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Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ White Perch
June 20, 2010
Each year about this time white perch gather in large schools on Lake Norman and other Piedmont Lakes. It’s easy for anglers to catch all they want in a matter of a few hours. Reports of boats catching one, two and three hundred perch per trip are common and are not a stretch of the imagination. If you are interested in hauling in a ton of fish that are fun to catch and good to eat, read on.
White perch are ocean fish that thrive in freshwater environments. No one is quite sure how, but some years back these feisty fighters were introduced into Lake Norman. Today, there so many that some fear they will take over the lake. They multiply so quickly that the NCWRC has elected not to impose a size or creel limit on this little cousin of the striped bass. You can keep all you catch, regardless of size.
White perch shouldn’t be confused with yellow perch, a pan fish popular with northern anglers. The yellow perch has green and yellow bands around its cylindrical body, while the white perch is silver and resembles a white bass with no stripes. They are similar in that they swim in schools and are easy to catch with light fishing tackle from shore or boat.
Locating white perch is easy. They can be found near boat docks/piers, around brush piles and in the deeper parts of narrow coves. Big schools are easy to locate with a fish finder, but drift fishing with lines near the bottom is a time proven method that produces nice catches as well. Once schools are located, fish the area thoroughly. If there are lots of fish below the boat, anchor and enjoy your find. Otherwise, keep moving until you begin to get bites.
Best baits are small shiny spoons, jigs and deep diving lures fished closer to the lake bottom than the surface. Live minnows, small pieces of cut bait, and worms attached to a small hook and light sinker, are very popular with bank and boat dock fishermen. The Sabiki Rig is, by far, the best lure combination. An angler will catch multiple fish each time it is dropped to the bottom. The Sabiki is a string of small flies (two to six flies) tied in tandem with a jigging spoon (3/4 ounce) attached to the terminal end of the line. The rig is best fished vertically near the bottom or slightly above the school with a yo-yo like motion.
The white meat of the perch is tasty, so keep as many as you want for a fish fry. The small ones should be scaled before removing the head and entrails, then batter and fry. Larger fish are easily filleted, skinned and prepared as a striper or crappie.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
Care should be taken when unhooking a white perch. Their fins and gills have sharp spines which flare out as you attempt to hold them. It is best to handle them from the belly side where there are fewer spines.
Upcoming Events:
Free Fishing Seminar - “How to Catch Summer Striped Bass on Lake Norman” will be discussed at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 on Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This informative session conducted by Capt. Gus will cover day and night fishing while trolling, live baiting and deep jigging. Contact 704-658-0822 for additional information.
Hot Spots of the Week:
Striped bass are hitting lures being trolled to forty feet in Mountain Creek and in the old Catawba River channel from marker 13 to Governor’s Island. Bass are breaking the surface on points, humps and in boat basins at dawn and dusk. White perch are in water from fifteen to fifty feet deep.
The lake level is about 1.5' below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the eighties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704.617.6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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