White Perch are IN

[BarefootPetr]

It might have been hopeful thinking at the time, now a very good move on my part in retrospect. On Tuesday I decided to walk down to Spa Creek and see if the White Perch were up in the creek. Last year I didn't see any until late May, but also last year everything was about 3 weeks late. Casting a small lipless from the bridge down from the Truxton Park fields I hooked my first perch of the year. I moved along the creek and picked up a few more, eventually ending up at the boat launch. There I caught as many as I could before needing to walk home to start dinner. The next afternoon I had more time and had some fun picking them off with a small blade bait. I also put out a rod with a hi-lo rig baited with fishbites, but no takers. Most of the fish were in the 5-7 inch range, with a couple 8-9.

Next, I need to get out on the yak and get at some of the bigger ones out in the rivers. Summer is right around the corner!

[J.A. Veil]

Good news. My long-term records show the first shallow water perch typically arrive in the Severn creeks during the second week in May. Your report puts them right on schedule.

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks for the nudge to get me out looking for perch. I fished in Weems Creek this afternoon and found a few. They still are scarce there. Hopefully we are seeing just the first wave of incoming perch.