Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pale Perch

I caught some YP last week and when I pulled em out they were very pale. However after they laid out on the snow for awhile they regained their color. Is this just because they have been deprived of sunlight (we have had heavy snow cover for at least 6 or 7 weeks) ? Also interesting is that it was in the low 20s and they froze quickly. When we brought em in I put em in the sink full of cold water to thaw em out to fillet and several of em started to swim around. Now these fish were froze for an hour or so. Bob-O

Bob, is your water murky? Muddy water will make the fish stay pale.

I have seen many fish species seem paler than normal when caught through the ice...

Bob's pond water is turbid with suspended silt thus the pale hue of the fish.

Bob,

Fish also darken a little when they are frozen. When I first catch my trout they lighten up as soon as they die. When I put them on a non stick surface in the freezer they darken up.

When I lived in Rhienlander WI I used to catch Walleye that would freeze solid within the time it took to rebait my tip-ups. I would take them into the house, throw them in the sink and in about 10 minutes they would be flipping out of the sink. Tonite I caught 7 nice perch within 15-20 minutes took some pics and put em back in the hole nose first. Every one swam down, no problem. The first winter my pond was filling I would bring home 7"-10" bluegill and red-ear from a state pond in 2 5 gallon buckets and all of them to my knowledge survived the 3-8 hours between catching them and releasing them in my pond. Of course never put more than 6 or 7 to a bucket. All the big granddaddys in my pond are from the stockings that first winter.



( The granddad bluegill that is) These big girls are here thanks to Mr Cecil Baird

Thanks to all who responded. I'm sure Bill nailed it, I forgot he had analized my water for me. The pic of Mobetters YP shows at least 2-3 shades darker and I think that in a round about way they have some of the same genes. Lucky to be situated near Cecil and Bill Cody and even more fortunate that they both are so willing to help out the newbies. It sure is amazin just how resilient wild things can be. Mobetter, obviously you have gained 2-3 yrs by stocking big fish. Everything I've read suggests that after 3-4 yrs(?) or eventually the BG will eliminate the YP. how long has your pond been stocked and do you have LMB? Also hope you will keep us posted as to the reproduction and survival of the YP. Bob-O

I have caught YP at Lake Simcoe in Ontario and packed them in ice chips for the ride home to PA. We usually fished 3 days when ice fishing and always had fish re-animate once dumped in the utility sink at home. I know some of those fish had been out of the water for 2-3 days and still came back to life, albiet with limited vigor, but they swam upright on their own. I have always marveled at that.

Just keep in mind even though these fish can be revived after partially frozen I wouldn't bet the farm that they would survive long if they were released. Most likely they would become fungus covered and attacked by bacteria once waters warmed. I could very well be wrong but I have serious doubts about long term survival.

If survival was high for fish like this it sure would simplify fish hauling!

My perch have been n there since the first (spring 2005) I stocked 100. The spring of '06 We put another 100 in. If memory serves, they were 6" to 8" at stocking. These were all female and have yet to see or net a perch fry. Yes I have LM Bass, stocked 30 around the 4th of July '05 and 9 12" plus smallmouth in the summer of '06. I feed them about 250# of purina aqua-max 3/16 inch pellet size a year and my LM are quite pellet trained. The Perch feed until the hottest days of Summer,then start feeding when the waters cool somewhat. My perch were "faded"the first few years but have become very colorful.

If they were all female, it would not be surprising that you didn't see or net any perch fry regardless of low or high predation was... Now if they were Amazon mollies, you might get some fry.

Interesting you say that mobetter. My perch although not pale have white bellies until they are about 12 inches. After that they are golden yellow/orange all the way to the belly with very little white.