Am I crazy? Do yellow perch and white perch really have no size minimums in virginia?

[Wonderboof]

Am I crazy? Or do the VA regulations classify yellow and white perch as non-game fish that you can keep up to 20 of without any size limitations/minimums. This seems too good to be true… or perhaps too bad. I dunno. Note the first column on p.27 of the 2012 Virginia possession limits for non-game fish… especially “Exception 2” which specifically lists yellow perch and white perch.

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing...egulations.pdf

The 2012 Potomac River regulations, on the other hand, clearly limit yellow perch to 9” min. size and 5 per person limit; and white perch to 6” min. with no possession limit.

http://www.prfc.state.va.us/sports/B...EET_2012-1.pdf

The 2012 Maryland regs. Are similar to Potomac limiting yellow perch to 9” min.size but 10/person/day; and white perch at 8” with no possession limit.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries...c=recreational

I guess If you are planning on fishing Mattawoman (Maryland), the Potomac (Potomac River), and the Occoquan (Virginia) in a single day, be sure to work your way East to West and not the other way around.

[ictalurus]

Boof--It's been that way for as long as I've been paying attention (>5 years). When I lived in Virginia, those species didn't get nearly as much attention as they do in Maryland. When I moved to Maryland, I couldn't turn around without hearing how great white perch are. In Virginia, except in the winter, white perch were considered nuisance bait-stealers. Go figure.

[jsnyd86]

Good point on East to West. It's odd how different it is a stone's throw away. Here's an interesting question. Is there a difference in the perch fishing between the state's? Are there better and possibly more perch in MD?

[Meadeo]

White perch - They are extremely prolific and benefit from creeling as they have the tenancy to overpopulate without excessive predation.

Yellow Perch - Makes little sense to me they should be regulated but i am sure the fact that the commercial lb netters are getting 3-4 dollars a lb for roe perch has something to do with the lack of regulation.

Meadeo

[Capt C-Hawk]

If you check the MD regs you'll see the 8" min. size for white perch is for nets (commercial). Look to the right under comments and there's no minimum size for hook & line.