Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Yellow Perch results

I stocked a 3/4 acre pond last fall, with 400+ YP fingerlings. The sizes were 4-6 inch. The pond has had FHM, and GSH living predator free for 3 full summers prior to the YP stocking. They have done quite well. These were deep hooked and bleeding. They were eaten for supper tonight, and caught yesterday.

Nice mess of fish James. IMO it doesn't get any better than YP for a meal. Did you get any length measurements on your catch?

Thanks Bill. I didn't get exact measurements, just held them to my hand and noted where the tails ended up. The largest were 9-10 inches, with the smallest being8 inches. These were all females. As they already have egg masses forming.

Nice fish James. What did you catch them on? The water's getting cooler and I need to catch a few for the table. I catch one occasionally while fishing for BG with worms but I'm not catching many.

Awesome! I am curious about the GSH. I recently found out I have them as well. Do you have a lot of large GSH in your pond? My understanding is YP are only predators of small fish that are 2 inches or so or less. I am wondering do you have some big GSH since they had a big head start?

Poppy65, these were caught on a chunk of night crawler right on the bottom.

Bill D, yes I do have some large shiners. One of these girls had a shiner in her belly that was 3 inches. I've caught many shiners that were in excess of 6 inches. I have shiner sizes all across the spectrum. It has been my experience with both my WE, and Perch, that I'm beginning to believe they can flair there mouths open and eat a fish that is larger than I would assume they can eat. I'm not hinting that the Perch could eat a six incher, but the shiners I've been catching seem to hold their fusiform shape until they start getting past the 4 inch mark. I had a runt YP in an aquarium a few years ago. I threw in some small shiners. The runt ate a shiner. The back half of the minnow stuck out of the runts mouth for several days. It slowly disappeared as it was digested. I was amazed, as the minnow was I'm estimating 1/4 the size of the Perch. To catch these shiners, I use a #8 or a # 10 long shank cricket hook under a small bobber with a small chunk of night crawler. I am now using them as walleye bait.

poppy, for what it's worth, I've been catching my YP for years now with a double hook rig under a tiny float used for steelhead fishing called a "corky". I use no weight; the baits slowly sink down under the float, taking many seconds (5-15 sec) to fall to the limit of the line. I find that, at least in my pond and the local perch lakes, that the fish are within a couple of feet of the bottom.

The first hook suspended below the bobber is a #6 drop shot hook, the terminal hook is either a #6 or #8 circle, or a long shank one-think Aberdeen or one of those with the "kink" in the shank that is supposed to make it rotate in the fish's mouth. I get many more bites with no weight such as split shot on the line, and a higher percentage of hookups with the long shank hooks in contrast to the circle hooks.

Bait: I've used all sorts of things over the years and am having excellent success these days with Berkley Power Bait Trout Worms in Orange Peel color hooked "wacky" on the bottom hook and a red wiggler hooked wacky plus either a Neon Chartreuse or Gold Rush Power Bait Crappie Sparkle Nibble on the hook with the wiggler. I've caught many, many more YP on the Trout Worm than on the wiggler/nibble but both get plenty of interest. Interestingly, I've substitute the chartreuse color Trout Worm for the Orange Peel and caught nothing, gone back to the Orange and started bringing them in again.

If you've got LMB, SMB, GSF, or BG in the pond, you'll get some of these too.

Good luck and let us know your results.
Roger

Bill, I've caught YP in my pond on a 5" fluke when fishing for LMB.

I set tip ups with the largest shiners I could find for bass in my pond back when I had bass. All I could catch were 14 inch perch. The bass weren't interested. Granted the water was cold and the shiners were in a captive mode but..

"All I could catch were 14" perch"

Wonder what the circumstances were the last time someone was disappointed enough to say that?

James - Please keep us updated each year on the progress of your yellow perch. Great results. Expect the original stock of females to be 12" next fall; maybe some 13". I am looking forward to seeing some 14" YP from your pond. Do you know the source of your stocker perch? Are you feeding the YP pellets?

Have you stocked your walleye yet? In searching I see that James has stocked walleye in his pond. Here is the result!
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=29799&Number=381308#Post381308

Jim any update about walleye in the fall of 2015?

Jimmy - where you been hiding? Awesome post, great news - well done! How are your SMB doing?

Am I reading this correct 4-6" to 9-10" in one year? holly molly....

Pellet trained too? This is our third year with 4-6" stocked and are seeing 11-12" all pellet trained.

I am hoping to stock the walleye any day now.

Cheers Don.

BillCody, this is a minnow/yellow perch pond only. The walleye are in a different pond. There has maybe been 5 lbs. of pellets fed in the last year. I use the pellets to occasionally check to see if the minnows are surviving. I never saw any sign of the perch till I fished for them recently.

T.J. I've been a busy guy! I fell in love with a beautiful woman a little over a year ago! She's into Muskie fishing. We travel alot,and most of my free time is spent with her exploring the country. Fishing and fossil hunting in Florida this December, and dinosaur digging in Montana next July. Fossil digging is her passion. Maybe that's what she digs about me?

James, we need to catch up soon. The forum needs a full rundown on the YP pond and your success - and I'd like to hear more about your recent paleontology expeditions!

T.J. , Sounds great! Do you visit Shawn in the winter months? I ran into him the other day.

I don't, but should!