Western wa perch

[Threebyfour]

Seems like every time I catch a perch any more they aren't any more than six inches or so. There seems to be alot in the lakes I fish but no bigun's any more. Anybody got some insight? Depth, water temp? They are so good for eating but have to be at least 10 inches or so to get any fillets.

[rainshadow1]

Too many for the available forage. Keeps 'em small.

[ICEMAN]

Threebyfour, I hear ya on the fish size gripe! My kids catch buckets of em' and I am stuck at the sink the next morning filleting them all out, mostly small ones!

[NRA4LIFE]

I fish for them in 2 places.  North End of Lake Sammamish and the east side of Lake Washington, just south of the I90 bridge.  Lake Sammamish, find 20 -25 of water with weeds and you'll find Perch.  Heats up late in the summer into October.  Lake WA is a little different.  I fish that late summer/early fall.  Usually can find them in 40-50 feet.  Lake WA can be unbelievable if you can locate and park over a large school.  Sammamish is a little bit more predictable.  I took 150 home last summer in 3 trips on lake Samm, of them probably 10 or less were less than 10".  They run a tad bigger on lake WA.  I've been on Lake WA sometimes where I didn't throw back a single fish.  Lake Samm you'll catch a lot of little ones too.  If too many, then move.  GOOD LUCK.

[prophet]

I've had some pritty good luck catching nice size perch, for the westside my average would be 12" there not too long in size but vary fat in gerth. stevens and goodwin and cranbarry lake are good. but you got to work for it and you do run into small one's here and there. For the eastside would be 15"-20" and just last year hooked up with two fat 25"-27" perch i thought they were carp when i brought it to the boat. most of my perch are hooked while im bass or walleye fishing the eastside using texas rigged or jigging.

[M_59]

I've had some pritty good luck catching nice size perch, for the westside my average would be 12" there not too long in size but vary fat in gerth. stevens and goodwin and cranbarry lake are good. but you got to work for it and you do run into small one's here and there. For the eastside would be 15"-20" and just last year hooked up with two fat 25"-27" perch i thought they were carp when i brought it to the boat. most of my perch are hooked while im bass or walleye fishing the eastside using texas rigged or jigging.

I think you are eating world record size perch or more than likely they are not perch but rather walleye.

[rougheye]

I've had some pritty good luck catching nice size perch, for the westside my average would be 12" there not too long in size but vary fat in gerth. stevens and goodwin and cranbarry lake are good. but you got to work for it and you do run into small one's here and there. For the eastside would be 15"-20" and just last year hooked up with two fat 25"-27" perch i thought they were carp when i brought it to the boat. most of my perch are hooked while im bass or walleye fishing the eastside using texas rigged or jigging.

   Was this supposed to be in the JOKES section ? Never heared of a 27" perch .

[skybusterbo]

I've had some pritty good luck catching nice size perch, for the westside my average would be 12" there not too long in size but vary fat in gerth. stevens and goodwin and cranbarry lake are good. but you got to work for it and you do run into small one's here and there. For the eastside would be 15"-20" and just last year hooked up with two fat 25"-27" perch i thought they were carp when i brought it to the boat. most of my perch are hooked while im bass or walleye fishing the eastside using texas rigged or jigging.

Are you fishing around Hanford in the Columbia River?

[cackle]

Im thinkin he is catchin walleye

[Threebyfour]

Hey iceman it's a labor of love, and damn tasty at that. You might be right rainshadow, there are thousands of them at ant given time but they are all tiny, maybe depth is the issue, could be the larger ones are watchin the smaller ones from below.

[prophet]

hahahaha i have slayed many walleye and i think the amount of time I've fished i would know the difference between the two. and I've eaten perch and they are tasty but all those big ones i have put back. i wish i wasn't at work or i would post the pics. but if you think this a joke you are wishful thinking. i think maybe if your catching small ones all the time you should look in to a different tactic for targeting bigger fish. use small stuff catch small fish use bigger stuff catch bigger fish. but that's just me. i knew if i posted that i would be reading about it later. so thanx fellow outdoorsmen love the feed back. 

[ICEMAN]

27" is a lot of perch! How much do you estimate it weighed?

The state record perch only a mere..... 2.75lbs.

yellow perch 
Perca flavescens
2.75 lbs
Larry Benthien
Snelson's Slough, Skagit Co. June 22, 1969

[Curly]

I caught a perch in Offut Lake about 22 years ago that showed close to 3lbs on my digital scale.  If I remember right it was close to 20".  Caught it on a 4" grub while bass fishing.  Sure did taste good.  

A 27"er would have to go over 4 lbs I bet.

[MuleySniper]

I wasn't going to open my mouth about 17-18" perch but since you guys brought it up, my buddies and I have caught tons of them around that size. Real tasty and a blast to catch on my ultra lite 3'6" Loomis rig. We have a honey hole
MS

[Fishpimp]

 i have caught a ton of huge perch{14-17"-ish range} in lake washington while drop shotting for smallies. they nail the 4"roboworms. i see guys targeting them and they seem to do well.

i would like to see a picture of a 27" perch. i know a 25" largemouth is 10+lbs and if a 20" perch is 3 pounds{which sounds about right} then a 27" perch would be a world record i bet.
here is a link to a record perch that is only 16.5 inches long and 3.5lbs. a 27" perch is definately a world record , it should blow the record clean out of the water.

 www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/pressrelease2006/031606a.html