Yellow Perch

[vonreed]

I have recently fallen in love with these little fish. I caught 20 in Swan Creek back when the water was high. I'm looking for some pointers from anyone willing to give some information out about them. I know worms are the trick to catching them, but I thought maybe some of you bass, walleye, and crappie fishermen might have some good advice or locations to a hot spot for these things. I caught mine off the bottom using sinkers, but I was wondering if maybe they get suspended out in the lake like the other fish do, or do they stay close to the banks? Any info I can get would be helpful. They are sure good eating, like mini-walleyes. Thanks.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Not sure if it helps, but I caught a couple at the Barker hole a couple of years ago.

[Ham]

I feel sure a google search would get you links to some articles for fishing for them. There's not going to be a bunch of information from area magazines, but I'm sure old Fishing Facts or In isherman magazines would have some details. I MIGHT catch a couple a year. I shopuld be asking you how to do better.

[mic]

What is yellow perch...never heard of them.

[rangerman]

Vonreed, they seem to spawn about the same time as crappie....We have done the best on bottom bouncers and small minners...Crawlers work however, then you got to deal with the bluegill. There seems to be always a school around the mouth of Beaver Creek.

[watermen]

Up nrth after the spawn they move to deepwater flats or reefs and softshell crawdads or cradad tails and minnows work best to catch the bigger fish out of loosely schooled groups. If you find a pattern let me know had to drive 11 hours to catch these in january. the best eating freshwater fish there is.

[emjay]

Bounce a beetle around. You'll get some big ones. Never had them but my buddy always tells me how good they taste.

[exiledguide]

Up noth we caught them on bottom bouncers draging crawlers while fishing foe walleyes never thought about a pattern they just were wherever walleyes were. Wtermen is right abot the taste....

[vonreed]

Thanks for the comments guys. The ones I caught were small but they sure did taste good. I just recently acquired a boat and I am just learning how to fish out of it. Sounds like the bottom bouncing thing might work. I'm gonna have to give it a try. Does anybody have advice on what speed to drag a bottom bouncer?

[exiledguide]

We start reeling at the speed that will keep the weight making contact with the bottom and then the fish will tell you how fast to move it, of course some time believe it or not sometimes the fish will tell you to go home they are not going to bite. If there's a current I always let the bait drift with the current but once again the fish will decide how fast they want the bait moving.