Yellow Perch
Perca flavescens
The yellow perch run is the first fishing of the year, and for a lot of Chesapeake anglers it is the moment winter ends. In late February and March, as the water creeps toward the low forties, yellow perch push into the upper reaches of the tidal creeks to spawn.
They are handsome fish — golden flanks, dark vertical bars, orange fins — and they are cooperative. Small minnows, grubs, and shad darts fished slowly near the bottom are all it takes. The females deposit eggs in long gelatinous ribbons draped over branches and grass, which is a sight worth seeing if you happen to be in the right creek at the right time.
Yellow perch are also among the finest-eating panfish anywhere. The fillets are small and the cleaning is tedious and nobody who has eaten a plate of them has ever complained about that.
Gear for this fish