White Perch

Despite its common name, the white perch is actually a bass and a close relative of the white bass and the striped bass.

HOW TO IDENTIFY A WHITE PERCH

It is smaller, shorter, and stockier than the striped bass, but it is very similar in appearance to the white bass. The most noticeable difference is that the white perch lacks the stripes that are present on both of the other species. The white perch is far more coastal in occurrence than the white bass and most of the overlap in their distributions occurs in the area of the Great Lakes and upper St. Lawrence River. The white perch varies in coloration, ranging from pale olive or silvery green on the sides and silvery white on the belly to a much darker tone with a little hint of silver, especially in inland freshwater specimens.

 

WHERE TO CATCH WHITE PERCH

The white perch is most commonly found in brackish waters of the Atlantic coast of North America from South Carolina north to the upper St. Lawrence River and the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence as well as throughout Nova Scotia to Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. It is especially abundant in the Hudson River and the Chesapeake Bay area, and is quite common in Lake Ontario. In Lake Erie, it seems to be replaced by the white bass, Morone chrysops. The following list includes additional details on where to catch this fish:

BACKFLOW                                                   BAYS AND ESTUARIES

CHANNEL ENTRANCES                                MAN-MADE STRUCTURES

OUTSIDES OF BENDS                                       RIVERS AND STREAMS

SCHOOLS                                                        DROP-OFFS

MERGING CURRENTS                                       UNDERCUTS

BAYS                                                                    BREAKERS

JETTIES AND BREAKWATERS                             NIGHT FISHING

RIPPLES, CURRENTS, SWIRLS AND SPRAYS    ROCK AND BOULDER POCKETS

DAMS AND FALLS                                                                  EDDIES

SURF AND SHORE                                                  CURRENT EDGES

HOW TO CATCH WHITE PERCH

As a food and game fish, it rates very high. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:

JIGGING           FLY FISHING   SURF CASTING     DRIFT FISHING

BOTTOM BOUNCING   STILL FISHING

WHITE PERCH LURES, TACKLE & BAIT

The following are lures, tackle or bait that can be used to catch this fish:

CLAMS       CUT BAIT         JIGS      SALTWATER LIVE BAIT

SQUID        CRABS           FLIES          PLUGS

SPOONS