Azteca -- yes, I have done it with more than just perch.
Back when Lake Superior still had big runs of early springtime smelts, that is how we ate them. They ranged in size from about 5 to 10 inches in length. We used scissors to cut off the head and slit the belly to clean it out. We would coat them in flour and some spices and fry them in butter, or we might deep fry them after coating them in a beer batter.
I've done similar things with small bullheads taken in nets.
I have also pickled small fish, and I have "canned" small fish using this same basic technique.
Fish like smelt, bullheads, and even trout don't need to be scaled. Bluegill and perch need to be scaled because the scales don't break down during cooking, pickling, or canning. The bones do break down.
Good Eating,
Ken
