Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: finally retired on October 30, 2013, 01:33:42 PM
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Hey all, retired Air Force guy here and finally have free time after 21 years. Where can I go to catch some perch? Looking for help in the Langley/Surrey/Abbotsford area.
Thanks all.....
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White Rock Pier.
Clams and Mussels are good bait.
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Hmmm...saltwater? Any lakes or sloughs?
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perch arent native here teir invasive pests so few lakes have them which is good, few interior lakes have them and a few island lakes, kill all you catch.
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I just caught what looked like a perch in the north arm. It got off the hook as I reeled in and didn't even know I had it on because it was small. May have been a smolt though.
It was silver / grey with vertical bars and hints of red. I didn't get a great look so I first bought perch because but I believe perch are red yellow green.
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Are you talking about saltwater perch or fresh water sunfish that are also called "perch". Most docks and piers in Vancouver's harbour have piling perch that hang around in the shade. But, many docks now are closed to fishing. That was my favourite pastime when I was a child and I had the technique down to a fine art. The shiners were easy to catch on shellfish meat, but the piling perch were smarter. I took a clump of mussels and broke the shells a bit to attract fish. I attached it to a separate string and lowered it into the water were perch were present. Then I put down a separate line with a tiny hook baited with a bit of seaworm and kept it right close to the broken shells. You had to be quick because the perch suck in and blow out bait in an instant.
For fresh water perch (sunfish) go to one of the lower mainland lakes that are supposed to have them. Hatzic slough is supposed to have some. I haven't fished around there in years, so other guys would know better than me.
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Not sure if you're specifically targeting perch for some reason but perhaps trout would be a better fish to target especially in this area. Mill lake is pretty good for trout and I've hooked a couple bass in the summer. Head up to maple ridge and mission for an abundant number of lanes for trout or checkout some bars along the Fraser to see what you can hook into. Tight lines!
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Are you talking about saltwater perch or fresh water sunfish that are also called "perch". Most docks and piers in Vancouver's harbour have piling perch that hang around in the shade. But, many docks now are closed to fishing. That was my favourite pastime when I was a child and I had the technique down to a fine art. The shiners were easy to catch on shellfish meat, but the piling perch were smarter. I took a clump of mussels and broke the shells a bit to attract fish. I attached it to a separate string and lowered it into the water were perch were present. Then I put down a separate line with a tiny hook baited with a bit of seaworm and kept it right close to the broken shells. You had to be quick because the perch suck in and blow out bait in an instant.
For fresh water perch (sunfish) go to one of the lower mainland lakes that are supposed to have them. Hatzic slough is supposed to have some. I haven't fished around there in years, so other guys would know better than me.
Hi,
About saltwater perch: you fish pile/shiner perch in the summer or year around?
Thanks.
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Hi,
About saltwater perch: you fish pile/shiner perch in the summer or year around?
Thanks.
I don't dock fish anymore, but I'm still interested in nature and memories of fishing as a child. I look into the water at every dock I'm on whether it's winter or summer. When I fished for piling perch as a child it was mostly in the summer. If I lowered my bait to the bottom then I caught bullheads, sole and flounder instead of perch. I once caught a 25 pound halibut off the RVYC dock near Jerico Beach in Vancouver harbour. But that was a long, long time ago. I remember carrying it home drapped over the handlebars of my bicycle.
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I just caught what looked like a perch in the north arm. It got off the hook as I reeled in and didn't even know I had it on because it was small. May have been a smolt though.
It was silver / grey with vertical bars and hints of red. I didn't get a great look so I first bought perch because but I believe perch are red yellow green.
Shiner perch, which are pretty common in the estuary part of the Fraser River from August to October before it gets too cold. Salinity of the water increases as freshet tapers off, and you will find a variety of benthic and pelagic saltwater species moving into this part of the Fraser. Herring, flounder, greenling and tomcod are other common saltwater species you might encounter right now.
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Zap....yeah, I have read a bunch on the intro of yellow perch into places they should not be in. I personally like catching and eating perch...so I guess you could say I would be helping the cause to help rid the places they are inhabits of.
Ian....I know down south in Louisiana/Texas/Miss...they refer to a lot of fish as perch...but sunfish...I know what they are...bream family...small...lots of types...shell-cracker, pumpkinseed, red ear, bluegill...I've caught all of those. I am asking about yellow perch...like mini walleye...yellowish/green...triangular bars pointing down...spiny rayed dorsal....and the nasty little razor they have right behind the gill plate. Anyhow, I ask because I know they are fairly easy to catch and I am closer to Langley...sloughs would be cool if they were there. Trout...caught lots, but, have never caught a dollie or char. Grayling are awesome...salmon as well. Just looking for a little lazy fishing at the moment so I can acclimate back into a civilian again.
Tenz...open to any ideas other than ice fishing at the moment...have been to Mill Lake and caught a few small largemouths...no trout...about 5 sunfish.
Thanks for all the replies you guys. I really appreciate it. Been a while since I didn't have to worry about deploying and missing the entire season of whatever species!
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You could always try fishing the Fraser for some salmon.
There are plenty of spots to try in the Langley-Abby area. Basically anywhere that has river access is good, but Derby Reach and Glen Valley Park are two popular options.
The Vedder/Chilliwack is not very far away either. There you will run into many other fishermen, who can often be a wealth of knowledge in their own right.
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Sweet...thanks Suther.... ;)
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Welcome to the board c17hydro, and thank you for your service.
Yellow perch aren't looked upon to kindly in these parts as they are an invasive species. I do, however, have very fond memories of fishing for them back in Ontario. Tasty little buggers when panfried.
I have caught perch in Judson Lake in south Abbotsford, however due to private land ownership around the lake, access is pretty restricted.
Moving to BC, I had to transition my fishing from the warm water species I was used to in ON (bass, walleye, pike, carp, catfish, perch, sunfish...) to the cold water species here in BC. You won't regret it. Good luck. (although walleye is still my favourite freshwater fish to eat! :))
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Clarki-Hehehe....understood. I have been stopping by a few places on the Fraser like Poplar Bar.....and another place before it by a sharp curve...watched a fisherman reel in a small fish...think it was a small coho...he released it.
Vedder...nice river...gobbed up with fishermen in the sweet spots that I can tell. I will give the Vedder a shot in a day or two...Fraser also. So any spot that has access to the Fraser then? Small lures good to use?
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Thanks for the clarification Rod.
As has been said, perch are difficult to catch because they are invasive.
If you have been working the Fraser, run to army & navy to grab a waterproof/tease proof Fraser River Vancouver to hope map by fish n map. It cost 10.49 and is great for anglers new to this area searching for bars to fish.
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No yellow perch in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley (Region 2), no big established populations anyway, fortunately. The closest place to experience consistently good yellow perch fishing is at some of the lakes on Vancouver Island, St Mary Lake on Salt Spring Island, and some lakes in Okanagan.
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Thanks guys for the info...and the map tip!
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Hey all, retired Air Force guy here and finally have free time after 21 years. Where can I go to catch some perch? Looking for help in the Langley/Surrey/Abbotsford area.
Thanks all.....
You'll never run out of bait fishing for perch, as the eyes and belly-meat-with-skin are two of the best perch baits ever.
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No yellow perch in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley (Region 2), no big established populations anyway, fortunately. The closest place to experience consistently good yellow perch fishing is at some of the lakes on Vancouver Island, St Mary Lake on Salt Spring Island, and some lakes in Okanagan.
For some British Columbians, Washington State's Lake Stevens (only 138 km drive, no ferry), Lake Washington (watch the Seahawks while you're there), and/or Potholes/Moses Reservoir might actually be about as close and/or cheap (no VCI/Salt Spring ferries) for yellow perch. All are chock-full of yellow perch. Moses has monster 12-14" perch in March.
But dude, with world-class trout, salmon, steel, sturgeon, crappie (Hatzic, Whonnock...not big but good numbers in May sometimes), trout, bottom-fish, and trout (yes, I like trout), there's really better fare, arguably, than yellow perch for a BC angler anyway. Once I finally started catching tons of those other species I never really yearned for perch again.
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Shawnigan Lake on southern Vancouver Island is loaded with invasive eastern yellow perch. The person who introduced them to Vancouver Island should be hung, drawn and quartered and his remains fed to the crabs.
That said however, fresh water yellow perch can easily be caught using a marabou damselfly pattern tossed with light split shot weight from a spinning rod. Years ago I took my children to a big, shallow Alberta lake where everyone was swimming. Anglers were going well off shore in boats in search of perch and other species. While we were swimming I noticed schools of yellow perch in the shallows. I went back to my car and got an ultra-light spinning rod that I rigged up with one split shot and the fore mentioned damselfly pattern. I gave the rig to my kids and they had a ball. They stalked the schools of perch in the shallows and caught dozens of them. More kids joined them and they all took turns with the tackle. It was a great day and every kid on the beach had caught more fish than the anglers out on the lake. I think my friends kept about a dozen 12 inch perch for supper.
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Hehehe! Sweet!
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The freshwater critter in question caught on a fly from Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album141/Yellow_perch_Email.jpg)
The saltwater piling perch which is an entirely different species, and native to BC's west coast.
(http://monkeyfacenews.typepad.com/.a/6a0120a5c94e03970b0120a658b114970c-800wi)
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That's not a perch. This is a perch! ;D
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2013/131101-1_zps79769d97.jpg)
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You'll never run out of bait fishing for perch, as the eyes and belly-meat-with-skin are two of the best perch baits ever.
fishman254, it is illegal use parts of fish for bait, check page 9 of the freshwater fishing regulations. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/ "Fin fish...means all fish other than
crustaceans, echinoderms, molluscs,
shellfish and marine mammals.
The
use of fin fish (dead or alive) or parts
of fin fish other than roe is prohibited
throughout the province, with the
following exception:
You may use the
head of fin fish or the headless body of fin
fish as bait,
only
:
(a) when sport fishing for sturgeon in Fraser
River (Region 2 only), or
(b) when set lining in lakes of Region 6 or in
lakes of Zone A of Region 7."
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Holy crap, Rod! I haven't seen one that big in a loooong time! Wow!
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That's not a perch. This is a perch! ;D
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2013/131101-1_zps79769d97.jpg)
That's sick.
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That's not a perch. This is a perch! ;D
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2013/131101-1_zps79769d97.jpg)
Photoshopped eh Rodney ;D
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You guys are just jealous that I caught tubby. ;D
That's an European perch, Perca fluviatilis. It's pretty much the same as a yellow perch, but just lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Wow, very cool!
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You guys are just jealous that I caught tubby. ;D
That's an European perch, Perca fluviatilis. It's pretty much the same as a yellow perch, but just lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
You had me fooled there for a while, Rodney. That is a whopper of a perch and I've never seen one anywhere close to that size. it being a European variety explains it. 12 inches was about as big as we get on the island... even in good habitat.
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That particular fish was from the estuary, brackish water, which commonly produces perch up to that size, or bigger. Beside sea trout, I love chasing these fish whenever I am over there.
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2013/131102-2_zps1725ba00.jpg)
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2013/131102-3_zps3ddb6021.jpg)
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/blog/2009/06/13/urban-jumbo-perch/
Their lake variety can get just as big, but the average size is more similar to what we have over here.
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/blog-2009/090621_08.jpg)
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I almost fainted when I saw the size of that perch! Then I read "European". If local perch were that big I'd quit my job and kind of be like a full-time meth-head (but one that fishes, for those Godzilla-sized perch.)
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fishman254, it is illegal use parts of fish for bait, check page 9 of the freshwater fishing regulations. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/ "Fin fish...means all fish other than
crustaceans, echinoderms, molluscs,
shellfish and marine mammals.
The
use of fin fish (dead or alive) or parts
of fin fish other than roe is prohibited
throughout the province, with the
following exception:
You may use the
head of fin fish or the headless body of fin
fish as bait,
only
:
(a) when sport fishing for sturgeon in Fraser
River (Region 2 only), or
(b) when set lining in lakes of Region 6 or in
lakes of Zone A of Region 7."
I did know that for SALMON fishing (I don't use fin-fish sardine/herring wraps on my salmon Kwikfish salmon plugs, for example, even though I want to), but in my mind I've never made that connection with perch while perch fishing in lakes in BC. Thanks for the advice! I haven't used fin-fish however, not in lakes even, in *BC*, but I was planning to until I read your post.
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fishman254 it's always a good idea to keep up with the regs. :) I know when I lived in Onterrible that bellies and eyeballs were the best bait, nothing like a shore lunch of deep fried fresh yellow perch and hash browns.
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Man them perch would kick out a yummy meal....wow.... ;)
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Stop giving the bucket brigade ideas. :P