White perch explosion!!??

[fishinggod]

has anyone ever heard of white perch schooling up in very large numbers attacking a bait ball?? i always here reports of here and there or a good bank that had several.... but i just have well over a hundred white perch off the end of my pier ripping apart a school of teardrop minnows. I'm betting there was several hundred of the white perch. every cast i made i landed or hooked on. none were smaller than 10 inches and quite a few were over the 13 inch mark. it was madness for 30 minutes then poof it was gone. what a crazy evening bite!!!.. when i first saw the boil i though for sure it was blues considering the size of the boil was 100 foot across at a minimum. sure hope that happens again before i retire and leave my holly grail of a pier and home on the water!!! September is coming too soon for me!

[Big Mike]

I've never heard of it or seen it, but wish I was there for it.

[Yak67]

Never heard of that, but great for you

Glad to hear the "Magic Pier" is getting it's MOJO back!

Yak67
2015 Hobie PA-14
2016 Hobie Outback LE#217

[ronaultmtd]

Happens all the time- last summer at Piney Point there must have been an acre of them that pushed silversides into a big ball in a cove of about 8-9 feet deep water- some small school rock mixed in but mostly white perch- saw it a week ago...

[RavensDfense]

sure hope that happens again before i retire and leave my holly grail of a pier and home on the water!!! September is coming too soon for me!

You do realize that when you retire you are supposed to run towards these places and not leave them, right?!

[fishinggod]

RavensDfense, I've spent my entire Navy career away from family. My parents are getting up there in age and i'd rather be close to them so they don't have to travel to see me. its due time i make some decisions based on them instead of me.... but with that being said, i really would like to stay here. haha

[RavensDfense]

RavensDfense, I've spent my entire Navy career away from family. My parents are getting up there in age and i'd rather be close to them so they don't have to travel to see me. its due time i make some decisions based on them instead of me.... but with that being said, i really would like to stay here. haha

Sometimes the most logical and best life decisions take you away from other enjoyable things. Sounds like you are making the right decision because there are certain things more important than fishing. Congrats on your retirement and good luck with your move!

[manlystanley]

Sounds like a blast! My wife has made WP for the past two nights. A great tasting fish. Enjoy!


Best Regards,
Stan

[D3NAL1]

has anyone ever heard of white perch schooling up in very large numbers attacking a bait ball?? i always here reports of here and there or a good bank that had several.... but i just have well over a hundred white perch off the end of my pier ripping apart a school of teardrop minnows. I'm betting there was several hundred of the white perch. every cast i made i landed or hooked on. none were smaller than 10 inches and quite a few were over the 13 inch mark. it was madness for 30 minutes then poof it was gone. what a crazy evening bite!!!.. when i first saw the boil i though for sure it was blues considering the size of the boil was 100 foot across at a minimum. sure hope that happens again before i retire and leave my holly grail of a pier and home on the water!!! September is coming too soon for me!

Ive been looking for a citation! Lucky man to have a couple 13s in your backyard

[moc]

Yeah, I too am still looking to a citation perch. I have come close on both a citation perch and trout. I missed them both by .25 and .5 inches. Rich, we need to go fishing before you leave. I guess decent size croakers never make it up into the bay in force?

[Mark]

No citations for me either.

I'm stuck at 12.75 inches for my largest white perch. I got that trolling for stripers near Poplar Island. It hit a white paddletail on a 1/2 oz. jig.

Weems has yielded several at 12 inches for me this year. But none close to 13 inches.

I'm also stuck at 23 inches for pickerel with three that size...unlike EMSer who caught a citation 24 incher on his first pickerel of the year!

[J.A. Veil]

This perch, caught on Jan 1, 2012, measured just under 14".

006.jpg

It gave me an entry to the Maryland Fishing Challenge. At the awards ceremony, my name was drawn as a finalist. I ended up winning the grand prize -- a Tracker boat, motor, and trailer from Bass Pro Shops.

IMG_4986.jpg


White perch, and that perch in particular, have a fond spot in my heart.

[jsnyd86]

Holy cow, John! No wonder people target perch so often! That may be the coolest fish story I've ever heard

[ronaultmtd]

I haven't registered a citation fish in decades...