The White Perch is a good, well tasted, and wholesome fish; and valued, as such, next to the Salmon, Trout, and Carp, especially if he be large and full grown; his biggest growth is fifteen or sixteen inches; they talk of some much bigger but I have not met with any,
The White Perch is the only champion that defies that voracious tyrant, the Pike. He swims by the Pike in his greatest fury; and, sticking up his hook, or hogback, with five dreadful spikes upon the fins of it, the Pike, who knows him it seems, will not offer to meddle with the Perch, though he is ever so small. His sides are armed also with hard scales as if he were in a shell; so that if the Pike take him into his mouth, he cannot easily crush, or wound him.
The River Perch is esteemed before the SeaPerch; and the sea or salt-water Perch will be much thicker and deeper bodied, than the river, or pond Perch, but not much longer. The river Perch have, like other fish, two fins on their back; but the salt-water Perch have but one.
They love clear Water and good, firm, gravelly or pebbly Bottoms; and if you take a Perch out of a slow, thick, muddy river, his taste and goodness will be distinct, and very inferior; neither are the fish themselves so lively and brisk, in such waters.
The White Perch is a sprightly fish, always scouring about, and hunting his prey; and if he is confined to a foul, slow, thick water, he grows dull and heavy, is not supplied with proper food for his growth.
They choose deep, hollow banks, where they will make holes in the sides, big enough to lie in, and will lodge there. They lie under those banks generally forty or fifty in a place together; and if you happen to throw into a right haunt and take one Perch, your way is, to keep to the place; since, if you take one, you may take them all, one by one; for they are bold biting fish, and have not knowledge enough of what happens, to take warning by the fate of their friends.
But if you hook one, and let him drop in again, you may give over for the present in that place; for that one runs in a fright down to their retreats, and all the rest go with him; however, they will come out again a few hours after, and be as easy to take as ever.
They spawn but once a year, which is generally in February, or the beginning of March; and they are in season all the other months. In a word, when you can catch them, you may be sure they are good; for in their spawning months, they will not bite.
The Baits for a Perch, are the Brandling well scoured, as also Worms of all the usual sorts; likewise prepared Baits, such as Bobs of both sorts, Pastes, Gentles, Wasps, and almost anything. The Perch is no dainty feeder, but, on the contrary, exceeding ravenous and eager; and therefore, if you get but among them, you cannot fail of good sport, whatever you fish with, except a fly, for this they do not understand, and will therefore never meddle with.
But though the Perch is a bold biter, yet sometimes he will play about the bait, come and nibble it, and be gone, as if he had spied the hook, and was aware of it; but let him alone, and do not strike too soon, for he will be certain to come again, and take it down at last.
When you have struck him, if he be a large one, he will pull strongly and will struggle long for his life, and sometimes, by I know not what art, he will get off the hook; therefore, give him time to bite, and if possible, be sure that he takes it down before you strike him, or else you will lose him, which is very vexatious to an angler, and, next to that of hanging his hook out of reach, the worst thing that can happen to him.
You may fish for a White Perch, the ordinary way, with a large Float, of Quill and Cork; the Line to be strong silk, and the Hook good, and armed with wire. The White Perch lies about Mid-water, but some think it best to lay for him at ground; though, I think, six inches above the ground, better; in cold weather indeed, the Perch lies deeper, as do all other fish.
He bites best when Spring is far spent, and chiefly from seven till ten in the Morning, and from two till seven in the Afternoon. In cool cloudy weather in Summer, he will bite all Day Long; and in Winter little, except the Middle of a warm day. The Best Place to fish for them is in the turning of the water eddy.
The Perch or crappie is a voracious fish and will venture on his own kind with even more courage than the Pike. And as he is a great devourer of the small fish, a Minnow, a Loach, or small Frog, becomes a proper Bait for him. The Minnow yields the best Sport, which is to be alive and stuck on the hook through the upper lip, or back in, and kept swimming about mid-water. But if a Frog is used (at which Perch bite greedily) he is to be fastened to the hook by the skin on the upper part of his leg.
