# Perch, what's a keeper?



## Joe Archer (Mar 29, 2000)

Just curious as to what the rest of you cull and what you keep. Generally, I will welcome a limit of 8 inchers or better. At times, to get the requirement for a family meal, I will include some 7 inchers.

What size perch make your buckets? &lt;----&lt;&lt;&lt;


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## DaveW731 (Jan 12, 2001)

Same standard here. Less than 7 inches takes more calories to clean, than you get from eating it!
Dave


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## DaYoop (Oct 26, 2000)

My personal requirement for perch or any panfish in general is the length of my hand, which comes out to be about 8 inches.


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## moose (Jan 11, 2001)

I usually keep 8in or better and will take some 7in. dinks if they are needed to finish off a meal


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## FischInMich (Feb 5, 2001)

No doubt Joe,

Eight inches is an absolute minimum. You practically need a scalpo to fillet those dinks, and for what? Remember guys, those small perch grow into big perch if they live to do it! A footnote: I've seen several guys throughing little 2-3 inch perch on the ice to die in fear that they screw up their fishing. Newsflash guys, littering carries a major fine and if the DNR catches you those fish will count against your limit and you will be ticketed. That's if I don't run into you first. Help sustain the resource! FISH ON!!!

------------------

Fischman


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## Big Al (Sep 11, 2000)

Bluegills -6.5"
Perch - 8" or so


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## rick adams (Jan 19, 2001)

Since there is no "legal" size limit, I guess its what ever you feel you can clean and get somthing out of. I've cleaned a zillion "snack-size" gills this year and let me tell ya ,It's Good Eattin'.6.5" gillz-7" perch
Side Note: DNR was out at Stoney last week lookin for the "person"(notice the quotes) who threw out a hundered sm gills on the ice!I don't care how small you keep them! You kill it- Eat it!!


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## Ice Wizard (Jan 5, 2001)

Joe since I don't get out much I'll keep anything that I plan on eating. Usually 6.5" or better. I wish that I was that good/lucky to only keep 8" or better. And at $14.99 lbs for the grocery store garbage a few small ones won't be missed.


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## chad 1 (Jan 23, 2001)

Joe : I keep 8 inches and above. Only keep the smaller ones if i hurt them getting the hook out. It takes more time cleaning but they eat the same. good fishing chad 1


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## TrapperJohn (Jan 14, 2001)

Usually 8" on perch.
Let those smaller one's grow!


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## The Whale (Jan 12, 2001)

Sounds like everyone is right on target and in agreement as to what constitutes a "keeper" size fish. I agree too, if I harm a "dink" while unhooking, well, it goes in the bucket too. I suppose though that if the bunch are running 7" or so, AND they are a little FAT, I most likely will get confused as to where the hole is vs. the opening of the bucket !!! Catch em, clean em, eat em !


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## mike woj (Oct 8, 2000)

Eight inches is aout the smallest I will keep. On the other hand, if you take them from deep water and their air bladders are in their mouths you had best keep them as they will die. Further, I never met a perch I didn't like.


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## igotgame (Dec 30, 2000)

> Originally posted by mike woj:
> *Eight inches is aout the smallest I will keep. On the other hand, if you take them from deep water and their air bladders are in their mouths you had best keep them as they will die. Further, I never met a perch I didn't like. *


I'm in agreement with most all of ya. I was curious if my standards were a little low, with most of you saying an 8" min., so I got my tape measure out while cleaning some fish I got on Tuesday. All but 3 of the fish I had were 8" or better. The other 3 were 7". I thought I would watch what happened to the little fillets at the dinner table, and just like most times we have fish, those little fillets were the very first ones gobbled up.
So maybe size really doesn't matter.

Good luck!!!


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## Joe Archer (Mar 29, 2000)

The reason I posted this was to find out if the majority here would be happy with the fish I have been catching the past week. My last time out was Tuesday. I kept 38 perch, 24 were between 8 - 10 inches and 14 were 7 - 8 inches. The bigger fish that I had been catching seemed to be less active, so I kept a few of the smaller ones to make a meal for the family. Anyway, it seems like most here would have done the same thing? &lt;----&lt;&lt;&lt;


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## SAK (Dec 12, 2000)

Joe Archer, i would have kept that size too. 
It depends on the lake(what size perch are in there-some lakes just don't grow big perch) and it depends on how hungry we are for a perch fry. The small ones taste good too. I'd rather bring home 6 12 inchers than 15 7 inchers of course.


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## garyrodbender (Feb 2, 2001)

''KEEPER'',anything that goes in the bucket.As for size,I agree with what lake,average size for that lake,And quite agree with,NEVER MET A perch I DIDNT LIKE.Fellas let the large fish go{best for spawning},or all of our lakes will have 'stunted'
small fish.PS shame on the guys who
feed the SH*t MACHINES.Good Luck.


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## hueystoy (Feb 6, 2001)

Joe I've got a 25ft. rule any perch I catch deeper than 25 ft. I keep regardless of size. The reason I do this is because I was fishing with retired DNR biologist. I started to throw some perch back and he told me that I may as well keep them. he said when you pull them that even if thier air bladder isnot showing the perch will most likely die Seeing as I don't think there enough perch to go around for all of us to throw back perch that are going to die I Follow this rule. winter or summer. Shallower than that if I don't see that I have'nt hurt them 7in or less I will throw back.


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