I wouldn’t eat a Yellow Perch if I were you. Trust me, I have tried them and they aren’t worth a wooden nickel. They are a wormy fish, meaning they tend to be infested with parasites, and they are bony as well. Their dorsal fin, the one on their back is very sharp and bony.

A pain in the........hand:

If you grab the fish with your bare hand they will flare up this fin and it will most likely spike you and draw blood. I have had this happen too many times. Even when you don’t grab them, and you just try to get them off the hook, they will spike you if they can. It’s their natural defense. Bigger fish don’t even prefer to eat them because of this feature they have. Bass, Trout, Salmon and Cat’s that have tried to eat yellow perch quickly learn not to unless they are really hungry. I recommend the same for you.

They are good for Something:

Kids love to catch them. They are easy to catch. The simple worm and bobber approach is the easiest way to catch them. They are a good looking fish. They are yellow, with red and orange and a slight tint of blue. They are tiger striped. They generally are not very big. Common yellow perch are 5-10 inches long. The World Record weighed 4 pounds and 3 ounces. I would have to see that one to believe it. They travel in schools.

What to use for gear:

I recommend the lightest line possible, 2-4 pound test and the lightest rod as well. Use spinning reels or push buttons because they function well with light line. One good thing about perch is that they are easy to find. They stick near the shorelines and can be caught from shore, docks, bridges, banks and anywhere you can wet a line. Any small lure or worm is good to use on them. They swim in schools so they tend to be more aggressive which makes them easier to catch.

Last Cast:

I have found them to be more of a nuisance than anything else. They will bite your lure when you are bass fishing and just get in the way. They are worthless to eat, very small, and just a pain in the neck. If they are eaten by birds or other fish than they fit their purpose.


Recommended: No

Flavor: Strictly catch-and-release