Lake Michigan Perch

[veets]

It seems many people use the "perch" name when speaking of any number of mostly undesireable fish. My experience with perch is rooted in the Lake Michigan waterfront in Chicago and when you speak of perch there you are talking about a much sought after "tiger stripped" fish that was a great tasting Friday night meal. It was a fish that many Chicagoans spent a lot of time on trying to fill their stringers and later their dinner tables.

I've heard "perch" used in reference to sheepshead, drum and other so called "undesireable" species. Anyone know how the "perch" name got stuck on so many fish?

I've tried to attach a picture of what we called perch when I was a kid in Chicago. Don't know if I've done it correctly.

[Schoe]

Looks good to me and it is just like the ones we get in Canada which they call Ring Perch. We used to get them occasionally here in the back water areas on the Mississippi. Thanks Schoe

[Catbird]

I would have to say that lake perch has to be some of the best tasting fish I ever tried. I plan on making a few trips to Lake Erie next year to stock up the freezer.

[wayneh77]

I've heard them called Tigger Perch, Racoon Perch, Yellow Perch & Preacher Perch. I've caught them in Penna., North Carolina & Virginia. Eastern Carolina they are Monsters.

[capt.kirk]

That is a good picture of what we call ring perch,from indiana on up north
excellent eating fish.im getting ready to catch what here in florida is
called a sunshine bass it is a cross between white bass and stripers.
white bass are not bad tasting,and i belive that the hybred will be tasty
as well.it will be hard to beat the ring perch,or crappie,for the table,
although we have a BLACK CATFISH here in florida,that is the best tasting
catfish,i have ever eaten,to many choices,i guess whatever fish she fixes
is the best at the time.:cool:
KIRK

[rockinmichigan]

Well, around here that picture would describe the yellow perch. As far as other names used for other fish, I've heard people refer sheephead as white perch. Now, the technical name for sheephead would be freshwater drum. I got into an argument with somebody on another fishing site when he showed me a picture of a fish he catches often, if memory serves me right its called a red drum which he catches in Florida or maybe it was the Carolinas somewhere. Anyhow, the argument was I told him I thought they looked a lot alike, only the red drum didn't have that big ridge along the back and weren't the greyish white color you associate with sheephead. I'll take a look around and see if that's actually called the red drum, I want to say that's what it was called, but if so then you'll have to find the difference in what the two drums look like. If you do, look at the head, very similar at least in my opinion.

[Schoe]

It is ironic how different parts of the country call fish by different names, for example here in Fla. and lots of southern states Bluegill are referred to as Brim or sun perch. My mother for example, was raised in the farming community's of Minnesota and called all pan fish "Sun Fish". Sheepshead, a saltwater fish with black stripes and teeth has the body structure of the fresh water drum or perch also refereed to as Sheep Head or Silver Bass.
I have heard of Crappie referred to as Specks and Strawberry bass. I'm sure all of you have some odd names for fish that aren't the "real" given names. Schoe

[rockinmichigan]

Schoe, the whole thing is funny. Out here a lot of people refer to freshwater drum as sheephead, and white bass as silver bass. Just like a few people refer longnose gar as garpike, and my buddy who used to live in California sometimes calls carp as suckers, and bullhead as bullpout.

[liteline]

I still go down to the lake front in Waukegan to get a meal or 2 of the lake perch that abound in lake Michigan. Those critters out there range in size from 8"-17" and are the best table fare I know!!

[Schoe]

I agree with you Carl on the eating quality of the Yellow Perch. I have lived only 180 miles from Chicago and have never fished that end of Lake Mich. Although I fished a lot out of Kenosha Wis. back in the late 80's for Salmon and Lake Trout. It seems like back then there was a shortage of Perch so we never targeted them. Schoe

[gofish]

schoe late 80s is the last i fished there myself.they still had a commercial smelt/perch boat runnin outta kenosha then. shame about the smelt. if they were still round id suggest a git together better eatin than perch to me

[pillman]

Perch, along with their larger cousins, the walleye, are among the tastiest fish you will catch. I've heard of white perch but never caught one. I still see my dad pulling up his doubleheaders on a crappie rig out on Saginaw Bay. Can't figure out why somebody would lump sheepheads or other undeisrable fish in with our delectable PERCH:confused0068:

[gofish]

hard ta beat one of them yeller perch fer eatin less its the belly or cheek meat out a flat or blue lol.most people that call other fish perch call yeller perch sumptin else ! lol most round here call drum perch so go figure lol

[dipper69_2000]

speaking of ring or yellow perch it is that time of year around here again should be hitting any time now yuuuummmmmmmmmmmyyyy

[heath19]

They are hittin now mark, picked up a few smallish ones over the labor day weekend by the mouth of spring lake there. only fished for a few minutes though just to see if they were there and im pretty sure they are.