Yellow Perch In Bull Shoals?

[thunderbutt]

i got one pan fishing with a road runner last fall from shore. at the dam site boat ramp in bull shoals ,ar . can't fish any lower in the lake than that. i have taken perch fishing lake michigan as a kid in the late 60's it surprised me when i hooked it. did not know they were this far south. but then if walleye are then the yellow perch is a member of the walleye family. it was no jumbo perch it was an honest 8"

http://pond.dnr.cornell.edu/nyfish/Percidae/yellow_perch.jpg

[crappiefisherman]

The perch has made it to Bass Pros tank as of 6-25-09. The Branson location

[fishinmachine]

There's a BPS in Branson, now, too? Just read an article online (submitted by Mr. Lilley, I believe) about Mr. Elfrink's state record yellow perch...very cool. Guess it's clear there are a few of them in Bull Shoals. Perhaps we'll see some while diving or perhaps catch one while fishing....along with many walleyes and crappies:)

I see the lake is still high, but coming down a bit. What is the water clarity like on the lower lake near the dam?

FM

[powerdive]

Hey, I hail from Wisconsin, and I've caught maybe 8 or 10 yellow perch in Bull Shoals over the last 5-6 years--even when fermented malt beverages weren't involved. Several were caught last weekend by anglers fishing the MSW walleye tournament in the Tucker Hollow and Peel areas. Most of mine came from the Kdock area, a couple from the lower lake.

[Samkam1]

That's quite a perch, saw him last evening down at BPS on the landing. The fella is in a quarantine net until he gets used to the tank and the other fish get used to him.

I think they should go ahead and stock them if they do ok in there -- quite the table fare!!! Have had some from Lake Erie trips.

SK

[ozark trout fisher]

That's quite a perch, saw him last evening down at BPS on the landing. The fella is in a quarantine net until he gets used to the tank and the other fish get used to him.

I think they should go ahead and stock them if they do ok in there -- quite the table fare!!! Have had some from Lake Erie trips.

SK

Awesome table fare for sure. When I was up in Montana a few years ago, we spent a week on a lake that was absolutely loaded with them (you would catch ten of them for every brown trout, kind of annoying, but oh well), they are the best eating fish in my opinion. I'll sign the perch stocking petition if there is one.

[taxidermist]

They were not in the river when it was dammed. I have been scoba diving in Bull for over 30 years and it was not until after 1993 did I see a yellow perch in BUll.

What I have seen years ago was LOG PERCH, which in a way could be mistaken for yellow perch if you did not know your fish.

These perch have DNA tested to a fish farm in INDIANA, which does sell yellow perch.

Still they are pretty much an accident when you catch them. wife and I have caught 6 this year, when fishing for walleye and bass.

Last week the yellows were back in coves and off the points, they will run at lures but almost always another fish bets them to the lure.

A couple years ago I found them in April on the nest in coves in the mid lake area.

[fishinmachine]

Taxidermist, what kind of visibility do you think we'll find at the end of July at Bull Shoals? We may do a dive or two while we're there....have not dived BS before. Thought we might anchor off a point near a channel swing one night, drop a submersible light or two over the side, wait an hour or so 'til the shad show up, then roll in, drift down to the thermocline and camp out for a bit. I've always wanted to see what it looks like underwater on one of those nights when the sonar screen is black from top to bottom with baitfish and gamefish. You know, those rare night trips when you're catching crappies, whites, and walleyes every few minutes while jigging spoons or flick/settling a jig or soaking a minnow? Don't know if the bubbles from the second stage will spook the fish, but I guess there's only one way to find out.

FM

[Sam]

I've caught yellow perch out of upper B.S. since the early 1990's, but there's sure not enough, or big enough, to go fishing for them specifically. I catch one or two a year on average, but only about 5" long.

This January, crappie fishing out of K Dock, I caught a 9" yellow perch - my biggest ever. Since I've never fished the northern states I kept it to see if yellow perch are really as tasty as they say. Yep, it was real good - and I see why folks fish for them up there. I wish we had more of 'em, and that they were bigger.

[rangerman]

IF they stocked YP the walleyes would definitely be happy.