You’ll often notice very large schools of small perch near the surface pecking at surface insects. A lot of big fish love eating yellow perch. The common names "striped" and "ringed" perch come from another distinguishing feature, the six to eight broad, dark vertical bands running along their sides. The bait is available in different styles.

The preferred temperature range for the yellow perch is 17 to 25 °C (63 to 77 °F), with an optimum range of 21 to 24 °C (70 to 75 °F) and a lethal limit in upwards of 33 °C (91 °F) and a stress limit over 26 °C (79 °F).
Yellow perch are a popular sport fish, prized by both recreational anglers and commercial fishermen for their delicious, mild flavor. The yellow perch is a common prey to many piscivorous (fish-eating) fishes, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, musky, walleye, bowfins, burbot, lake trout, and others. The perch are most abundant in lakes that may be warm or cool and are extremely productive in smaller lakes where they can dominate unless controlled by predation. High estimates show that cormorants were capable of consuming 29% of the age-three perch population.

Yellow perch is one of the easiest fish to catch, and can be taken in all seasons, and tastes great. In Canada, its native range extends throughout Nova Scotia and Quebec north to the Mackenzie River. Egg strands are commonly draped over weeds, the branches of submerged trees or shrubs, or some other structure. Because of their extremely high reproductive potential and early sexual maturity, the most productive perch fisheries are usually found in larger lakes or reservoirs, and many smaller lakes and ponds eventually become overpopulated. This is the reason why small minnows are consistently used to catch big fish. The common lethal limit is 26.5°C, but some research has shown it to be upwards of 33°C with a stress limit at anything over 26°C. I now know I will be eating these fellers alot more for a snack ! That concerns commercial fisherman in the Great Lakes regions that depend on these fish. Therefore, targeting them at this time will yield more success because they will be hungry and ready to eat. Yellow perch can grow to 10-14 inches in quality waters. They frequent inshore surface waters during the summer. The female deposits her egg mass, and then at least two males release their milt over the eggs, with the total process taking about five seconds. They are like exciting bait for them. The current native and introduced range in the United States is through northern Missouri to western Pennsylvania to South Carolina and north to Maine. So if your aim is to snag a big perch, you will be more likely to achieve it using this product.

This size will exclude smaller perch who simply won’t mess with minnows that large.

Yellow perch eat tiny yellow perch, especially in early summer. Use small, fine hooks or jigs with bait and a small bobber with just enough buoyancy to signal even the lightest bites. It is not very easy to find small crayfish that have just dropped their shells in bait stores. Outside its native range, very few diseases or parasites have been found.[10]. With it at the end of your fishing line, you are guaranteed of catching perch very quickly especially if you are fishing in a spot where they are abundant. Fairfax County Public Schools - Island Creek Elementary: Yellow Perch, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' MinnAqua Aquatic Educational Program: Yellow Perch, Field and Stream: "Summer Fishing Tactics: How to Catch Bigger Yellow Perch;" Mark Hicks;  June 13, 2010. Their main foods consist of live insects, crustaceans, small fish and various other creatures. Spawning typically takes place at night or in the early morning. Of all the species of baitfish yellow perch consume, golden shiners and fathead minnows make up the majority.

Schools of perch are commonly found at or near drop-offs between the littoral zone and deeper water. I would make tacos out of mine or simply fry it up in a pan with butter, onions, and rosemary.
That is the important aspect here.

If they are, most bait shops near major lakes will carry minnows.

Nevertheless, they are probably the best live bait to use to catch large-size perch. Yellow perch eggs are thought to contain a chemical in the jelly-like sheath that protects the eggs and makes them undesirable since they are rarely ever eaten by other fish. Amazing. Eggs are laid in a gelatinous strand (commonly 10,000–40,000), a characteristic unique among North American freshwater fishes.

To use a mealworm to catch perch, you can hook it directly on a hook or on the back of a spinner or a lead jig. Introduced areas currently have not expanded outside of North America. Yellow perch can have subtle bites on live bait so I’d recommend trying out some form of strike indicator. Then you’ll notice some that are darker. Therefore, if you want to catch big fish easily, cast your lure deeper or use a sinker. Other birds also prey on them, such as eagles, herring gulls, hawks, diving ducks, kingfishers, herons, mergansers, loons, and white pelicans.

Yellow perch, also known as lake perch, has a mild, sweet flavor with firm, flaky white flesh. Learn how and when to remove this template message, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202567A18235054.en, "World Records – International Game Fish Association", https://myfwc.com/research/freshwater/sport-fishes/yellow-perch/, "Effects of predation and environment on quality of yellow perch and bluegill populations in Nebraska sandhill lakes", 10.1577/1548-8675(2002)022<0086:eopaeo>2.0.co;2, 10.1577/1548-8659(2002)131<0027:coaach>2.0.co;2, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yellow_perch&oldid=978384090, Articles that may contain original research from January 2015, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 September 2020, at 16:07. [13], In eastern North America, yellow perch are an extremely important food source for birds such as double-crested cormorants. The most unique thing about this bait is the fact that it creates sonic noises that attract perch. I also like the fact that it is made in the United States! Due to human intervention, they are currently found in many man-made lakes, reservoirs, and river impoundments. They are rough to the touch because of their ctenoid scales. Zooplankton is the primary food source for young and larval perch.

Through much of the twentieth century, families lined the shore of Lake Michigan in the spring to fish for yellow perch.