# Yellow perch



## devolve (Apr 16, 2017)

I'm on a mission to catch the state record perch. I'm getting closer, it's been a year long adventure so far. I won't rest until it is done. Lol
I've caught them up to 17" but still short on weight. Trolling CD7 shad rapalas has gotten it done so far. 

What does everyone else use for giant yellows?


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Apr 16, 2017)

Live bait and jigs. The CD7 is probably one of the best lures you can use though. I'd say large minnows are a close second, but everything else eats them too. I suggest trolling a bottom bouncer rig like they use for walleye up north. Use about a 4ft leader and tie off to the CD-7 in gold color. Maybe trolling break lines or rock piles in deeper water will find some bigger ones?


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## King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah (Apr 16, 2017)

*Bottom bouncer*

FYI: If anyone is interested, bottom bouncers also work when trolling for walleye, trout, and apparently the occasional spotted bass too. Mostly when used with a countdown or shad rap. All the while, the wire bounces, bumps and rides over the bottom structure without ever getting hung up. If you want it a little higher off the bottom, I suggest using the floater instead of the  countdown.


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## jigman29 (Apr 17, 2017)

I like to drop shot a blueback herring for them. I have caught many well over a pound this way and the wife caught one close to two. Weedbeds are almost always a sure bet up here for the tasty buggers. Good luck on your quest.


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## KKrueger (Apr 18, 2017)

It sounds like we should be asking you.  Good luck on your mission. One of my favorite fish to eat. Keep us posted.  

Can we see the 17"?


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## lampern (Apr 18, 2017)

nightcrawlers and small shad or herring


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## devolve (Apr 18, 2017)

Might have to buy a bottom bouncer rig to try out for walleye. They look fantastic.


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## benelliBUCK (Apr 18, 2017)

KKrueger said:


> It sounds like we should be asking you.  Good luck on your mission. One of my favorite fish to eat. Keep us posted.
> 
> Can we see the 17"?


yeah 17" is a nice one for sure let see it


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## devolve (Apr 20, 2017)

As soon as it gets back from the taxidermist. &#55357;&#56842;


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## fishOn01 (Apr 30, 2017)

Are you fishing lakes or rivers for those giant yellow perch ?


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## Cmp1 (May 1, 2017)

Jeremiahisbrown said:


> FYI: If anyone is interested, bottom bouncers also work when trolling for walleye, trout, and apparently the occasional spotted bass too. Mostly when used with a countdown or shad rap. All the while, the wire bounces, bumps and rides over the bottom structure without ever getting hung up. If you want it a little higher off the bottom, I suggest using the floater instead of the  countdown.



Always wanted to try one,,,, saw them at Wally world the other day,,,, thanks for the info,,,, might try a Flickr shad or minnow with it,,,,


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## Alan in GA (May 1, 2017)

2lb 1oz my best, an egg laden female.


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## IDbirdman1023 (May 2, 2017)

So what is the record?  Best of luck


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## fishOn01 (May 8, 2017)

Current Georgia Record 

Weight: 2 lb 9 oz
Angler: Thomas Lewis
Location: Savannah River
Date: February 27, 2013


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## Broadland (May 8, 2017)

I caught a personal best on a black clouser minnow yesterday (fly fishing).  It was very close to a 2 lb fish.


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## fishOn01 (May 8, 2017)

Hooch Perch ?


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## sfw1960 (May 8, 2017)

_Any _17" yellow perch is a MonstaH!


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## Alan in GA (May 8, 2017)

Just an 'fyi', Yellow Perch can eat a bigger crawfish than you might think! I have pictures on home PC showing YP stomach contents of crawdads as big as my thumb


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## Broadland (May 8, 2017)

fishOn01 said:


> Hooch Perch ?



yes -- above the Morgan Falls dam.

I catch them there fairly regularly along with bass and sunfish

My goal is to one day catch a chain pickerel -- I hear they are there.  I have never caught one before.


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## Killdee (May 8, 2017)

I used to catch pickerel Vin bull sluce back before all the aquatic vegetation was mostly killed off, I haven't caught one there in several years now that you mention it. I also like to target the perch in the hooch, most I catch while bream fishing, which are also running smaller since the vegetation kill.  I'd like to go with someone who knows the yellow perch methods in the sluice if someone wants to go sometime.


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## The mtn man (May 9, 2017)

sfw1960 said:


> _Any _17" yellow perch is a MonstaH!



I know of a small lake in the nc mountains where a 17" yellow perch is not unusual, i caught a cooler full of them one day , i didn't have any minnows, i caught them all on a drop shot night crawler in 40ft of water. I turned everything 12" and under back, i guess I caught around 60 in a couple hours. That was just one trip. But the best trip.


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## Alan in GA (May 9, 2017)

*Me too....*



Killdee said:


> I used to catch pickerel Vin bull sluce back before all the aquatic vegetation was mostly killed off, I haven't caught one there in several years now that you mention it. I also like to target the perch in the hooch, most I catch while bream fishing, which are also running smaller since the vegetation kill.  I'd like to go with someone who knows the yellow perch methods in the sluice if someone wants to go sometime.



I'm afraid those  days may be gone. the back flats are mud flats now, and now all the beautiful aquatic vegetation looks to be gone. Huge bream and shellcracker and chain pickerel not there now I guess? At least I've not seen them recently.


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## Killdee (May 9, 2017)

Alan in GA said:


> I'm afraid those  days may be gone. the back flats are mud flats now, and now all the beautiful aquatic vegetation looks to be gone. Huge bream and shellcracker and chain pickerel not there now I guess? At least I've not seen them recently.



Yeah I know... :banging

I'm fishing different places than in the past still hoping to find some but a hand size shell cracker is a goodun now a days....and all the dad burn paddle boaters everywhere.. Only 20 minutes from my house to the Azalea ramp too


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## Broadland (May 10, 2017)

Killdee said:


> Yeah I know... :banging
> 
> I'm fishing different places than in the past still hoping to find some but a hand size shell cracker is a goodun now a days....and all the dad burn paddle boaters everywhere.. Only 20 minutes from my house to the Azalea ramp too




What happened to the vegetation on Bull Sluice?  Sediment problems?  I've only been fishing the lake for about 3 years so I have never seen the lake look much different than it does now.  I get some nice bass and I really enjoy the perch.  Hard to beat as a carp fishery too.


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## WPrich (May 11, 2017)

Broadland said:


> What happened to the vegetation on Bull Sluice?  Sediment problems?  I've only been fishing the lake for about 3 years so I have never seen the lake look much different than it does now.  I get some nice bass and I really enjoy the perch.  Hard to beat as a carp fishery too.



Well for one thing the Army Corp on Engineers(Lanier) and Georgia Power(Morgan Falls) had a miscommunication and almost drained the river in-between those two dams a few years back. Sedimentation took most of the flats away that many fished for perch and bass.


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## Killdee (May 11, 2017)

Yeah what he said ^ I stopped fishing for 2-3 years and it happened since then and last year. I asked a couple of dnr guys last summer they had no clue what I was talking about. Kinda young guys though.


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## Alan in GA (May 11, 2017)

Used to be fun throwing Rapalas and spinnerbaits over the aquatic vegetation and see chain pickerel 'torpedo' several feet to attack the lure.
I've not been back in months so maybe it's growing back?


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## Killdee (May 11, 2017)

Not much, so far. Haven been yet this year, turkey season closes Monday so I'll be back at it next week end if it's dry.


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## ThomasCobb123 (May 12, 2017)

WPrich said:


> Well for one thing the Army Corp on Engineers(Lanier) and Georgia Power(Morgan Falls) had a miscommunication and almost drained the river in-between those two dams a few years back. Sedimentation took most of the flats away that many fished for perch and bass.


I remember that blunder very well.  And it happened right smack in the middle of the spawning month of May.
That old river area has never been the same since.  It used to be a gangbusting place for yellows and huge blugills and 'crackers'.
Not so much anymore.
And, of course, the traffic from that rowing club and the kayakers, along with those who will NEVER pay attention to the *no parking except for boats*
signs at the ramp have added to the problems.
Such a shame.  And I began fishing that river back in 1964...when the only thing there was the sand company and "Rainbow Fish Camp".  Lot of pleasant memories of catching fish there.
A sad death to a beautiful deal.


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## Jim Lee (May 14, 2017)

Lanier had some back in the day.


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## Killdee (May 14, 2017)

Them some niceuns


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## fishOn01 (May 14, 2017)

Wow! Does lake Lanier still have a population of nice football yellow perch? 

"Fish on"


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## vin-man (Jan 11, 2018)

I have not fished Bull Sluice in years, but heard it has really changed. I lived about 5 min from the boat ramp on Azeala Drive, but now am about an hour from there. I use to catch a lot of YP back then. My personal best was 1lb 12oz. and 15" long. Caught it on red wiggler fished on the bottom back in Lawyers Lake. Use to fish a jig and minnow combo a lot back then as well. Sad to hear of the changes that have taken place.


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## Rabun (Jan 11, 2018)

One i caught on Burton in 2014...dang seems like yesterday.


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## Philhutch80 (Jan 11, 2018)

WPrich said:


> Well for one thing the Army Corp on Engineers(Lanier) and Georgia Power(Morgan Falls) had a miscommunication and almost drained the river in-between those two dams a few years back. Sedimentation took most of the flats away that many fished for perch and bass.



Lack of dredging on the river and lack of rip rap protection has been killing the river from Roswell Rd. south for a long time. Plus it does not help that nobody wants to be accountable for the silt in and around Morgan Falls claiming it is too expensive an operation to do. Well if we do not do something bout it now it is only gonna get worse.
Used to be some football perch in there though as well as lots of good pickerel. The channel and small island upriver from the boat dock always produced pickerel for me. But that was also back in the 90's lol.


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## Kestas69 (Jan 12, 2018)

Lake Lanier stil have some.


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## KKrueger (Jan 12, 2018)

Going back to the original post, how is the search for the state record going? I would think we are nearing prime time to catch one at its peak weight.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 12, 2018)

Kestas69 said:


> Lake Lanier stil have some.



That's a nice one! But, I have never heard anybody come up and say, "Man, I caught a 4535.92 gram bass yesterday! "


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## Kestas69 (Jan 12, 2018)

that’s how my friend send it to me 1.175 lb
We catch them every winter in Flat Creek


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