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3. 13 inches of yellow perch and a scrawny rainbow

I'm not sure why they (MI DNR) call this a "Designated Trout Lake", whatever that means, because it grows much bigger perch than trout! This 13-incher took an original silver/grey KBF and is in fact the biggest perch I have ever caught on any tackle. Never got into the schools of jumbos like I wanted, even though I went on many fishing trips to Drummond Island (eastern U.P. of MI) as a child trying. Also, here's one of the stocker rainbows that the MDNR plants every year in this lake - looks rather malnourished, doesn't it? Not sure why, the lake is loaded with minnows, except maybe these big fat perch are getting them all! Anyway, I am pushing the kayak fly-fishing as far into November as I can, anticipating the nasty cold weather to come...

Jonathon

P.S. That's my third personal record fish on this fly, in addition to both my biggest largemouth and smallmouth. What's next???

Wow, that's a big perch... looks like a little peacock bass from the Amazon!

Sorry for making you think of warm weather.:)

Kurt

Very nice perch! I must say they're about the most underrated sport fish there is. I had my first experience with them when I was fishing for trout in a reservoir in Northwest Montana. I got into perch instead, and they were so much fun on the 5 weight that I almost completely forgot about the rainbows and cutthroat I was supposed to be after for the rest of the three days I was there... Since then I've been happy to catch them any chance I get. Sure wish we had them in Missouri.

Perch are fun and even better, you can keep a few for the frying pan once in awhile w/o feeling too guilty!!

I'm an old perch filleter from Lake Erie waters growing up. When the boat was docked, and prior to running off and doing something, everyone got in line, and contributed to the perch processing. To this day that is the only sport caught fish I eat. There is a nearby reservoir that is full of them, and not as big as that one, but 8" ers go back. Few boaters target them because they aren't set up to anchor, rather they electric motor troll the shorelines casting for bass. A good batter, and deep fried, and they beat any trout I have ever had.

Walleye are great too.

Definitely would include walleye into my fish freezer basket. Crappie, and bluegill as well. When I moved to Idaho Falls, I hung out in the flyshop every Sat. during the Winter watching a featured tier at the bench. The local fly anglers were more than willing to tell me drifts, and how to get to them on the rivers. One Sat. I heard a group of them mention perch, and I moved in to gather more info, and everyone went tight lipped on me. They wouldn't divulge their perch fishing spots. They ice fished during the Winter on the same reservoir that I now fish for perch during the Summer. Walleye are in the perch family, and very good as well, as long as you keep them in the right size zone...bigger walleye can be strong. Somebody dumped some walleye in this reservoir a number of years back, and now there are several generations of walleye now that inhabit the lake. Greatly disturbs the trout minded game folks, but I think it will turn into an attractive fishery. Other reservoirs of similar size have good populations of walleye in them that co-exists with a number of other fish species.

Yes, perch are one of my favorite fish to eat as well, along with walleye. I did let this one go, as I only caught one, and I heard from a friend that their flesh from this lake doesn't look good when they are cleaned. Many of the smaller ones have visible parasites, small black spots on their bodies and some larger white ones in their fins, and though these aren't going to infect humans they do look unappealing and apparently some are on the inside too. (This fish didn't have any, looked nice and healthy.) I am going to ice-fish this lake this coming winter so I might keep a few just to see for myself. I guess my catch-and-release ethic is pretty strong as well so practically everything I catch ends up back in the water...plus one this big is a breeder, I want it to go make babies because if it's this big it must have good genes! But if I start catching more this size, well, the freezer awaits...

Jonathon

Here on Lake Erie, the walleye gang up on the young stocked steelhead smolts (6-11") in Spring and there is a shore nighttime group of anglers that target them using big Rapalas. My favorite fish to catch and eat is the yellow perch, which we have an abundance of. A boat is needed, of course, and its great fun for young and old.

That's a yellow perch, Perca flavescens...

Jonathon

Looks like a smallie to me!

Hahahahahahahaha

Well yeah, NOW it does!!! Hehehehehehe.... ;oD

Jonathon