White perch

Going Coastal

Eight Pointer
Hit the water last evening to see how the summer white perch pattern was establishing. Surface water temp. was 87°. Found some smaller schools zipping around, and we would catch only one or two and then they were gone. Looking at the humminbird there was plenty of very small bait fish in the area, I think the perch were on those. It was kinda slow compared to normal this time of year. Can't really complain to much we caught enough for tonight's supper and tossed some small ones back, plus got a couple of catfish and a largemouth in the mix.

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Shine

Six Pointer
Contributor
I tried at Harris the other morning and only got one bite. Were you fishing deep or shallow. I marked them (or panfish) everywhere just couldn't get a bite. I was thinking of doing some night fishing for them soon.
 

Going Coastal

Eight Pointer
I tried at Harris the other morning and only got one bite. Were you fishing deep or shallow. I marked them (or panfish) everywhere just couldn't get a bite. I was thinking of doing some night fishing for them soon.
15 - 20 foot is the sweet spot for me, but it can very some either way. You also should look for clear water with as little boat traffic as possible( perch spook easy).
I look for more of a bowl shaped bottom and if there are few small humps at your target dept all the better.
Like in this screen shot.

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Shine

Six Pointer
Contributor
Yea think it just may have been an off day. I tried shallow down to 30ft. Think it may have been bad bite day there or just wrong part of the lake. I’ll give them another shot soon. Good eating fish that are often over looked.
 

Going Coastal

Eight Pointer
Yea think it just may have been an off day. I tried shallow down to 30ft. Think it may have been bad bite day there or just wrong part of the lake. I’ll give them another shot soon. Good eating fish that are often over looked.
Very well coulda just been an off day. Though I've heard a lot of complaints this summer about them being hard to catch. My evening was very slow. Usually if you find active perch you can wear um out. I agree, perch are good eating fish.
You might want try them at night like you mentioned. I know of a couple of guys that got into some nice sized perch on a lighted dock.

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BLOODBROTHER

Twelve Pointer
My only experience actually targeting them is on lake norman. I could always find them in the mouths of creek arms suspended in deep water like the graph above shows. I would fish vertical with a jugging spoon and a sabiki rig. As soon as you dropped it thru the school you would get bit but if you waited just a second, you could reel up 5 or 6 at a time. We would literally fill the cooler. They are tasty and the numbers have exploded, some believe to a level that puts all other fish populations in jeopardy because they are voracious and decimate small fish and the eggs of spawning fish in the body of water they are in. I do like that you can catch a load of them in the dog days of summer and then be off the water before it gets too hot.
 

Shine

Six Pointer
Contributor
I gave it another shot at night and not one. Me and Harris don't seem to ever work.
 

Going Coastal

Eight Pointer
I guess those questions where for me.
That screen shot was taken at Smith Mt. Lake Va. a couple of years ago. Using a
Humminbird Helix 10 gen 2.

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Going Coastal

Eight Pointer
I gave it another shot at night and not one. Me and Harris don't seem to ever work.
Is that lake a cooling lake for a power plant? Possibly the water maybe to hot where you are fishing if it's not very deep. Dunno , never fished there.

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Shine

Six Pointer
Contributor
Yea lakes are way to hot up here. Talked to the game warden and even he said no one is really doing to good.
 

greengiant

Button Buck
Do some people call those Mahaws?
I have fished the Waccamaw 75 years and I believe the name old folks like my grandpa used was "MawMouth". However, that was not for a perch, it was their name or pronunciation for is actually a WarMouth. Many of us still refer to them as "MawMouths."
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
Went this past weekend. The white perch and striper bite has been good. Got up behind dam before light and had called the power co phone number to check if they were generating. The phone said they want. But phone was wrong. Waited around dam till about 7 when generating stopped. Probably threw cast net 40 or 50 times trying catch bait and nothing. Which no surprise they usually leave when generators running. Had go back up like try catch few bream for cut bait. By that time was getting hot only thing biting were catfish and that want great. Think ended up with couple white perch and 20 or so catfish
 
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