole and then picked from the bone or, if they are large enough, you can grill the filets. Enjoy!
by Eric Burnley