Popular Bottom Fresh= Water Fish 



fat, sharp and crisp. Tlicy are better eating than 

 perch, but not so sweet or flaky as the bass. 



PERCH 



Yellow perch, also known as ring perch, striped 

 perch, and raccoon perch, are among the most 

 strikingly marked and best known 

 LSt?"'* fresh-water fishes. They are found 

 from Nova Scotia to North Carolina 

 in coastwise waters, and are very abundant in 

 large ponds, lakes, and many of the streams. 



They are ready biters, strong and voracious 

 feeders, and can be caught on any l^ait: minnows, 

 worms, crickets, grasshoppers, small frogs, craw- 

 fish, and small spoons. They will rise to an arti- 

 ficial fly, and will ravenously take one of the 

 brightly colored fins of their own species, if placed 

 on a hook and skittered quickly over the surface. 

 Perch frequent quiet waters of moderate depth, 

 pools under hollow rocks, eddies and shady 

 reaches in the meadow brooks, creeks, and canals, 

 preferring the sides of the streams to the swift 

 currents, and sandy and pebbly rather than muddy 

 bottoms. In mill ponds they are likely to be 

 found in deep waters just above the dam. They 

 sometimes descend into brackish w^ater, where 

 they become large and very firm-fleshed. In 

 muddy pools they often assume a golden color, 

 but are soft of flesh and not well flavored. They 

 love to be among long weeds, grasses, and lily- 

 pads in large lakes, and seem to thrive in neigh- 

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