The perch (yellow perch) will reproduce without encouraging, but the eggs may not hatch well unless the egg strands are suspended or draped off the bottom over some sort of structure. Several things could be used. I use small trees or twiggy tree branches 4ft - 8ft long with a base stem/branch diameter of about 1"-2". I use green tree branches; they have the most small twigs. In early to mid March, lay several of these branches in shallow water with the butt ends on the bank and twigs in water from shore to abt 6"-24" deep. I often lay a smallish flat piece of cement (3-8 lbs) on the butt end to hold the twig end under water with some of it resting on the bottom. This type of spawning structure will be used by perch and one can easily see the eggs that are deposited since it is in shallow water. I remove branches in early May after eggs have hatched.
More permanent structures can be sunk deeper along the edges of the pond in about 2-5 ft of water. Wire mesh cylindrical open ended cages could be used. Last year's christmas trees or sunken tree tops would work.
Perch in Ohio ponds will typically spawn in late March to mid April when water temps are 49F-54F. My experience is if the pond has largemouth bass in it and few if any weeds do not expect very many, if any, of the hatchlings to reach 8" long. I find LMB too efficient as predators of YP. Typically for optimum perch production and large size classes, perch in northern Ohio ponds require a different type predator than the LMB.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/03/09 08:38 PM.
