Willard Perch

[dubob]

By the way, most of the papers you read on Perch management are about the Great Lakes.  They have one problem there that we do not,  commercial fishing.  Perch are a BIG commercial catch in the Great Lakes.  Fresh perch fillets can be found in alot of grocery stores and restaurants in states bordering the Great Lakes.  Try and manage that along with sportfishng,  another headache for sure !!!

I'll have to disagree with you on that one.  I was born and raised in Michigan and lived there most of my life until I moved to Utah in 1977.  I still chat on a weekly basis with a friend back there who was a licensed fishing guide/boat captain on the big lake (Michigan). The commercial catch of perch in Lake Michigan died many years ago.  I suspect the same is true for Lake Huron.  Lake Superior never was a perch fishery of any value.  I can't vouch for Lakes Erie or Ontario.  Yellow Perch are non-existent in grocery stores in Michigan and have been for many, many years.  I know this first hand.  The last time I actually bought fresh perch in Michigan (about 12 years ago), it was at fast food burger joint in Lowell, MI that also specialized in perch baskets w/ fries and it was over $10/lb uncooked.

I agree with the rest of your post in that we have a very different environment to manage with respect to yellow perch than do the folks in the eastern USA.  With the increase in staffing and interest in warm water fisheries management in Utah, we may actually improve the perch population for those of us who know without a doubt that perch are the very best fresh water fish to eat - bar none.