Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 425 



clear ice. The Perch are quite lively under the ice and dart away 

 at a good rate of speed. 



There is no other fish of Lake Maxinkuckee so well known or 

 held in such universal favor and esteem as the Yellow Perch. It 

 is known to, and appreciated by, every one who comes to the lake, 

 from the expert and professional angler to the casual visitor who 

 only sees the fishes in the clear shallow water as he saunters along 

 the shore. The angler does not disdain it because it will take the 

 fly and possesses some qualities of gameness; the amateur likes 

 it because it enables him to make good when better fish refuse to 

 bite; the novice is pleased with it because he can usually catch 

 more of it than he believed it possible for him to catch of any 

 species; the women and children are delighted with it because all 

 fish are good that come their way and they can catch them from 

 the ends of the piers ; it appeals to the farmer-fisherman with the 

 long cane pole because it shares with the bluegill the honor of 

 making up the bulk of the bushel of fish in the gunny-sack which 

 he usually takes home at the end of the day's fishing. It appeals 

 to everybody because it will bite when all else fails; because it is 

 gamy enough to suit anyone except the most exacting, and be- 

 cause there is none more delicious. 



The Perch can be caught almost every day in the year and by 

 all manner of bait and methods of fishing. They can be caught 

 trolling, still-fishing or casting, and can be taken in great numbers 

 through the ice. In the matter of bait, th'ey will take fishworms, 

 mussels, minnows, the spoon, the fly, grasshoppers, cut bait, or 

 probably anything else offered. The Perch is a fearless fish and 

 by letting down a baited hook over the edge of the boat in clear 

 water, one can look down and see these fish come up and take the 

 bait. They usually take a small minnow with a dash and gulp and 

 in such cases are caught deep. If cut bait is used, especially if 

 it is large, they come somewhat with a dash and then nibble about 

 the edges of the bait, frequently catching hold of it and shaking 

 it as a terrier does a rat. In angling with the cork float, the 

 characteristic "perch nibble" consisting of a rapid bobbing of the 

 cork, separated by short intervals of rest and terminated by a long 

 pull when the fish is hooked, is easy to learn and recognize. The 

 Perch are usually in schools ; often several perch, especially if they 

 are small, can be seen wrestling with the same bait at the same 

 time. 



The Yellow Perch is known in various localities by different 

 names, such as Yellow Perch, Red Perch, Ringed Perch or Ring 

 Perch, and Raccoon Perch. Wherever it is found it is the perch 



