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White Perch
The white perch is not a true perch but is of the temperate bass family, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.
Generally silvery-white in colour, hence the name, it has been reported up to 49.5 cm in length and weighing 2.2 kg.
The raw meat is of a somewhat pinkish hue but, when cooked, it is white and flaky. In some areas they are considered an invasive species and may not be returned to the water if caught.
White perch are known to eat the eggs of many species native to the Great Lakes, such as walleye and other true perches. At times, fish eggs are 100% of its diet.
The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie.
White perch are a prolific species. The female can deposit over 140,000 eggs in a spawning session, lasting just over a week. Several males will often attend a spawning female, and each may fertilize a portion of her eggs. The young hatch within 1 to 6 days of fertilization.
Given its prolific nature, some states, notably Indiana, have mandated, in law, that all white perch caught shall be killed; an effort to reduce or eliminate the populations invading bodies of water.
As for fishing, these fish put up a great fight for their size. They are caught with bloodworms, on small hooks, on double rigs.
When you are taking the hook out you have to be carefull of their sharp dorsal fins. These fins feel like needles when they poke you. White perch also have a hard scaley body that along with their sharp fins protects them from predators.
Although favouring brackish waters, it is also found in fresh water and coastal areas from the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario south to the Pee Dee River.
