Caught too many Perch

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raptorbite
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Caught too many Perch

Post by raptorbite » Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:48 pm

Yesterday after an Wildlife Officer gave me a $150 for not having a license, I bought a license and went back to Lake Sammamish and caught over 40 fish, mostly perch but also a few sunnies. The perch I got were HUGE. What can I do to avoid catching the perch? I am trying to get Bass, not Perch but the perch seems to always be going after my lures and live bait.

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Amx
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Re: Caught too many Perch

Post by Amx » Sat Sep 06, 2014 6:28 am

Don't fish where the perch are.

And go to the Limit Out seminar for beginning Bass fishermen on Sept. 24th. There is a thread on that.
Tom.

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fishinChristian
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Re: Caught too many Perch

Post by fishinChristian » Sat Sep 06, 2014 10:25 am

To expand a bit on Amx's excellent advice, fish deeper, shallower, different structure, or go to larger lures, or a different presentation. Perhaps not TOO different, since both are predator fish, and you must be doing something right. This time of year, something that looks meaty and slow (kind of like Burger King, or the people that eat there every day) presented slightly deeper or shallower than the perch will sometimes grab a big bass or walleye looking for an easy meal, to stock up for winter. Most bass right now are going to be pretty fat, or they may die this winter. Non purists will sometimes take an entire perch fillet (so aquadynamic fish shaped above the center line portion)(ON WATERS WHERE IT IS LEGAL!) and rig it Texas style for walleye and bass, and sometimes monster trout.

obryan214
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Re: Caught too many Perch

Post by obryan214 » Sat Sep 06, 2014 10:51 pm

fishinChristian wrote:To expand a bit on Amx's excellent advice, fish deeper, shallower, different structure, or go to larger lures, or a different presentation. Perhaps not TOO different, since both are predator fish, and you must be doing something right. This time of year, something that looks meaty and slow (kind of like Burger King, or the people that eat there every day) presented slightly deeper or shallower than the perch will sometimes grab a big bass or walleye looking for an easy meal, to stock up for winter. Most bass right now are going to be pretty fat, or they may die this winter. Non purists will sometimes take an entire perch fillet (so aquadynamic fish shaped above the center line portion)(ON WATERS WHERE IT IS LEGAL!) and rig it Texas style for walleye and bass, and sometimes monster trout.
I have found a few perch in the bellies of big trout.

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AJ's Dad
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Re: Caught too many Perch

Post by AJ's Dad » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:02 am

raptorbite wrote:Yesterday after an Wildlife Officer gave me a $150 for not having a license, I bought a license and went back to Lake Sammamish and caught over 40 fish, mostly perch but also a few sunnies. The perch I got were HUGE. What can I do to avoid catching the perch? I am trying to get Bass, not Perch but the perch seems to always be going after my lures and live bait.
If he gave you $150 for not having a license why would you go buy one. Seems like a money making deal for you to me.

jd39
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Re: Caught too many Perch

Post by jd39 » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:22 am

Keep the perch and eat them, there will be less in your way next time you go bass fishing. Great tasting win-win.

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Amx
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Re: Caught too many Perch

Post by Amx » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:18 am

jd39 wrote:Keep the perch and eat them, there will be less in your way next time you go bass fishing. Great tasting win-win.
True dat. :cheers:
Tom.

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tluedeke
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Re: Caught too many Perch

Post by tluedeke » Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:28 pm

As previously noted, if the perch are of any size, keep a bunch for the dinner table. They are truly superlative table fare, and it doesn't hurt them to take a bunch home (they have an alarming reproductive capability).

My suggestion would be to size up your rig. Unlike SMB or LMB, perch have relatively small mouths. Stay away from small lures or bait like worms, and you should help reduce the annoyance. Also, as somebody noted, move. Bass predate on small perch, and (this is a guess, admittedly), perch are going to avoid places where aggressive predators like bass hang out...

Good luck!!

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