Green Sunfish

[Crippled Caddis]

<trouble is, most of the ones doing that damage are too small to keep so panfishing won't do much to control them>

Those are the ones that make a great shrimp substitute. Try this: Peel a fillet off each side of the little'uns. Cook them quickly in boiling salt water. You want them still firm---not falling apart. It doesn't take long at all for them to be cooked thru. Dip them in shrimp cocktail sauce just as you would shrimp. Tasty!

[Wayne SW/MO]

I have to smile guys, cause I was born in this state and those little buggers have probably always been the most prolific fish. They are also popularly known as Black perch.

I might add that if a male bass isn't jerked from the nest the perch have a much tougher time. I'm not advocating to cease fishing, but fishermen could avoid targeting nesting fish and this would make more sense to me than blaming it on a native fish thats been here for probably centuries.

[Danimal]

I have to smile guys, cause I was born in this state and those little buggers have probably always been the most prolific fish. They are also popularly known as Black perch.

I might add that if a male bass isn't jerked from the nest the perch have a much tougher time. I'm not advocating to cease fishing, but fishermen could avoid targeting nesting fish and this would make more sense to me than blaming it on a native fish thats been here for probably centuries.

For the record, I never intentionally fish a smallmouth nest. But when I see one I do like to stop and observe. Just last spring on the KIngs, I watched a brownie guarding his nest. On one side was a group of small sunfish, On the other, a group of small suckers. As soon as he would charge one group the other would move in. Both were taking lots of fry. Dan-o

[bryantsmallie28]

jeremy id say the reason you dont catch any up there is probably because you arent fishing in a way you would catch them when you fish up there. The way i catch most of them in the creek in the summer is when i throw my lure really close to the bank. They seem to always be really shallow and slam a bait as soon as it hits the water. Its a wonder anything small enough to fit in their mouth can even live as ferocious as they are. The only other thing i could think of is the water may be cool enough that they dont like it. It seems like we also catch most of them in the big slow warmer holes. especially in the creeks with more of those holes like the gasconade. I think i have also heard them called shade perch which could be why i catch most of them in the shade on those long holes.

[Sam]

When I was a kid I'd specially target big black perch on the creeks, they were about my favorite fish.

I'd sight-fish for them, moving slow along the bank and looking into deep shady holes. Those orange fin-tips really show up - and a black perch is always hungry. If you can see one, you can catch him.

I'd just use an unweighted hook and a worm, flip it out there and let it sink naturally - a black perch would take it every time. It's funny how I now think I need a whole boat-load of fishing gear, and I used to be able to carry all my tackle in my shirt pocket. It was just as much fun that way, too.

[Ham]

I love catchin Redears. Kudos to those that selectively harvest fish. I think we as anglers go overboard on the Catch and Release thing sometimes.

I am not going to advocate the taking of a native fish to protect the spawning of a non native fish though. I'd rather my water had more Redears than walleye anyway, but to each his own I suppose.