Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Morone Americana (white perch)

White perch here in the midwest are problematic because of their high fecundity, competition with desirable YOY for forage and resources, and their supposed predation on eggs from more desirable species [WE most notably here in NE]. Reservoirs infested with WP are reputedly devoid of any natural WE reproduction.

You bring up a very interesting point, however - there is a natural range for this fish - East Coast I believe is where they started. I know from personal experience they are pretty spiny and their gills flare so they don't seem like an ideal forage species in my mind when compared to something like a shiner or chub. I think anything from the sunfish family would serve as a preferred source of forage by your apex predators considering the gill flaring. I will say, however, that mature WP are pretty good eating - I prefer them to BG or W/BC...taste a lot like YP and WE IMO.

It's been so ingrained in us out here to regard the WP as TOXIC that I don't think I can lend the stocking experiment my objective opinion. I would certainly worry about flooding any watersheds where they weren't desired...but if they are native in MD [I think they are] then you probably lack the regulations like NE's that prohibit returning the fish to the watershed once caught, or moving them to any other watershed, or talking about them in a bar, or thinking/dreaming about them in any manner whatsoever.

I don't think this helped - but I thought I'd end my drought of posting and get some fellas rolling on your topic.