Anybody on the northeast for yp yet?

[J bones]

Good news for the future.

Not if no big breeders around. Question is: are they and just not in the usual spots?

[Ele]

This year, as most of you know is quite a bit different than the past few. Rain all spring, summer and fall. The salt line is probably down to below Rock Hall or lower. These fish stay in fresh water so they may be spread out as far south as the salt line.

Also, it has been an exceptionally warm winter. There are lots of variables to consider. Just saying. The breeders are somewhere, just not where we expect them to be, at least at this time.

For over 40 years the commercial sector has been decimating the YP fishery. Even though they were not permitted to keep fish over 11 inches, they were nowhere to be found. It is conceivable that they were keeping everything because there were no checks and balances. When they had to be accountable for the fish they caught, we started having good fishing recreationally. The Yellow Perch fishery is very healthy, thanks to the CCA and the MDDNR for working together to accomplish this.

Any other opinions?

Ele

[JERRY NORRIS]

I agree with Ele. I think the flooding and temperatures are a lot of the problem and that the fish are dispersed around rather than concentrated like the last few years.

[sweetwater slim]

I agree... this entire season I have spent more time looking than catching... only once did I get into a nice school of big fish... and they were shallow, like 12 ft of water... we usually find them in 50 ft this time of year...being concentrated in the deep makes it easy to find them... if the conditions allow the big girls to scatter out and use 10 to 20 ft of water that is a lot of area to hide out in... and makes finding them much harder...I fished the Elk today and had 30 fish with one in ten being a keeper... we left fish to find fish... found some stacked up at a creek mouth on out going water and when the tide changed they were gone... I think they went up the creek with the incoming water... we had many 8 to 9 inch females that looked like they were gonna bust! I'm not saying the spawn is on but I'm finding fish where they stage prior to spawning... only 3 keepers but they were the right kind...12" of golden tasty-ness. Water temps were as high as 44* and the main river and Canal was 40*degrees... Does anyone know at what temperature the YP spawn? Minnows and plastics caught about equal amount of fish they are out there you just have to look around for them... It is not stupid easy on big fish this year...

[wen]

I heard the North East also.

[240 LTS]

".............Perch spawn in the spring when the water temperature is between 44 and 55 degrees. They generally spawn at night. Depending on its size, a perch will spawn between 4,000 and 40,000 eggs.

Perch do not build nests and the eggs are generally laid over aquatic vegetation. The strands of eggs are sticky and adhere to the vegetation. The eggs hatch in from 8 to 10 days. Perch are not good parents and not only don't care for their young, but will readily eat them if possible........................."




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[sweetwater slim]

Thanks 240 LTS... I guess it is possible that those perch we had in the Elk River were preparing to spawn... The temps were right and the creek mouth we caught them from leads to a spillway at its head waters where I used to fish for YP back in the 80's... might give that a try today on the high water. One of my favorite baits is a 3" firetiger shad body... looks just like a little YP... The bigger perch won't leave it alone but the little fish don't mess with it.

[bwbucktail]

Thanks 240 LTS... I guess it is possible that those perch we had in the Elk River were preparing to spawn... The temps were right and the creek mouth we caught them from leads to a spillway at its head waters where I used to fish for YP back in the 80's... might give that a try today on the high water. One of my favorite baits is a 3" firetiger shad body... looks just like a little YP... The bigger perch won't leave it alone but the little fish don't mess with it.

Thanks for the bait tip - that's a good idea