Big Perch???

[Big Sky]

I live in Southern Utah these days and do not have my finger on the pulse of fishing in northern Utah anymore. I keep seeing photos and videos of really nice perch between 10"-14+" posted online. Invariably they say it's a secret spot. However from the mountains in the background it's obviously somewhere up north likely between Kaysville and Ogden. Plus there are always a number of other people in the background fishing on the ice. So it can't be that secret... Anyone know where this allegedly secret spot is with the big perch they are pulling through the ice?

[Muskybee]

Rockport and echo! If you weed out enough small ones, their are some decent size perch

[SkunkedAgain]

I think a lot of ponds are doing better this year than previous years... I know Hyrum has been averaging 9-10.5" fish for most, heard some early tales of Echo yielding a 14"er, and Willard was putting out 12 and 13's pre ice up... I think I even seen a Facebook story about Rockport yielding nice sized perch as well (12"ers)... So I think there are lots of spots where you could find a good one, but as you know it takes some work, skill and luck to find the big ones and so far I can't break 10.5" so I guess you know how much you can trust my recommendations from that... Later Jeff Ps... but I'm still trying to better that mark..

[Fritzfishin]

I'm also heading out tomorrow in hopes of bumping my 9.5" up for the contest! And the table!

[MWScott72]

Perch seem to be averaging 9-10” at Hyrum this year. Numbers are lower but the fish landed are quality. Echo and Rockport are good for numbers, but as said, u have to weed a lot of small ones out.

[T-Boz]

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[Fritzfishin]

Just think! If you eat the 7-10" and let the jumbo over 10" go how big they'll be next year!

[pookiebar]

Just think! If you eat the 7-10" and let the jumbo over 10" go how big they'll be next year!

well but all of the ones I have caught over 9” are loaded with eggs.  I think in this case we want to keep thinning the herd, and one way to do that is to limit the offspring that will be spawned in the spring.  I’m no biologist so I could be wrong.

[pookiebar]

Just think! If you eat the 7-10" and let the jumbo over 10" go how big they'll be next year!

well but all of the ones I have caught over 9” are loaded with eggs.  I think in this case we want to keep thinning the herd, and one way to do that is to limit the offspring that will be spawned in the spring.  I’m no biologist so I could be wrong.

[PBH]

I live in Southern Utah these days and do not have my finger on the pulse of fishing in northern Utah anymore....

I know I'm being nit-picky.  "Southern Utah" comprises somewhere in the neighborhood of +40,000 square miles.  There happen to be a few perch fisheries contained within that perimeter -- a thought that makes me cringe, personally.

Where are you in southern Utah?  Maybe somebody could help you out with your perch fix, without having to resort to northern Utah?  Just because you aren't seeing a bajillion reports from the 435 doesn't mean that there aren't opportunities for some bigger perch "down here". 

[Big Sky]

I live in Southern Utah these days and do not have my finger on the pulse of fishing in northern Utah anymore....

I know I'm being nit-picky.  "Southern Utah" comprises somewhere in the neighborhood of +40,000 square miles.  There happen to be a few perch fisheries contained within that perimeter -- a thought that makes me cringe, personally.

Where are you in southern Utah?  Maybe somebody could help you out with your perch fix, without having to resort to northern Utah?  Just because you aren't seeing a bajillion reports from the 435 doesn't mean that there aren't opportunities for some bigger perch "down here". 

I don't need a perch fix. It is more of an "IF" I'm going to fish for them, I don't want to catch a ton of little micro perch like there are at Fishlake. I don't like wasting time catching a bunch of squeakers hoping for the odd bigger perch. I much prefer fish like these that my friends and I have caught in the past. I there is anywhere south of Fillmore/Richfield to the Arizona border that has perch consistently over 10" I'm all ears.

[PBH]

while technically not south of Fillmore -- have you ever considered Gunnison Bend, or DMAD? Or even just the Sevier River below Yuba?

Again, I don't know where you are located in southern Utah (St. George? Blanding? Garrison?). We don't have many (thank God!) perch fisheries, but there are a couple options that aren't name Fish Lake...

[Big Sky]

while technically not south of Fillmore -- have you ever considered Gunnison Bend, or DMAD?  Or even just the Sevier River below Yuba?

Again, I don't know where you are located in southern Utah (St. George?  Blanding?  Garrison?).  We don't have many (thank God!) perch fisheries, but there are a couple options that aren't name Fish Lake...

Just so you know I'm not a huge fan of perch because of their tendency to take over a fishery and then stunt their growth. However, if there are some with size I will take the time to fish for them once or twice a year. I'm partial to trout fishing and spend most of my time chasing trout. However, I do like to catch a variety of fish, and I do break away to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, crappie, walleye, northern pike, various sunfish, white bass, wiper, salmon, ling, and catfish occasionally. Thank you for the suggestions.

[Springbuck1]

The search for the biggest representatives of the smallest species IS the eternal quest of the pan-fisher.

My own experience is that I catch big perch SOMETIMES everywhere there are perch, and the best perch fishing LAKE will vary a lot in cycles over a year, two, or three. I've caught 12" perch at Mantua, Rockport, PV, and Hyrum. 11" at all the above, plus Utah Lake. Usually one or two at a time, though.

Three years ago, PV suddenly coughed up a couple of good bags of 10.5" perch at first ice, after having suffered a perch crash years before. I had switched to crappies for 5 years after the crash. The next year, all the perch I caught at PV were back to 8" and 8-1/2". Last year Hyrum was very good to me three trips in row. etc.

---

 have you ever considered Gunnison Bend, or DMAD?  Or even just the Sevier River below Yuba?

PBH, if you have any good reports or intel on any of those waters, please do tell.  A lot of us here are willing to explore. 

For years I have heard about DMAD being such an interesting place, but also of inconsistent fishing.

[PBH]

PBH, if you have any good reports or intel on any of those waters, please do tell.  A lot of us here are willing to explore. 

For years I have heard about DMAD being such an interesting place, but also of inconsistent fishing.

sounds like you are willing to explore, but only if there is a good fishing report prior to the exploration?  

Maybe this should work the other way around?  You go explore DMAD and Gunnison, then report back and tell us if they were any good!

[Springbuck1]

PBH, if you have any good reports or intel on any of those waters, please do tell.  A lot of us here are willing to explore. 

For years I have heard about DMAD being such an interesting place, but also of inconsistent fishing.

sounds like you are willing to explore, but only if there is a good fishing report prior to the exploration?  

Maybe this should work the other way around?  You go explore DMAD and Gunnison, then report back and tell us if they were any good!

Wow.  I was just asking.  I'd do it for you. 

Even a good report guarantees nothing, so it's still exploring.  That's not a hard concept. 

Guess I'll just go back to the 68 hour weeks in the overcrowded, overwhelmed, understaffed, underpaid ER and ICU I've been working the last for 7 months, saving peoples' lives because of how insanely selfish and ignorant their neighbors are.  I got this. Then, if I'm not on call, I'll come home and try to make my crippled daughter's life meaningful and fulfilling, take care of my other autistic kid, and give my endlessly patient wife a break.  I'm not even going to mention the rest, but I got this, you go on ahead and enjoy all that free time and gas money, and make sure you spare a moment of disdain for people who ask perfectly innocuous questions.

[catchinon]

Last year, through good detective work, the help of friends, and luck, I think I found that secret spot. Even though I fished it a few times I never managed to get anything bigger than 10.5". I saw 12.5-13.5" perch taken and I don't think that was terribly uncommon. When I reported it on here last year I was given to understand that I shouldn't have revealed the spot. It seems that sometimes a clique will find a spot and do everything they can to keep the knowledge away from others. Not unusual. I don't know what to think about that. If you crow about a great place then a large number of anglers may converge on the spot, I know. Not sure how to make honest reports that will help others without treading on someone else's toes.

[Kent]

Not sure how to make honest reports that will help others without treading on someone else's toes.

I hear you and doing it by PM is a start.

[catchinon]

You've lost me once again, Kent. If you want to PM me maybe you can explain what you mean.

[PBH]

springbuck -- I apologize for the appearance of my last post. It was meant to be taken as -in-cheek. Obviously, a funny thought did not come across as intended. Sorry.